Charlie Chaplin Biography
Posted On March 1st, 2011 By Celebrity Biographies
Charlie Chaplin
English writer, director and actor, Charlie Chaplin happened to be one of the most unique creators in the history of cinema. His performances often reflect the sympathetic comic character with a moustache and ill-fitting clothes. He was recognized and applauded all over the globe.
Childhood
Charlie Chaplin was born as Charles Spencer Chaplin on 16th April, 1889, in a small district of London, England. His father’s name was Charles Spencer Chaplin Sr and was an accomplished singer until he started drinking whereas his mother’s name was Hannah Chaplin, which was a talented piano player, a singer and an actress. His mother spent most of his years in and out of the mental hospitals. Once his parents separated, Charlie spent his time with his half-brother Sidney, who was forced to move into orphanages. They often slept hungry here and were beaten up if they were found misbehaving.
Charlie left school and went out on a tour with a small group of comedy entertainers. He could barely read or write. He was seen starring in small comedy acts later on. At the age of 19, he turned out to be one of the renowned music-hall performers in London.
Journey to United States
Charlie Chaplin went to United States in 1910 and was chosen by Mack Sennet, a successful filmmaker, to appear in silent comedy acts of Keystone. After his early movies such as “Tillie’s Punctured Romance” and “Making a Living”, Charlie decided to change his acting style. He refused to overact and got precisely delicate with his comic movements. This is when he created the role of a “tramp”.
He appeared in more than 30 short films for Sennet, however he realized that the speed at which he was working, eventually held back his personal talent. He later quit working with Sennet and moved on to Essanay Studios. A few of his notable films during this period were “The Tramp”, “His New Job”, and “The Champion”, recognized for their sympathetic and comic moments. However the films shot in 1917, as a part of the Mutual Company, such as “The Immigrant”, “The Pilgrim”, “Easy Street” and “The Cure” portrayed sharp humor. Charlie Chaplin built his personal studio and penned down a million-dollar contract to produce silent-screen classics with National Films. The films made here touched some of the sensitive issues pertaining to slum life and life after the World War.
After a series of successful films, Charlie Chaplin was caught in a controversy, based on his political views about United States and its people. He was highly criticized for his behavior and was later caught in another controversy about his personal life. A woman claimed him to be a father of her child, however Charlie won the case and it was proved that he was not the father of her child.
In 1970s, Chaplin was recognized for his contribution to films and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II of England as “Sir Charlie Chaplin”. Two years after this honor, Charlie Chaplin died in his sleep on 25th December 1977, in Vevey, Switzerland.
