Spotlight: Simply Chaplin
Posted October 25th, 2007 by adminCharlie Chaplin was a very interesting person! Born in 1889, his mum and dad were both entertainers; dad, however, was an alcoholic and mum suffered from a mental illness. He began his career early, touring in a musical at age eight and performing in a play at age 11. By the time he was 17, Chaplin was performing regularly with the Fred Karno’s English vaudeville troupe, which led to his relocation to America in 1910.
In 1913, Chaplin signed a contract with Mack Sennett at Keystone. In 1914 alone, he made 35 movies (that’s about a movie every 2 weeks)! Keystone is where Chaplin created his signature character, “The Little Tramp.” The baggy clothes, the mustache, and the hat were all designed to disguise his age — he was only 24 at the time.
Play the video to view “Easy Street,” one of Chaplin’s best films:
Did you know that Chaplin co-found the United Artists studios? Movies were becoming longer and he and other filmmakers banded together to form a studio that allowed for more control over their work. Chaplin also had brushes with the United States Government, having his Visa revoked by President Hoover after being accused of sympathizing with communists and voicing un-American sentiments.
Chaplin was also quite popular with the ladies. His marriage to Oona O’Neill, daughter of playwright Eugene O’Neill, seemed to be the good relationship. They had eight children together; unfortunately, Oona was traumatized by Chaplin’s death and the grief led her into alcoholism. She died from pancreatic cancer in 1991.
There is so much more information about Mr. Chaplin and his history in silent films! On the Simply Chaplin page, click About Chaplin to get his full biography. And don’t forget to take the Simply Chaplin poll to test your knowledge!
Happy learning!
This looks to be an excellent write up of Chaplain, a personal favorite of mine. I’m always impressed by how committed to silent films he was, which tends to make them all the more enjoyable for me. Thanks for the tidbit; I didn’t know the little tramp was a disguise for his age, 24 is very young!
Comment by maculate — April 10, 2009 @ 4:03 pm
Ahhh, the widely imitated pop culture icon that was Chaplin. Sad that I never got to experience his genius on screen.
Comment by elfenliedagain — June 26, 2009 @ 12:20 pm