Charlie Chaplin is the most famous actor of the early 20th century. One of the few representatives of the silent film era whose name we hear through the decades.
U Charles Spencer Chaplin, popularly known as "Charlie Chaplin" had a tragic childhood. His father died when he was 12 due to alcohol abuse. His mother suffered from periodic bouts of insanity and was committed to a mental institution. As a result, Charlie had to start working in very early age to feed yourself.
He chose the stage and made his professional debut at the age of eight as part of a children's dance group called "Eight Lancashire Lads".
At the age of eighteen, he toured the United States and this was the beginning of his brilliant career. The path of the Great Actor lasted more than 75 years, starting as a child in Victorian era and finishing it a year before his death at the age of 88.
We have selected for you some little-known facts about Chaplin:
He was the first actor to appear on the cover of Time magazine.
He married 4 times and fathered 12 children.
Charlie Chaplin took third place in the competition of his own doubles.
Charlie Chaplin in the film "The Great Dictator" He portrayed Adolf Hitler in the film The Great Dictator.
Feature film Charlie Chaplin. He won an Academy Award for Footlights in the best music to the film.
His daughter, actress Geraldine Chaplin, played the role of his mother in the film Chaplin.
Due to suspicions that he was a communist, his prints were removed from the Hollywood Walk of Fame and were subsequently lost.
His body was stolen after he died. The criminals tried to extort money from his family. Chaplin's body was returned 11 weeks later after the robbers were found and detained. The burial is now under 2 meters of concrete to prevent further attempts at theft.
Charlie Chaplin never became a US citizen and was expelled from the country in 1953 because he renounced his US citizenship. He spent the rest of his life in Switzerland, dying in his sleep in the city of Vevey on the night of December 25, 1977 at the age of 88.
Charlie Chaplin greatest star world cinema, led an incredibly eventful life. Find out some interesting facts about the wonderful actor.
Difficult childhood
Chaplin was born into a family of professional actors, but his childhood was difficult due to his parents' illnesses and their alcohol addiction. At the age of seven he was sent to a workhouse in the spirit of Dickens novels and lived in appalling conditions that would shock modern man.
Continuing the family business
Thanks to family acquaintances and connections, Charlie began to appear on stage early. He dropped out of school and began working professionally as an actor at fourteen. Within a couple of years, he had become a celebrity thanks to his roles in vaudeville and traveling around Britain, after which he was noticed and invited to work in the United States. 
Great future
Chaplin thought that cinema had no special significance and it is unlikely that his work will be worthy of attention; he was simply rejoicing at the first chance to forget about poverty. From the very first week he began to earn one hundred dollars, which was a considerable fortune at the beginning of the twentieth century. 
Incredible success
Charlie Chaplin became the first professional actor to earn a fortune solely by acting in films. By 1915, he was earning a thousand dollars a week, which is more than many modern Americans earn.
National identity
Chaplin became incredibly successful in the United States, but never received citizenship of this country. He ended his days in Switzerland, having lived in America most of his adult life. 
Musical talent
Chaplin was not only a wonderful actor, but also a musician. For some time, while still living in England, he worked as a butler, and he was fired for playing the trumpet!
Chaplin and Keaton
Buster Keaton, another famous silent film actor, was good friend Chaplin. They did not compete, but collaborated, and Chaplin even invited Keaton to work on the film Footlights.
Chaplin and Hitler
Many people think that Chaplin supported Hitler - his main character, a little tramp, somewhat resembles the leader of the Third Reich in appearance. In fact, Chaplin was against Nazism and even starred in the satirical film The Great Dictator as Hitler. The film was banned in Germany. 
Chaplin's wives
Charlie suffered from depression and was not in a stable relationship. He was married four times, each time to a woman much younger than himself. 
An unexpected incident after death
After the actor's death in 1977, Chaplin's body was buried in a cemetery in Switzerland. After some time, an unknown person dug up the grave, removed the body and stole it. It took the police a month to return the remains to their place.
Charlie Chaplin, British and American actor, writer, producer and director, was one of Hollywood's top stars, best known during the silent film era.
His name is associated with the Little Tramp, a character with a mustache, a bowler hat, a bamboo cane and a funny gait. Charlie Chaplin biography reveals interesting life actor both in his films and behind the camera.
Difficult childhood
Charles Spencer Chaplin was born in Walworth, London, England on April 16, 1889. His mother, Hannah Harriet Pedlingham (Hill), talented actress and singer, spent most of her life in psychiatric hospitals, and her father, Chaplin Sr., a talented vocalist, died early from drunkenness. When his parents divorced, Charlie and his brother lived in orphanages.
Charlie Chaplin's nationality remains a mystery. There are opinions that real name The actor was Israel Thornstein, and he is Jewish, but his parents were not of Jewish descent.
The letter found suggests that the boy was born in a gypsy caravan outside London and had some degree of gypsy ancestry, but this ancestral claim has not been verified.
Having barely learned to read, the future actor and his brother left school and left with a group of comic artists. Having inherited the natural talent of their parents, the young people entered the stage, which became the best opportunity for their career. Charlie made his debut as a member of a youth group called the Eight Lancashire Lads at the age of nine and quickly gained popularity among audiences.
Subsequently, he starred in several comedies and by the age of nineteen became popular performer music hall in England.
Start of a career
Chaplin began his acting career at the age of nine, touring with a group of comic performers. When he was twelve, he landed his first stage show role as "Bill" and then various productions"Sherlock Holmes" by William Gillette.
At the age of 18, the young man worked as a comedian in Fred Karno's vaudeville troupe, joining them on a tour of the United States in 1910, and gained popularity among American audiences. The future film actor was first offered to star in the comedy film “Making a Living.”
Charlie spent his youth in California. Here he signed a contract with the popular director Mack Sennett of the Keystone film company for a fee of $150 per week.
Following Sennett's demand to appear lyrical and memorable on screen, Chaplin designed an outfit consisting of a too-small jacket, very wide trousers, large shoes and a frayed coat. As a final touch, he glued on a mustache, applied makeup, and used a cane as an all-purpose support. Thus was born immortal image Chaplin - Little tramp, and films with his participation began to bring big profits.
These years were the most fruitful in the work of the film actor. He starred in 35 films and played the Little Tramp in almost all of them. After appearing in more than thirty short films, Chaplin realized that the speed and frenzy of Sennett's productions were holding back his personal talents, and in 1915, after completing his contract with the producer, he transferred to the Essanay company for a fee of $1,200.
Filmography and independence
The following year, 1916, Charlie became more in demand and signed a contract with the Mutual Film Corporation with a fee of a large amount($10,000) and starred in 12 comedies, in which he used edgier humor for the first time. These include:
- "Firefighter";
- "Tramp";
- "Graph";
- "Pawnshop";
- "Behind the Screen";
- "Ice rink";
- "Easy Street"
- "Medicine";
- "Immigrant";
- "Adventurer".
In 1918, Charlie, along with husband and wife stars Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, and director D. Griffith, built his own studio and signed a million-dollar contract with National Films.
He created silent cinema classics in the following films:
- “A Dog’s Life” is about the existence of tramps;
- "Leverage" about the First World War;
- "Baby" is about the touching story of life in the slums.
Feeling the need for a complete break from his filmmaking activities, Chaplin sailed for Europe in September 1921. After a long vacation, he returned to Hollywood and began working actively at his studio, United Artists.
Chaplin made nine feature films:
- "Baby" (1921);
- "The Great Dictator" (1940);
- "A King in New York" (1957);
- "Parisian Woman" (1923);
- "Gold Rush" (1925);
- "Modern Times" (1936);
- "Circus" (1928);
- "City Lights" (1931);
- "Monsieur Verdoux" (1947);
Many films became bestsellers and became more famous over time. They showed through the Little Tramp's positive outlook on life full of chaos that there is human spirit, and will always remain in this world.
City Lights and the Great Dictator
In 1931, Charlie Chaplin directed the film City Lights, which depicts the friendship of a tramp with a blind flower girl and a drunken millionaire. Many critics considered the film best job artist.
It was a sentimental and sweet story in which the Little Tramp falls in love with a blind flower girl and vows to restore her sight. The musical score, the only "sound" element of this film, was composed by the author himself. The painting “City Lights” turned out to be a difficult and long work in creative career masters Filming lasted two years and eight months.
Before work on the film began, sound cinema appeared. This great revolution in cinema was challenging task for Chaplin, since the character of his silent tramp was universal, his pantomime was understood in all corners of the world. But if the tramp starts speaking English, this large audience will instantly shrink. Chaplin solved this problem by ignoring the speech and making City Lights a silent film. The premieres were some of the most exciting that cinemas have ever seen.
In Los Angeles, his guest was Albert Einstein, and in London, Bernard Shaw was present at the screening.
"The Great Dictator" (1940) - the most outspoken political satire Chaplin and his first sound film. In the film, the film actor played a dual role - a Jewish barber who lost his memory in a plane crash in World War I and spent years in hospital, and Adenoid Hynkel, the dictator of Tomania (Germany), a parody of Adolf Hitler. Paulette Goddard played Hannah, the barber's girlfriend, and Jack Oakey played Italian dictator Benito Mussolini as Napaloni. The film did well at the box office and won an Academy Award in 1941 for best film and the male role.
Recent years
At the end of the forties, the Cold War in America reached its peak, and Chaplin, being a foreigner with liberal and humanistic views, became the main target of the FBI.
He was charged with committing immoral acts and political suspicion. This was the beginning of the last and unhappy period of the actor's life in the United States, which he finally left in 1952. Chaplin, who was never a US citizen, sold all his American possessions and settled in Geneva, Switzerland, with his wife Una O'Neill and children.
In 1966, the film director filmed last picture"Countess from Hong Kong" for Universal Pictures, the only color film starring Italian Sophia Loren and American actor Marlon Brando. The film was planned back in the 1930s specifically for Paulette Goddard, but it was only in the seventies that the project was realized. In the film, Chaplin briefly appears as a ship's steward, his son Sydney again plays main party, and the three daughters have small scenes.
The film was a box office failure, but one song from the soundtrack became a hit and is still very popular today.
By the 1970s, times had changed in America, and Chaplin was once again recognized for his rich contributions to cinema. In 1972, he visited the United States, where he was awarded high awards in New York and Hollywood. In 1975, this respectable old man became Sir Charles Chaplin. And on December 25, 1977, he died at his home in Vevey, Switzerland, at the age of 88 from old age.
His funeral was a small and private Anglican ceremony, in accordance with his wishes. In 1978, the coffin with the body of a film actor was stolen from the grave and discovered only three months later. The remains were reburied, and the tombstone was strengthened with a layer of cement. The famous comedian left a will. The person who releases five rings will receive a million dollars. cigarette smoke from the mouth and the sixth will pass through them. A million is waiting for its owner.
Personal life and interesting facts
Charlie Chaplin was married four times and had eleven children. In 1918, he married Mildred Harris, who gave birth to a boy who lived only three days, and the couple divorced in 1920.
Chaplin became interested in actress Lita Gray while filming the film. Six months later, Lita discovered that she was pregnant, and he was forced into a marriage that brought unhappiness to both spouses. Charlie Chaplin's wife Lita Gray gave birth to two sons - Charles Jr. and Sydney Earle. They separated in 1927.
In 1936, Chaplin married Paulette Goddard, and last marriage was in 1943 with eighteen-year-old Uona O'Neal, daughter of the playwright Eugene. The fourth wife gave birth to three sons - Eugene, Michael and Christopher, and five daughters - Geraldine, Josephine, Victoria, Jane, Annette-Emily. Charlie Chaplin's children, son Sydney and daughter Geraldine, became actors.
The artist's life and career were full of contradictions and unexpected stories. The first sandal occurred during World War I, when Chaplin's loyalty to England was questioned, although he never applied for American citizenship, claiming to be a "visitor" to the United States. The FBI believed that the actor was introducing communist propaganda into his films. The painting “The Great Dictator” aroused even greater suspicion. However, the film grossed more than $5 million and received five Oscar nominations.
Another scandalous story occurred when Chaplin was dating 22-year-old Joan Barry. The feelings were short-lived, and the relationship soon ended. The girl stated that she was pregnant and filed a paternity suit. Laboratory tests showed that Chaplin was not the father of the child. But at the time, blood tests were inadmissible evidence, and he was ordered to pay $75 a week until the child turned 21.
There was an article in English newspapers that in a theater in San Francisco, California, in 1915, a famous film actor took part in a competition as a double of himself and did not even make it to the finals of the competition.
Creative heritage
Unlike many of their bright characters Chaplin was a quiet man. He had a “not a millionaire” lifestyle.
Even after he earned a lot of money, he continued to live in simple hotel rooms and lead a modest lifestyle. In 1921, Chaplin was awarded by the French government for his outstanding work as a director, and in 1952 he was promoted to the rank of officer of the Legion of Honor.
In 1972, film director awarded with a prize Oscar for "great contribution to the transformation of cinema into art form century." He was appointed a Knight of the Order of the British Empire by the Queen of England in the 1975 New Year Honors List. No formal reason for the honor was given. The citation simply read: "Charles Spencer Chaplin, film actor and producer."
Individuality famous director extended to writing and music. He was the author of My Trip Abroad and A Comedian Sees the World. Brief biography Charlie Chaplin found its embodiment in his books “My Autobiography”, “My Life in Pictures”. The translation of the works was subsequently made into Russian. He was also a composer, composed many songs, including: “Sing a Song”, “Smile”, “Eternity”, “Letter to a Beloved”.
Charles Chaplin is one of the rare comedians who not only financed all of his films (with the exception of A Countess from Hong Kong), but was also their writer, actor, director and soundtrack composer. Six of Chaplin's films were selected National Film Registry by the Library of Congress:
- "The Immigrant" (1917);
- "Baby" (1921);
A bowler hat, a touching mustache, a funny “heels together” gait, an invariable cane - these signs tell us better than any words about a specific person - Charles Spencer Chaplin. Although millions of fans of his talent call their idol simply “Charlie.” By the way, in appearance he fully corresponded to his diminutive nickname: his height was only 165 cm.
The actor and director is on the world list of the most talented left-handers. He did absolutely everything with his left hand, even holding a violin bow in it. And Charlie played the violin excellently.
Chaplin and Hitler are the same age. Moreover, they were born in the same month, and Charlie is only four days older than Adolf.
By the age of 35, Chaplin's luxurious curly hair had completely turned grey.
Charlie Chaplin always had difficult relationships with the US authorities, and specifically with the FBI. It all started after the film “Modern Times”. It was then that the Federal Bureau of Investigation opened a case against Chaplin, suspecting him of too ardent sympathies for the Communists. The actor’s performance at one of the rallies during World War II added fuel to the fire. He began his speech with the word “comrades,” giving food for even more gossip.
The film “The Great Dictator” also caused a lot of noise. It came out at a time when no one took the aggressive sentiments of Nazi Germany seriously. Already during the filming of the film, the director was hinted to “give up with this matter,” so as not to spoil the relations of the United States and Britain with the Germans. When Germany turned out to be not so white and fluffy and attacked Soviet Union, political well-wishers bit their tongues. But the anonymous people came into their own: they sent threatening letters, promising provocations and riots in the cinemas where “The Great Dictator” would be shown.
Now we can definitely say that the Fuhrer himself saw an evil parody of himself. There were witnesses who confirmed this fact. Nothing is known about Adolf’s reaction, but it is worth assuming that he probably behaved in his usual manner - he screamed and raged.
Chaplin was a rather tight-fisted person. Even having become fabulously rich, he refused to exchange a modest room in a cheap hotel for a luxurious apartment. He also always kept a suitcase with him, where he carefully kept studio receipts. In 1928, the actor got rid of all his stock holdings, and just in time: the Great American Depression soon struck...
He was known as a giant in lovemaking, and chose girls of a tender age as life partners. With his first wife he had a difference of 12 years, with his second - 19, with his third - 25. Chaplin decided on his fourth marriage at the age of 54. His bride was 18-year-old Una O'Neill. He lived with her until the end of his days. Of Chaplin's 11 children, Oona gave birth to eight. Chaplin became a father for the last time at the age of 72.
Once, as a joke, I signed up to participate in a competition of my own doubles. Surprisingly, he never managed to win. According to one version, he took only third place, according to another - second.
Chaplin entered into eternal peace at the age of 88. However, just a few months later, his ashes were disturbed in the most disgusting way: attackers dug up and stole the coffin with his body in order to get hold of money from the ransom received. But they got caught, and six months after his death, the actor and director “survived” another funeral.
One of the geniuses of cinema was never awarded an Oscar. Only at the end of his life was he given a statuette, but not for a specific work, but for his services in general, like many other film veterans.
Interesting facts about Charlie Chaplin is a great opportunity to learn more about great artists. Many consider him best actor silent films throughout the history of the film industry. Many films with his participation are more than a century old, but they do not lose their popularity today.
We bring to your attention the most interesting facts about Charlie Chaplin.
- (1889-1977) - American and British actor, director, film producer, composer, screenwriter and editor.
- Charlie was born in London (see), in a family of variety actors.
- Charlie Chaplin's first appearance on stage took place at the age of 5.
- Chaplin repeatedly admitted that on his father's side he had gypsy roots, which he was very proud of.
- Did you know that Charlie Chaplin was left-handed?
- Charlie's childhood can hardly be called happy. His father died due to alcoholism, and his mother eventually went crazy.
- An interesting fact is that due to serious financial difficulties in the family, Chaplin was forced to start working early. He delivered newspapers, worked in a printing house and was a doctor's assistant.
- Due to frequent absences school activities, Charlie was an illiterate person. Once, when he had to undergo an interview, the future actor was afraid that he would have to read out some text, since he read very poorly.
- IN early years Charlie Chaplin mastered playing the violin. Later he worked for several years as a musician in a variety show.
- It is curious that Chaplin was the first actor in history whose photo appeared on the cover of a magazine.
- Charlie won 3 Oscars, despite the fact that all these awards were not awarded to him for his acting.
- Once he spoke about Chaplin as the only genius who came out of the film industry.
- In 1975, the Queen of Great Britain (see) awarded Charlie Chaplin a knighthood.
- Charlie loved to dance, and his favorite dance was the tango.
- In 1954, Charlie Chaplin received the International Peace Prize.
- For the film "The Great Dictator", where the actor ridiculed, he was on the list personal enemies Fuhrer.
- Chaplin was married 4 times, leaving behind 12 children.
- An interesting fact is that last time The comedian became a father at the age of 72!
- In 1999, the American Film Institute named Charlie Chaplin one of the TOP 10 greatest male actors of the last 100 years.
- Until the age of 33, Chaplin did not have his own home, which is why he had to live in rented houses or hotels. In 1922, he built a house in the Beverly Hills area, which had 40 rooms, a movie theater and an organ.
- Being already famous actor, the artist secretly decided to take part in the Chaplin lookalike competition. Alas, he failed to win the competition.
- In 1917, Charlie Chaplin became the first film actor in the history of the film industry to be signed to a $1 million contract!
- The comedian was a fan of boxing, as a result of which he often attended boxing matches.
- One of Charlie Chaplin's wives later married (see).
- Did you know that Chaplin is the only recipient of 2 stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame?
- In 1928, Charlie Chaplin was able to predict the collapse of the exchange-traded fund, which became a harbinger of the Great Depression, by selling all his shares in advance.
- Chaplin was the author of the music for most of his own films.
- After the death of the great actor, his grave was opened and his body was stolen. The criminals wanted to get a ransom, but the police managed to track them down and put them behind bars.
- Chaplin wrote an autobiography giving it a simple title - “My Autobiography”.
These were the most interesting facts about Charlie Chaplin. If you liked this article, share it on social networks. If you love at all