| Charle Chaplin | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Charles Spencer Chaplin |
|
Born |
April 16,1889 |
|
Died |
December 25,1977 |
Origin[]
Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered one of the film industry's most important figures. His career spanned more than 75 years, from his childhood in the Victorian era until a year before his death in 1977, and encompassed both accolade and controversy. Chaplin's childhood in London was one of poverty and hardship. His father was absent and his mother struggled financially—he was sent to a workhouse twice before age nine. When he was 14, his mother was committed to a mental asylum. Chaplin began performing at an early age, touring music halls and later working as a stage actor and comedian. At 19, he was signed to the Fred Karno company, which took him to the United States. He was scouted for the film industry and began appearing in 1914 for Keystone Studios. He soon introduced and adopted the Tramp as his screen persona. He directed his own films and continued to hone his craft as he moved to Essanay Studios, where the Tramp persona was developed emotionally in The Tramp (1915). He then attracted a large fanbase and demanded more money as he moved to Mutual and First National corporations. By 1918, he was one of the world's best-paid and best-known figures.
In 1919, Chaplin co-founded the distribution company United Artists, which gave him complete control over his films. His first feature-length film was The Kid (1921), followed by A Woman of Paris (1923), The Gold Rush (1925), and The Circus (1928). He initially refused to move to sound films in the 1930s, instead producing City Lights (1931) and Modern Times (1936) without dialogue. His first sound film was The Great Dictator (1940), which satirised Adolf Hitler. The 1940s were marked with controversy for Chaplin, and his popularity declined rapidly. He was accused of communist sympathies, and some members of the press and public were scandalised by his involvement in a paternity suit and marriages to much younger women. An FBI investigation was opened, and Chaplin was forced to leave the U.S. in 1952 and settle in Switzerland. He abandoned the Tramp in his later films, which include Monsieur Verdoux(1947), Limelight (1952), A King in New York (1957), and A Countess from Hong Kong (1967).
Chaplin wrote, directed, produced, edited, starred in, and composed the music for most of his films. He was a perfectionist, and his financial independence enabled him to spend years on the development and production of a picture. His films are characterised by slapstick combined with pathos, typified in the Tramp's struggles against adversity. Many contain social and political themes, as well as autobiographical elements. He received an Honorary Academy Award for "the incalculable effect he has had in making motion pictures the art form of this century" in 1972, as part of a renewed appreciation for his work. He continues to be held in high regard, with The Gold Rush, City Lights, Modern Times, and The Great Dictator often ranked on lists of the greatest films.
Public Domain Appearances[]
Public Domain Film Appearances[]
- Felix in Hollywood (July 15, 1923)
- Hollywood Capers (October 19, 1935)
- Tokio Jokio (May 15, 1943)
Public Domain Comic Appearances[]
- Charlie Chaplin's Comic Capers (1915-1917)
- Charlie Chaplin in the Army (1917)
- Forbidden Worlds #92
- Smash Comics #12
- Famous Funnies #44
Public Domain Comics Inspired by Charlie Chaplin[]
- Blue Ribbon Comics #6: Rang-a-Tang the wonder dog and his handler, detective Hy Speed, are brought in to protect movie star Harly Shaplyn, who's making a movie mocking "the European madman." Bundonians loyal to the foreign leader try to prevent the film production. Hy is injured but former child star Richy and Rang-a-Tang team up to foil the enemy scheme.
Notes[]
- Charlie Chaplin's Comic Capers was an American gag-a-day celebrity comics comic strip by Stuart Carothers and later Elzie C. Segar starring Charlie Chaplin. Two cartoonists credited as Warren and Ramsey took over the series until they were replaced by Elzie C. Segar, at that time still an amateur. Segar thought up his own jokes. He gave Chaplin a tiny sidekick named "Luke the Gook" to act as a straight man to his gags.