Contents
Charlie Chaplin
Creating the bowler-hatted Tramp.
Silent comedy · Modern Times
- Born
- 16 April 1889
- Birthplace
- London, England
- Died
- 25 December 1977
More people
Charlie Chaplin
A British screen comedian who combined physical humour with stories about poverty and dignity, often writing, directing and scoring his own films.
Early life
Music-hall family
Both parents worked as entertainers.
Childhood hardship
Experienced poverty and periods in workhouse care in London.
Career
- 1908
Touring comedian
Joined Fred Karno’s stage company.
- 1914
Film beginnings
Started at Keystone and introduced the Tramp.
- 1919
Independent filmmaking
Co-founded United Artists to gain greater control over film distribution.
Selected work
City Lights
A silent romance built around the Tramp and a blind flower seller.
Modern Times
Comedy about factory work and mechanisation.
The Great Dictator
A satire confronting fascism.
Beyond work
Swiss home
Settled in Switzerland after losing his US re-entry permit in 1952.
Music
Composed film scores; a theme from Modern Times became the song Smile.
Sources & photo credit
Biographical reference ↗Chaplin archive: The Great Dictator ↗Photo: Strauss-Peyton Studio. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
