Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977)
Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin; Actor, Comedian, Filmmaker & Silver Screen Legend
He was born into poverty in south London, experiencing a difficult childhood marked by his father's absence and his mother's mental illness, leading to time in workhouses and orphanages. He began performing in music halls as a child and joined a traveling theater company before moving to Hollywood in 1914. He quickly rose to fame creating his iconic "Tramp" character - a bowler-hatted, cane-carrying figure with a distinctive waddle and mustache. This beloved persona appeared in numerous short films and classics like "The Gold Rush" (1925), "City Lights" (1931), and "Modern Times" (1936). A perfectionist and innovator, Chaplin wrote, directed, produced, and starred in his films, maintaining creative control when few actors had such power. He co-founded United Artists studio in 1919, famously prompting one executive to quip that, "the inmates have taken over the asylum." During the McCarthy era, his left-leaning political views made him a target of suspicion. In 1952, while traveling abroad, the U.S. government revoked his re-entry permit. That year he settled at Manoir de Ban (see images), Corsier-sur-Vevey in Switzerland, returning to America only in 1972 to receive an honorary Academy Award. Chaplin died peacefully at his home in 1977, leaving behind a legacy as cinema's first global superstar and one of the most influential figures in cinema history. He had three failed marriages before marrying Oona O'Neill in 1943, and had 11-children.
