Charlie Chaplin Biography

Despite Chaplin's fierce temper and accusations that he fathered children by underage girls, Oona, his fourth wife, stood firmly by her 'Little Tramp'.

Chaplin was born into a poor London family of music hall entertainers. Even as a child he found success as a performer, making his stage debut in 1894.

He played a paperboy in 'Sherlock Holmes', which ran from 1903-6, after which he worked as a mime in vaudeville theatres, until he left London for America. When Chaplin first arrived in the States he joined the Karno pantomime troupe, and toured with them for six years.

He signed his first film deal at the end of 1913, with Keystone pictures. His film debut was called 'Making a Living'. It was in the 1915 film, 'The Tramp', that Chaplin first appeared as the downtrodden, dreamy character for which he is most famous.

By the early 1920s, Chaplin was making his own films with actors Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. Having control of his own films lead to classics, such as 'The Kid', 'The Gold Rush', 'City Lights', 'Modern Times' and 'The Great Dictator'. These films made him the most popular and successful film star of his time.

Chaplin was known for his innovative film-making techniques, although he kept tight-lipped about how he achieved them. He said that revealing his methods would be akin to a magician spoiling his own illusion.

However, it is known that he almost never worked from a finished script, improving jokes and dialogue once the set had been constructed.

Chaplin is often compared to the other great silent comedian - Buster Keaton - however, fans have noted that while Keaton is more cynical in his act, Chaplin had a love for sentimentality and pathos.

The actor also composed the music for many of his films, most notably the song Smile, which he wrote for Modern Times and was later covered by Nat King Cole, reaching number two in the UK charts.

When sound films appeared, Chaplin's natural terrain of silent film was eclipsed by the novelty and realism of this new technology.

Chaplin was accused of being a communist by senator McCarthy, and a file was produced that supposedly detailed his subversive political activities since 1922.

In 1952, Chaplin visited Europe and was not allowed to return to the US; he settled in Switzerland. He made a film, 'The King In New York', in 1957, which was full of criticism of McCarthy and American society in general.

He was allowed to return to the US in 1972 to receive an Oscar for his services to film. He died in Switzerland aged 88.

By the time of his death, Chaplin had fathered 12 children, eight of those with his last wife Oona O'Neill, the daughter of playwright Eugene O'Neill.