When was Chaplin born? Charlie Chaplin - what lies behind the mask of a tramp? Life in Switzerland, recent years

Design and interior 17.06.2019

Design and interior

The name of this great man is familiar to all movie lovers.

Charlie Chaplin - a celebrity who opened to everyone wonderful world cinema that created the company of dreams. Silent cinema has become history today, but the images created by this brilliant actor are recognizable at all times. The king of comedy, the genius of directing - whatever they called him!

From the biography of Charlie Chaplin:

The biography of Charlie Chaplin (04/16/1889 - 12/25/1977) is studied at directing courses around the world. After all, his whole life is an example of a combination of talent and a business approach to the production process.

And the life of Charles Spencer Chaplin began in very difficult conditions. Most of the people in his then environment could not even think that he could achieve such success.

Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin was born on 16 April 1889 in Walworth, UK, into a very poor family of music hall performers. Although the parents of the future king of comedy were also artists, they did not gain worldwide fame. The father first tried his hand at pantomime, later retrained as a "genre singer".

Charlie Chaplin's mother, Hannah Hill, played in the music hall, her career was also not distinguished by its brilliance. The life of the actors was unsettled, moving and touring were exhausting, and besides, family troubles began.

Chaplin's childhood passed in hopeless poverty. The father left the family. Sydney and Charlie, half-brothers, after the divorce of their parents, stayed with their mother, the father (his name was also Charles) did not help his ex-wife to raise children, most likely because he simply could not.

Charlie and his brother were forced to go to an orphan school. Charlie Chaplin worked as a newspaper salesman, an errand boy for a printer, a doctor's assistant and never lost hope that he could someday make money acting.

Charlie first appeared on the stage at the age of 5, when it was necessary to replace the mother in the program, who had problems with her mouth. Little Charlie managed to break the applause of the audience, who threw coins and banknotes at him. The young actor captivated the audience even more when he began to collect this money from the stage right during the performance with childish spontaneity.

Hannah left the acting profession, took on any job, but even despite great efforts, she could not overcome the need. So that one of the brothers can go for free food in charitable organization, he had to put on the only shoes that belonged to his mother. The rest of the family waited patiently for his arrival. They ate once a day. Then Hannah fell ill, lay in a mental hospital, and the children, after a period of vagrancy, ended up in an orphanage. When the mother was released from the hospital (in 1898), their little family was reunited.

Charlie Chaplin in his youth without makeup

Charlie Chaplin's career began at the age of nine. The example of his parents did not inspire Charlie with disgust for the acting profession, although he had a chance to try many things in his life. All this experience was later reflected in numerous scenario and directing work. And as a nine-year-old boy, Chaplin danced in the Eight Lancashire Boys ensemble, and this went on for two years.

Then Charlie went at his own peril and risk on a solo voyage along cruel world show business: he performed with his own program, performing parodies and singing songs. It brought little money, they had to sell newspapers, teach someone to dance, cut firewood, work as a servant, a printer and even a glassblower.

Chaplin's first place of work as an actor was the theater. He got a job there when he was not even 14 years old. Charlie Chaplin got his first role before he could read. He learned to read late - already at a young age. Charlie Chaplin received his first role in the theater at the age of 14 - the role of Billy the messenger in the play "Sherlock Holmes". Then Chaplin was still illiterate and was very afraid that he would be asked to read a few paragraphs aloud. He learned the role with the help of his brother Sidney.

From that moment, Chaplin's career began, which, stretching for 75 years, continued until the death of the great comedian. Charlie Chaplin became the youngest and most expensive actor of his time.

4 wives of Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin was a hit with women. He had 11 children, and a certain Joan Berry in 1943 tried to impose a twelfth on him through the court, but the examination proved that her child had nothing to do with Chaplin.

As life companions, he chose girls of tender age. With his first wife, he had a difference of 12 years, with the second - 19, with the third - 25. Chaplin decided on his fourth marriage at the age of 54. His fiancee was 18-year-old Una O'Neill. Una gave birth to eight of Chaplin's 11 children. He lived with her until the end of his days.

Mildred Harris.

Charlie Chaplin's first wife in 1918 was 16-year-old Mildred Harris. The marriage lasted only 2 years. In his autobiography, Chaplin wrote: “Mildred was not evil, but she was hopelessly zoological. I could never get to her soul - she was filled with some pink rags and all sorts of nonsense.

With Cast Gray

In 1924, Charlie Chaplin marries 16-year-old Lita Grey. The marriage took place in Mexico, which avoided problems with American law, which did not allow marriage at 16 years old. After the divorce in 1928, Chaplin paid Lita a record amount for that time - $ 825 thousand, which caused an investigation by the tax authorities. According to Joyce Milton, Chaplin's biographer, this relationship was based on Nabokov's novel Lolita.

Paulette Goddard

Chaplin's third wife was the actress Paulette Goddard, who starred in his films Modern Times and The Great Dictator. They parted in 1940, and the writer Erich Maria Remarque became Goddard's second husband.

Chaplin with Una O'Neill

Chaplin's fourth wife, Una O'Neill, was 36 years his junior. When Una got married in 1943, her father stopped communicating with her. In 1952, leaving for London, Chaplin gave his wife a power of attorney to his bank account, which allowed Una to take Chaplin's property out of the United States. She later renounced her American citizenship. Chaplin and O'Neill had three sons and five daughters. The last child was born when the comedian was 72 years old.

Charlie Chaplin died on December 25, 1977 at the age of 88. Chaplin's youngest son was then 16 years old. 2 months after the funeral of the great actor, sensational news spread around the world - the comedian's coffin was stolen from the cemetery at Anglican Church in Vevey. On the morning of March 2, 1978, the cemetery caretaker reported this to the police, and in the evening unknown people called Chaplin's widow and stated that the sarcophagus with the body of her husband was in a "safe place". Negotiations with the robbers, who demanded 600,000 Swiss francs, went on for almost a month. The police spotted the criminals on the 27th call. The perpetrators were 38-year-old Gancho Ganev and 24-year-old Roman Vardas.

Monument to Charlie Chaplin in London

4 years after Chaplin's death, on the comedian's birthday on April 16, a monument was erected near Shakespeare in

It is believed that nature rests on the children of geniuses. Chaplin had numerous offspring. Not all of his children became famous, but none of them can be called losers - they justify, as best they can, a glorious surname.

geraldine, eldest daughter Charlie Chaplin is the only famous actress. The undoubted portrait resemblance to her father somehow mysteriously influenced her artistry. She managed to create some unforgettable cinematic images, and the first time she "lit up" in "Lamplights" with her brother Charlie Jr.

Occasionally starred in various films and other children. The most beautiful daughter of Charlie Chaplin, Josephine, also starred in this film, but she did not want to be an actress, deciding to devote herself to her family.

Eugene became director of the Geneva Opera. The famous surname did not affect his appointment in any way - he studied hard and gained experience, for a long time he worked as an ordinary stage sound technician.

As for Charlie Chaplin's famous granddaughter Una, she is considered a Spanish actress. She was named after the grandmother, who gave family happiness to the illustrious grandfather. Una Jr. was born in 1986, her mother is Geraldine Chaplin. The girl starred in the serial television series Game of Thrones, and before that she tried herself in episodes. She is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Creative biography of Charlie Chaplin:

The life of Charlie Chaplin was most seriously influenced by participation in the Carnot troupe. Thanks to this work, in 1912 he found himself in a country of great opportunities - the United States of America. The eighteen-year-old guy was noticed by the managers of the Keystone film company. On September 23, 1913, Chaplin signed a contract with the Keystone Film Company. Then his salary was $150. He was offered to move to Los Angeles. Of course, the young man worked at full strength, acting in studio tapes as an actor, but in addition he wrote scripts. Of the thirty-five Keystone films, twenty-four were inspired by Charlie Chaplin. Films with his participation were successful with the audience.

In 1914, he made his first film, Caught in the Rain, where he acted as a director, actor and screenwriter. The Tramp's famous image originated during the filming of Mabel's Extraordinary Predicament in 1914. Charlie couldn't even imagine how to make up himself. And so the little man was “born” into the world in harem pants, with a cane, a hat and a mustache. As a result, it was this image that became the symbol of silent cinema.

Charlie Chaplin's earnings are rising in geometric progression. Already in 1915 he receives $1250, and in 1916 Mutual Film pays the comedian $10,000 a week. A dozen more short films were made by him in 1915 for Essenay Studios (Chicago, Illinois). The best of them were "Tramp", "Champion" and "Woman".

A peculiar imperturbable demeanor of the main character was also formed (it could be a policeman, a painter, a mechanic, and a laborer - yes, anyone), preserving dignity and calmness in the most hopeless circumstances. Charlie Chaplin himself, obviously, was like that in his early youth. The image of a tramp, funny and touching, he wrote from himself.

The creative success of the young screenwriter and actor, exuding ideas in unlimited quantities, attracted the attention of the managers of the Hollywood studio Mutual. They considered it quite a reasonable decision to lure him away by offering a contract for $670,000, which was a fabulous sum at that time. And the film company did not lose, it got a talented author who releases a film a month. Spectator success fully paid off the costs, besides, the plots became much more meaningful, tragedy and drama appeared in them, interspersed with comedy, which distinguished Charlie Chaplin from other representatives of the entertainment genre.

In 1917, Charlie signed his first major contract with First National for $1 million. This brought him not only fabulous money, but also put him in the first place in the niche of the richest people. Moreover, Chaplin thus became the youngest and talented actor in the USA in the 20th century.

In 1922, Charlie Chaplin built his own house in Beverly Hills. The house had 40 rooms, an organ and a cinema hall. + The film "Gold Rush", filmed in 1925, and today is considered an unsurpassed masterpiece. Anyone who has read Jack London's stories about the prospectors of Alaska knows the historical background of the picture, reproduced with filigree accuracy. Drama constantly coexists with comedy (which are only scenes of dancing with buns and eating a boiled shoe). The author's ingenuity goes off scale, while the main qualities of the protagonist - the same little Charlie - as always remain kindness, openness of heart and the ability to empathize with other people.

Charlie Chaplin's creative collection in 1931 was replenished with a new excellent work - the film "City Lights", on which he worked for more than three years. Tramp Charlie loves a blind flower seller, he also manages to make friends with a drunkard who turned out to be a millionaire. Beautiful music sounds... This wonderful fairy tale with an optimistic ending captivates even the most skeptical viewer. Just as impressive are the melodies written for other paintings (“New Times”, “Lamp Lights”).

At the end of 1940, Chaplin finished shooting his film The Great Dictator, which, in fact, was a political satire on Nazism in general and on Hitler in particular. This was last movie, where Chaplin used the image of the tramp Charlie. The film was refused to be shown in cinemas in England and the USA, because they were afraid to break the fragile peace with Germany, and Chaplin was accused of inciting hysteria. A commission was even appointed to investigate the actor's anti-American actions. After Hitler saw the film, the actor was called a "scoundrel".

The United Artists studio, still known today, was founded by four partners, including famous actors David Griffith, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin. The growth of creative ambitions, however, prompted the latter to create his own film company Charles Chaplin Corporation, which did not prevent him from working with UA until the early fifties, when the actor had to leave the United States.

In 1952, Chaplin finished work on his painting "Ramp Lights", which tells about creativity and fate. creative person. Chaplin himself considered this movie the pinnacle of his work. On September 17 of the same year, he went to the world premiere of his film in London, and could not return to the United States. Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Edgar Hoover managed to get Chaplin out of the country from the immigration authorities.

After the premiere of the film "Ramp Lights", the actor and director left the United States with his family, embarking on a long journey. For five months he was looking for a new home, not wanting to return to the country of rampant McCarthyism. He chose the Swiss Corsier-sur-Vevey, where he bought a luxurious estate with a villa.

Money is only a means of achieving freedom, and, fortunately, Chaplin had enough of them. In 1957, he completed his penultimate film, A King in New York. It satirized many aspects of the American lifestyle and was initially banned in the US.

In 1964, Chaplin's autobiographical book was published, which became a bestseller and was translated into many languages.

In 1967, the last picture of the king of cinema, The Countess from Hong Kong, was released, which was not entirely successful, despite the stellar cast (Marlon Brando, Sophia Loren and other artists of the first magnitude), in which Charlie himself appeared only in an episode. The name of the author alone ensured audience success, but Chaplin decided not to make films anymore.

In the end, recognition came in the second homeland of the actor: he was finally appreciated in America by awarding the Oscar (1972).

30 interesting facts from the life of Charlie Chaplin:

1. Actor and director Charlie Chaplin is on the world's list of the most talented lefties. With his left hand, he did absolutely everything, even holding a violin bow in it. And Charlie played the violin excellently.

2. Chaplin was also a good composer. He wrote the musical accompaniment for many of his films himself.

3. In 1928, Chaplin was awarded a special Oscar for the genius of writing, acting, directing and producing for the film "The Circus".

4. The last film "The Countess from Hong Kong" Chaplin shot in 1967 - 10 years before his death. The film stars Sophia Loren and Marlon Brando. Chaplin himself appears in the film in a cameo role as an old steward.

5. "City Lights" - a film where Charlie did the incredible. As you know, he loved boxing and tango. There is a scene in the film where these two hobbies are combined in the ring. It turned out something like "tangbox".

6. In 1975, Chaplin was awarded the attention of Queen Elizabeth II herself. She knighted him and presented him with the Order of the Knight of the British Empire.

7. Chaplin was a rather tight-fisted person. Even having become fabulously rich, he refused to change a modest room in a cheap hotel for luxurious apartments.

8. Chaplin's height was only 165 centimeters, and his weight was 60 kilograms.

9. During World War II, the "Committee for Assistance to Russia in the War" invited Chaplin to speak at a rally. Chaplin began his speech with the appeal "Comrades!" and called for the opening of a second front as soon as possible. After this speech (because of the spoken word "comrades"), Chaplin began to be considered a communist.

10. In 1928, the actor got rid of all his stock assets, and just in time: the Great American Depression soon struck.

11. Chaplin once incognito took part in the competition of doubles of himself (the image of the Tramp). According to one version, he took second place in the competition, according to another version - third.

12. If Chaplin did not make a single film, but only wrote music, this would be enough to call him a genius with full confidence. The soundtracks for various films are masterpieces in themselves, they are now often performed by orchestras and ensembles, and not everyone even knows who the author of these wonderful melodies is.

13. The years of the First World War were marked by Charlie Chaplin's pacifist comedy "Shoulder!" and other works ridiculing militarism.

14. Chaplin's favorite comedian last years of his life was Briton Benny Hill. When Hill visited Chaplin's family in 1991, he was shown Chaplin's large collection of Benny Hill videos.

15. In the United States, Charlie Chaplin lived for over 40 years, but never received American citizenship. In the United States, attempts were made to boycott the film "City Lights" on the grounds that its author was not eager to receive the American passport cherished by many.

16. Neither world fame nor two "Oscars" could protect this great director and comedian actor from the disgrace of the authorities, who was an active political personality off the screen and sought to achieve "peace in the world."

17. In 2012, Charlie Chaplin's bowler hat and cane was auctioned at Bonhams auction house in Los Angeles were sold for $62.5 thousand. The organizers of the auction said that these accessories were used by the great comedian on the set of the films "New Times" and "City Lights".

18. The official reason for refusing Chaplin's entry into the United States was the presence of the comedian's name on Orwell's list. After that, he settled in the city of Vevey in Switzerland. The life of Charlie Chaplin at the final stage is connected with this city, happy people passed here recent decades his life. He became the father of four more children.

19. In Europe, he was expected to triumph, recognition, meetings with the most prominent people of the era (Prince of Wales, Bernard Shaw, Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein and many others were happy to talk with him).

20. It is known that even after Charlie Chaplin managed to earn his first million, he kept the checks he received in the studio all his life in an old suitcase.

21. It is not known for certain how many canes and bowlers, filmed with Chaplin, have survived to this day.

22. By the age of 35, Chaplin's luxurious dark curly hair had completely turned gray.

23. Chaplin sympathized with the communists, the FBI opened a case against Chaplin back in the 30s - after the film "New Times".

24. The first "Oscar" Charlie Chaplin brought the film "The Great Dictator". In 1941, the actor received a statuette for "Best Actor".

25. In 1948, Chaplin was once again awarded the Oscar. This time - for the best script ("Monsieur Verdu").

26. In 1962, Charlie Chaplin became a doctor at Oxford University.

27. In 1970, Charlie Chaplin's star was laid on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

28. In 1972, 82-year-old Charlie Chapliu was awarded an honorary Oscar "for his invaluable contribution to the fact that in this century cinema has become an art." The audience gave the great comedian a standing ovation for 12 minutes.

29. Becoming financially independent, Chaplin swept the world and visited India, Africa, Indonesia and Japan.

30. Living in Switzerland in recent years, Charlie Chaplin received distinguished guests. Many prominent people came to visit the famous actor, the Spanish queen became a frequent guest, artists, writers, and movie stars came here, and the owner of the house joyfully and hospitably met them.

Monument to Charlie Chaplin in Vevey in Switzerland

photo from internet

0 April 16, 2010, 09:00

On April 16, 1889, a boy was born in London, who was named Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. His parents - Charles and Hannah Chaplin (on stage - Lily Gurley) were pop actors. They met when they played together in the same melodrama. However, Hanna soon made friends with the elderly lord and fled with him to Africa. It was there that Charlie's older brother Sidney was born. But then she returned to England, and the affair with Chaplin resumed. They got married, and three years later they had a second son, Charlie.

Still, the story of Chaplin's parents had an unhappy ending. His father had a wonderful voice and, having lost it, he lost his job and began to drink. A year after Charlie's birth, his mother decided to leave his father. Charles Spencer Chaplin Sr. died in 1901 at the age of just 37.

The trouble happened to Charlie's mother - she also began to lose her voice. There was less and less work and money. It so happened that the last performance of the mother was the first appearance of Charlie on stage. Hanna could not continue singing, and then the organizer of the performance offered to release her to the audience. younger son- he saw how the boy performed very successfully in front of his acquaintances. Charlie sang a song, the audience liked it so much that they immediately threw coins at him. He imitated famous singers, danced - and all this to the delight of those present. Chaplin later recalled that he felt at home on stage and easily came into contact with the audience.

Let Charlie realize his vocation, the life of the family worsened. Mom could no longer sing and began to earn money by tailoring. But soon this earnings also disappeared due to her illness. The family was ordered to go to the Lembert workhouse. And from there, Charlie and his brother were transferred to an orphanage. Their mother lost her mind and ended up in a psychiatric clinic.

But Hanna managed to recover - she left the hospital and took the boys to a rented apartment. Charlie went to school, at first he was not interested there. Moreover, he was not taken to play in the school play "Cinderella". But then the guy's talent made itself felt. Chaplin learned the rhyme and read it to his teacher. He turned out to be hilariously funny - so much so that the teacher began to take Charlie around the classroom so that he would read the verse to other children. The fame of the funny boy quickly spread throughout the school, Charlie became a star. But this did not force him to continue his education. Already in 1898, he dropped out of school, enrolling in the dance troupe "Eight Lancashire Boys". He went on tour with the troupe, performed a lot, but he had a hard time, including because of illness - he had asthma. In 1901, Chaplin left the troupe, but did not continue to study normally - he often missed classes, as he had to work either as an assistant in a printing house, or as a newspaper seller.

In 1903, Charlie finally got a permanent job - he was taken to the theater. In addition, he occasionally acted in variety shows. At that time, Chaplin was illiterate and was always afraid that he might be asked to read the role from the sheet. But his brother Sidney helped him, so the guy succeeded in the roles. Charlie also started playing the violin. By the way, he was left-handed and even played the violin with his left hand.

In 1908, the young actor joined the troupe of Fred Karno. He soon became a key artist. From 1910 to 1912 the troupe was on tour in America. Then Charlie returned to the UK for five months, and then moved to the USA permanently. During one of the performances, Charlie was noticed by producer Mac Sennet, it was he who invited Chaplin to his studio Keystone Film, with which he subsequently signed a contract.

The films of this studio made Charlie a successful actor. At first he was an ordinary artist - he tried to imitate the style of the then traditional rough comedies, but over time he moved away from him more and more. Realizing that Sennet was limiting his creative potential, Chaplin quit the studio.

In 1914, Chaplin directed his first film Caught in the Rain. Also in it he performed leading role and acted as a screenwriter - subsequently he shot all his paintings according to this scheme - he did everything himself, even wrote music.

Finally, Charlie managed to get out of poverty. By 1917, he had become the most "expensive" actor, signing a contract with First National Pictures for one million dollars. However, this soon ceased to suit him too - wanting complete creative independence, Chaplin founded his own film studio, United Artists Entertainment, together with Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and David W. Griffith.

Until 1922, Chaplin did not even have his own house. But then he built a mansion in Beverly Hills with four dozen rooms and a cinema hall.

One of the main achievements of Chaplin was, of course, the invention of the image of the Little Tramp. Charlie wanted to get away from the "humor of slaps" and move on to something more human. Back in 1914, in his short film Mabel's Extraordinary Predicament, a tramp appeared, who later became one of the most striking movie characters of the past.

The tramp acquired lyrical and even tragic features after the film "Loan Office". There is an episode in the film where the hero Charlie shows with a gesture that he needs money to feed his children. During filming, Chaplin noticed that the group was almost crying with emotion. He realized that his Little Tramp must certainly become touching.

The pinnacle of the tramp's career is the painting "City Lights". Chaplin himself admitted that he was inspired by the story of a clown forced to hide his blindness for the sake of his too vulnerable daughter. Charlie said that the doctor forbade the artist to admit to the baby that he was ill until she got stronger. As a result, he turned a personal tragedy into a game with his daughter. However, Chaplin thought that the story of the clown was too sentimental and the blindness "passed" to the beautiful flower girl.

Until now, "City Lights" is one of the best romantic comedies, and the final scene of the picture - where the flower girl realizes that the tramp is her savior - is one of the most poignant in the history of cinema.

"City Lights"

The tramp earns for the operation of his blind friend

The final

Chaplin became famous thanks to silent cinema, so even after the advent of sound cinema, he remained true to silent aesthetics for a whole decade. His first fully sound film (and, by the way, the last one in which the Little Tramp appeared) did not come out until 1940. It was the infamous anti-Hitler painting "The Great Dictator".

The FBI has been following Chaplin since the release of his New Times tape. The director was asked to stop production of The Dictator, they promised that it would not be released either in the USA or in England. Probably, the point was that at that time America was still afraid of breaking more or less neutral relations with Germany. But Chaplin not only released the tape, but was also nominated for three Oscars.

There is evidence that Hitler himself saw the tape. Upon learning of this, Chaplin said that he would give everything to know his opinion about the "Great Dictator".

"The Great Dictator"

The persecution of the actor and director began. He was accused of belonging to the communist camp, as well as that he never received American citizenship, although he has been living in the United States for many years. Including because of the negativity emanating from the press and officials, the next picture of Charlie "Monsieur Verdu" failed at the box office, although the film turned out great, and Chaplin was even nominated for an Oscar for best screenplay.

"Monsieur Verdu"

Initially, by the way, Orson Welles was supposed to shoot the picture, and Charles was planned to play the main role. But Chaplin said that all his life he played only in films that he himself directed and bought the script from Wells. He rewrote it and credited Orson only as the author of the idea, although Wells himself said that the script remained for the most part his. But he did not object to Chaplin's actions, since he considered the story of "Monsieur Verdu" not the most successful.

"Monsieur Verdu"

In 1952, Chaplin released a largely autobiographical film about the fate of the creative personality "Lamp Lights". At that time, the persecution of him reached the limit - the film was banned from showing in the United States (the ban was valid until 1972). And when Charles left to represent the tape in Europe, the immigration authorities (they say, at the suggestion of the FBI) forbade his return to the country.

"Ramp Lights"

Charles Chaplin in "Lamp Lights"

Charles was forced to stay in Europe. He settled in the Swiss town of Vevey. There he wrote music for his silent films and also worked on scripts. In his 1957 film The King in New York, he himself played the lead role for the last time. This is a picture of a king in exile who arrives in New York hoping to change the world, but ends up mired in self-interest and political paranoia of America in those years.

"King in New York"

Charles made his last film based on his own script in 1967. The Hong Kong Countess starring Sophia Loren and Marlon Brando.

"Countess from Hong Kong"

In the early 1970s, the Americans changed their minds and awarded Chaplin an honorary Oscar (before that, he also received an honorary prize at the Venice Film Festival). And in 1973, after the release of "Ramp Lights" in the US, Charles received the Academy Award for the best soundtrack for this picture.

In 1975, Chaplin's merits were recognized in Great Britain. Queen Elizabeth II knighted him.

Chaplin left behind a huge film heritage and, in fact, 11 heirs. The great actor and director was married four times - for the first time he married Mildred Harris in 1918. Many children followed in the footsteps of their father - including with his filing. For example, in the film "Ramp Lights" he filmed almost his entire family - Sidney Chaplin Jr. reincarnated as the musician Neuville. Charles Chaplin Jr. starred as a cop in pantonym. Other children - Geraldine Chaplin, Michael and Josephine - played the roles of children on the street. The most famous of all the offspring of Chaplin was his daughter Geraldine.

Charles Spencer Chaplin died on December 25, 1977 at his home in Vevey. He was buried at the local cemetery, but on March 1, 1978, the coffin with his body was stolen for ransom. Fortunately, the police quickly figured out the perpetrators. Chaplin's body was returned to the family. The second time he was buried almost under two meters of concrete, so that nothing like this could happen again.

Until now, Chaplin has many followers, and his characters are famous and funny to this day.

Photo Kinopoisk.ru

A photo Stills from the films of Charles Chaplin

On December 25, 1977, Charlie Chaplin died - a truly legendary person. Silent cinema has become history today, but even children will recognize the images created by this brilliant actor. Neither world fame nor two Oscars could protect this great director and comedian actor from the disgrace of the authorities, who was an active political personality off the screen and sought to achieve the notorious "peace in the world."

Chaplin's career spanned 75 years
Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin was born April 16, 1889 in Walworth (UK) in a family of music hall artists. He first appeared on stage at the age of 5, when it was necessary to replace his mother in the program, who had problems with the larynx. Little Charlie managed to break the applause of the audience, who threw coins and banknotes at him. The young actor captivated the audience even more when he began to collect this money from the stage right during the performance with childish spontaneity.
From that moment, Chaplin's career began, which, stretching for 75 years, continued until the death of the great comedian.

Charlie Chaplin landed his first role before he could read
Chaplin's childhood passed in hopeless poverty. The father left the family, and Charlie and his brother were forced to go to an orphan school. Charlie Chaplin worked as a newspaper seller, an errand boy in a printing house, a doctor's assistant and never lost hope that he could someday make money acting.

Charlie Chaplin received his first role in the theater at the age of 14 - the role of Billy the messenger in the play "Sherlock Holmes". Then Chaplin was illiterate and was very afraid that he would be asked to read a few paragraphs aloud. He learned the role with the help of his brother Sidney.

Charlie Chaplin became the youngest and most expensive actor of his time
On September 23, 1913, Chaplin signed a contract with the Keystone Film Company. Then his salary was $150. In 1914, he made his first film, Caught in the Rain, where he acted as a director, actor and screenwriter. His earnings are growing exponentially. Already in 1915 he receives $1250, and in 1916 Mutual Film pays the comedian $10,000 a week. In 1917, Chaplin signed a $1 million deal with First National Pictures and became, at the time, the most expensive actor in history.

Receiving fabulous fees, Chaplin kept checks in a suitcase
It is known that even after Charlie Chaplin managed to earn his first million, he continued to live in a more than modest hotel room, and kept the checks he received in the studio in an old suitcase all his life. In 1922, Charlie Chaplin built his own house in Beverly Hills. The house had 40 rooms, an organ and a cinema hall.

After the film "The Great Dictator" Chaplin began to be called a communist. At the end of 1940, Chaplin finished shooting his film "The Great Dictator", which, in fact, was a political satire on Nazism in general and on Hitler in particular. This was the last film where Chaplin used the character of Charlie the Tramp. The film was refused to be shown in cinemas in England and the USA, because they were afraid to break the fragile peace with Germany, and Chaplin was accused of inciting hysteria. A commission was even appointed to investigate the actor's anti-American actions. After Hitler saw the film, the actor was called a "scoundrel".

During World War II, Chaplin spoke at one of the rallies and called for the opening of a second front as soon as possible. The first word in his speech was "comrades", after which Western propaganda began to call the actor a "communist".

In the US, Chaplin was persona non grata.
In 1952, Chaplin finished work on his painting "Ramp Lights", which tells about creativity and the fate of a creative person. On September 17 of the same year, he went to the world premiere of his film in London, and could not return to the United States. Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Edgar Hoover managed to get Chaplin out of the country from the immigration authorities. By the way, Charlie Chaplin lived in the USA for more than 40 years, but never received American citizenship. The official reason for the refusal to enter the country was the presence of the comedian's name on Orwell's list. After that, Chaplin settled in the city of Vevey in Switzerland.

Chaplin's last child was born when he was 72. Charlie Chaplin was a success with the female sex. He had 11 children, and a certain Joan Berry in 1943 tried to impose a twelfth on him through the court, but the examination proved that her child had nothing to do with Chaplin.

Charlie Chaplin's first wife in 1918 was 16-year-old Mildred Harris. The marriage lasted only 2 years. In his autobiography, Chaplin wrote: Mildred wasn't evil, but she was hopelessly zoological. I could never get to her soul - she was filled with some pink rags and all sorts of nonsense».

Chaplin and O'Neill had three sons and five daughters. The last child was born when the comedian was 72 years old.

Chaplin's coffin was stolen Charlie Chaplin died on December 25, 1977 at the age of 88. 2 months after the funeral of the great actor, sensational news spread around the world - the comedian's coffin was stolen from the cemetery at the Anglican Church in Vevey. On the morning of March 2, 1978, the cemetery caretaker reported this to the police, and in the evening unknown people called Chaplin's widow and stated that the sarcophagus with the body of her husband was in a "safe place".

Negotiations with the robbers, who demanded 600,000 Swiss francs, went on for almost a month. The police spotted the criminals on the 27th call. The perpetrators were 38-year-old Gancho Ganev and 24-year-old Roman Vardas.

Charlie Chaplin's bowler hat and cane sold for more than $60,000

In 2012, Charlie Chaplin's bowler hat and cane were sold for $62,500 at the Bonhams auction house in Los Angeles. The auction organizers said that these accessories were used by the great comedian on the set of the films Modern Times and City Lights. True, it is not known for certain how many canes and bowlers, filmed with Chaplin, have survived to this day.

At the Oscars, the hall applauded Chaplin standing 12 minutes The first Oscar Charlie Chaplin brought the film "The Great Dictator". In 1941, the actor received a statuette for "Best Actor". In 1948, Chaplin was once again awarded the Oscar. This time - for the best script ("Monsieur Verdu"). In 1962, Charlie Chaplin became a Doctor of Oxford University, and in 1975, Elizabeth II presented him with the Order of the Commander of the British Empire. In 1970, Charlie Chaplin's star was laid on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And his photos today are included in collections of the most iconic photographs eminent photographers.

In 1972, 82-year-old Charlie Chaplin was awarded an honorary Oscar "for his invaluable contribution to the fact that in this century cinema has become an art." The audience gave the great comedian a standing ovation for 12 minutes.

Chaplin appeared in 82 films throughout his film career. Chaplin earned about $10.5 million from his films.

Sir Charles Spencer (Charlie) Chaplin (1889-1977) was an American and English film actor, producer and composer, screenwriter and film director. Created the most famous image in comedy cinema - the tramp Charlie. He became the only person on the planet who received an Oscar "for his invaluable contribution to the fact that in this century cinema has become an art."

Birth and family

Charlie was born late in the evening on April 16, 1889 in the British capital London. This happened on East Lane in the Walworth area, where the Chaplin family of artists lived.

His father, Charles Chaplin Sr., had a pleasant baritone voice and was incredibly popular in London's music halls in the 1880s. He traveled a lot on tour in Europe, and he had occasion to perform in America. There were in his repertoire and songs written personally. But the father of the future great comedian ended his life early and tragically. He drank and in the spring of 1901 died in London's St. Thomas Hospital while undergoing treatment for alcoholism. Chaplin's father was only 37 years old.

The paternal grandmother also died early, the baby Charlie was not yet six years old. He only knew about her that her family had gypsy roots, which Chaplin himself was incredibly proud of all his life.

Charlie's mother, Hannah Chaplin (stage name Lily Gurley) was a stage actress who performed in many London theaters as a dancer and singer. Before her marriage to Charles, Hannah had a relationship with a certain Jew named Hawkes, as a result of which the boy Sidney Hill was born. Later, his stepfather gave him his last name Chaplin. So Charlie had a maternal half-brother, Sidney Chaplin, who also became an actor.

Childhood

Charlie Chaplin's early childhood years can be called happy. The father was popular, earned enough, and small children did not know a special need. But soon Charles Chaplin Sr. had a new love interest, and he left the family. Since then, in the life of little Charlie, hopeless poverty began.

The boy spent all the time with his mother, standing backstage and watching her performances. The baby knew the entire song repertoire of the mother by heart. Thanks to this, at the age of 5, he first appeared on the theater stage, but this happened by chance.

During the performance, Charlie stood backstage and listened to his mother singing. Suddenly Lily Gurley coughed and stopped singing. The disease of the larynx tormented her for a long time, and it had to happen so that she could lose her voice during the performance. The rather drunken audience began to resent. And in an instant, five-year-old Charlie had thoughts in his head that now mom would not be paid and there would be nothing to eat. The kid jumped onto the stage, began to sing the song and at the same time grimace funny. The people in the hall were so delighted that they began to throw coins onto the stage. And the boy, without stopping singing, began to collect them, which amused the audience even more.

The mother's illness no longer allowed her to go on stage, because of this the poor woman lost her mind, and she was placed in a clinic for insane people.

In 1896, Charlie took him father but he already had new family and the boy lived there quite a bit. At the age of seven, he and his older brother were assigned to a workhouse in Lambeth. This is a charitable social institution where shelter, food and work were provided to the needy, but there were no compulsory obligations.

Young years

In 1898, Chaplin became a member of the Eight Lancashire Boys, a children's dance group; the guys gave concerts in which Charlie often got short comic numbers. In 1900, at Christmas, the team staged the pantomime Cinderella, Chaplin got the role of a cat. The audience liked it, they laughed at his pantomime, but in the spring of 1901 the boy left the group. He began to earn extra money, wherever the opportunity was given:

sold newspapers;
helped doctors, performing the functions of a nurse;
worked as a courier in a printing house.

For a long time, Chaplin did not stay anywhere and at the same time he always dreamed that the day would come when he would earn a living by acting.

At the age of 14, he finally got a permanent place in the theater. Moreover, in the production of Sherlock Holmes, he got to play the messenger Billy. However, having lived to this age, the guy was practically illiterate. Most of all, he was afraid when he was given the text of the role, which they would now ask to read. Thank God, this did not happen, and his older brother Sidney helped him learn the words.

Along with the theater, Charlie performed in variety shows. He had some money, which at the age of 16 he decided to spend on learning to play the violin, he took lessons from a theater conductor.

When Chaplin was 19 years old, his older brother Sidney, who by that time had already taken place as an actor, brought him to Fred Carno's theatrical enterprise. The sullen, short, overly shy young man did not like Fred at first. After all, the enterprise was based on comedy pantomimes and sketches, what kind of comedian could turn out of this Chaplin? But Charlie revealed his acting gift to Carnot in such a way that he soon became the leading artist in some productions.

America and early career

In the autumn of 1910, an important event took place in Chaplin's life, which turned his entire creative life upside down. A multi-deck white liner set sail from the shores of Great Britain to America, the theater troupe of Fred Karno went on tour to the USA.

At one of the performances, Charlie was noticed by the film producer of the Keystone studio Mac Sennett. Chaplin was offered to act in films for $150 a week. For him it was a lot of money, he immediately agreed, opened a bank account, into which he deposited his first salary. He adored the film industry, one might even say he raved about it, but at the same time, Chaplin's dreams for a future life were more mundane, he wanted to buy a small plot in England and start raising pigs.

The beginning of the film career did not work out, they even wanted to break the contract with Chaplin, but soon the pictures with his participation began to make a profit.

However, he did not really like the image invented for him - an impudent swindler and womanizer. Charlie wanted to convey to the viewer more warmth and lyricism. And he came up with a brilliant character - his "little tramp", who made Charlie Chaplin famous throughout the planet. Wide baggy pants, a tight jacket, a small bowler hat, huge boots, a small mustache and a cane in his hands - in this way he burst into the world of the film industry of the twentieth century.

Spectators fell in love with the refined tramp with gentlemanly manners instantly. And Charlie began to understand that he could be not only a successful actor, but also a screenwriter and director, and much more successful and talented than those who filmed him at the Keystone studio. Chaplin left Mac Sennett. And in 1914, the premiere of his first film Caught in the Rain took place, where he acted in several guises at once - an actor, director and screenwriter.

The path from a tramp to a genius

Wage Charlie started to grow. In 1915, instead of $150, he was already paid $1,250 weekly at the Essanay Film studio, and in 1916, $10,000 at the Mutual Film studio. In 1917, with First National Pictures, Charlie signed a contract for $1 million and acquired the title of the most expensive actor in history. In the English newspapers then printed his photo with a check in his hands and signed: "Charlie Chaplin - the most expensive thing in the world after the world war."

In 1919, Charlie founded his own United Artist film studio, all the tapes shot on it were full-length:

"Parisian" (1923);
"Gold Rush" (1925);
"Circus" (1928);
City Lights (1931);
"New Times" (1936).

Charlie became famous in silent films, he remained faithful to him even after 1927, when sound films began to be made. He managed to turn rough sketches into a comedy genre, made them art. Charlie possessed amazing gift, he not only had a subtle sense of humor and knew how to joke perfectly, he could accurately determine the time intervals: how long it would take the audience to laugh at one joke and hear the next.

Despite the huge income, Chaplin lived for a long time in modest hotel rooms, and kept the checks received at the film studio in an old suitcase. And only in 1922 he built his own housing on Beverly Hills - a house with forty rooms with a cinema hall and an organ.

Persecution and departure from the USA

In 1940, Charlie made his first sound film, it was the anti-Hitler film The Great Dictator. In this tape, he appeared in the form of a tramp for the last time.

During the Second World War, Charlie advocated opening a second front as soon as possible. In the United States, they began to see him as a secret communist and suspect him of anti-American activities. They began to collect an extensive dossier on him.

In 1952, Chaplin went on a world tour with the premiere of his new painting Limblights, but he was forbidden to return to America.

Charlie went to Switzerland, where he settled in the town of Vevey. Here he wrote music for silent films, published memoirs, on the basis of which the biographical picture Chaplin was created in 1992. In 1967, he wrote and directed his last film, The Hong Kong Countess, starring Sophia Loren and Marlon Brando.

In 1941, Chaplin was awarded an Oscar for Best Actor in The Great Dictator. In 1948 he won the second such award as the best screenwriter (the film "Monsieur Verdoux"). In 1970, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In 1972, Charlie was given a limited visa so that he could come to the United States to receive an Oscar statuette for his invaluable contribution to the development and history of cinema. The audience applauded the great comedian for exactly 12 minutes. In 1975, Elizabeth II awarded Chaplin the Order of the Commander of the British Empire.

Personal life

Charlie has always been incredibly popular with women.

His first love was dancer Katie Helly. They met in London, she was 14, he was 19. There were only five dates in their lives, and then he went to America.

In Los Angeles in 1915, Charlie met the actress Edna Purviance. Until 1918, they worked together at film studios and were in love relationships. In 1918, Edna began an affair with another actor, but Chaplin continued to cast her in his films until 1923, and then paid her a weekly cash allowance until she died in 1958.

In the fall of 1918, the actor entered into a legal marriage for the first time with Mildred Harris. He was 13 years older than the girl. The reason for the wedding turned out to be Mildred's pregnancy, and only later it turned out that it was a lie. In 1919, they still had a boy, Norman, but three days later the child died. In 1920, Charlie filed for divorce. As he wrote in his memoirs, "he never managed to know the soul of his wife, because she huddled at Mildred with all sorts of nonsense and pink rags."

In 1924, Charlie married 16-year-old Lita Grey. They had two boys - Charles Chaplin Jr. and Sidney Earl. During the divorce, Charlie paid his wife at that time a record amount - 825 thousand dollars. Chaplin's biographers agree that his marriage to Lita served as the basis for the plot of Nabokov's novel Lolita.

For a long time Charlie had a relationship with actress Paulette Goddard. She lived in his house, starred in his films, and after parting it became known that in 1936 they secretly got married. Paulette was the only Charlie woman with whom they were able to part peacefully and maintain friendly relations until the end of their days. It so happened that Paulette also spent her last years of her life in Switzerland, the woman then married the writer Erich Maria Remarque for the second time.

Charlie's fourth and last wife, Oona Onil (daughter of the famous writer and Nobel laureate), was younger than husband for 36 years. After the marriage, her father stopped communicating with his daughter. But this union finally turned out to be happy for Chaplin, Una bore him three sons (Eugene, Michael and Christopher) and five daughters (Anna-Emil, Josephine, Geraldine, Victoria and Joan).

Among all the children of Chaplin, the famous film actress was the daughter Geraldine and the theater actor son Sydney. Also, granddaughter Una Chaplin achieved great success in Spanish cinema.

Death

In the autumn of 1977 in the small Swiss town of Vevey in the old park every day a tall brunette rolled in front of her wheelchair, in which sat an elderly man in dark glasses and a hat. His feet were carefully wrapped in a blanket. And no one guessed that this 88-year-old old man is the Great Tramp, the cinematic genius Charlie Chaplin. He was happy these days as never in his life.

Charlie died in his sleep. This happened on December 25, 1977, he was 88 years old. The actor was buried in the city cemetery of Vevey.

Two months later, vandals removed Charlie's coffin from the grave and stole it in order to demand and receive a ransom. The villains were detained by the police, and the body was reburied in Corsier-sur-Vevey at the Meruz cemetery. In order to prevent such kidnapping attempts, 6 feet of concrete was poured on top.

Biography and episodes of life Charlie Chaplin. When born and died Chaplin, memorable places and dates important events his life. Actor and director quotes, Photo and video.

Charlie Chaplin life years:

born April 16, 1889, died December 25, 1977

Epitaph

"Small man,
When you are here with me
I know I don't have to hide anymore...
I will pray
Just about being there, there, with you
When you can reach the sun with your hand.
From Dalida's song "Little Man", dedicated to Charlie Chaplin

Biography

He surpassed his own parents - a failed music hall actress and an unsuccessful drama and genre singer. And although his childhood was spent in poverty and starving, and at one time he even had to wander, he was able to become one of the most famous actors and directors in the history of world cinema. Tens of years have passed since the death of Charlie Chaplin, and he remains the only and inimitable, the most beloved comedian of all time. Perhaps, precisely because Charlie Chaplin's biography, his difficult and hungry childhood, were reflected in his work, he was able to win the hearts of millions of people around the world.

For the first time, little Charlie stepped onto the stage at the age of nine, as part of a children's ensemble, with which he traveled around the provincial towns of England. In childhood and adolescence, Chaplin worked with anyone - he performed with songs and dances, delivered newspapers, sawed firewood, and blew glass. At the age of 18, he joined the Carnot troupe, and soon the talented boy was noticed - the actor Chaplin signed a contract with a film studio and moved to live in Los Angeles. This is how it started Star Trek biography of Chaplin.

Immediately after the films with Chaplin began to be successful, Charlie wanted to make his own film, and already his first film Caught in the Rain became one of the best works film studios. Of the 35 films in which he starred during his year at Keystone, two-thirds of the films were directed by Chaplin himself, according to his scripts. Chaplin was incredibly successful - in 1915 he made twelve films for the Esseny studio in Chicago, where the image of "Charlie the Tramp" first appeared. In 1916, he already received more than half a million dollars a year by signing a contract with Mutual. As soon as this became possible, Charlie created his own film studio and gained the desired independence. Chaplin made his own classic films such as The Gold Rush and The Circus.

In the 1950s, the US was stirred up by the "McCarthyists" movement, directed against any communist sentiments, of which Chaplin was also accused. During his next trip to Europe, the supporters of "McCarthyism" ensured that Chaplin was forbidden to return to the country. The great comedian settled in Switzerland, where he lived the last years of his life with his last wife and Chaplin's children and even published a book of memoirs called "My Biography". He again created his own film studio and continued to make films. After Chaplin's death, several dozen scripts remained, on which the director worked.

Charlie Chaplin died on Christmas night at the age of 88. Chaplin's funeral was modest, attended only by members of his family, including famous daughter Chaplin, actress Geraldine Chaplin. Chaplin's grave is located in the cemetery of the Swiss city of Vevey, where Chaplin lived after being expelled from the United States.

He had little success acting career, first of all, Chaplin was the author, creator

life line

April 16, 1889 Date of birth of Charles Spencer Chaplin.
October 1912 Moving to the USA.
September 23, 1913 Signing a contract with Keystone.
February 7, 1914 The premiere of the comedy "Children's Car Races", where Chaplin first appeared in the form of a tramp.
April 1914 Debut as a director with the film Caught in the Rain.
1915-1917 Contracts with Essenay Film, Mutual Film, First National Pictures.
October 23, 1918 Marriage to Mildred Harris.
1919 Foundation of his own film studio United Artists.
1920 Divorce from Mildred.
1923 The release of the first picture at the film studio United Artists - "Parisian".
November 26, 1924 Marriage to Lita Grey.
1925 The release of the film "Gold Rush".
1928 The release of the film "Circus", a divorce from Cast Grey.
1929 Receiving an Oscar.
1931 The release of the film "City Lights".
1936 Secret marriage to Paulette Goddard.
1940 Chaplin's first all-sound picture, The Great Dictator, divorced from Paulette Goddard.
June 16, 1943 Marriage to Una O'Neill.
1952 The ban on the return of Chaplin to the United States, Chaplin's move to Switzerland, to the city of Veva.
1954 Receipt International Prize Peace.
1957 The release of the film "The King in New York".
1964 The release of the book of memoirs "My biography".
1972 Received an Oscar "for his invaluable contribution to the fact that in this century cinema has become an art."
1973 Academy Award Winner.
December 25, 1977 Date of death of Charlie Chaplin.
March 1, 1978 Theft of Chaplin's body.
May 17, 1978 Reburial of Chaplin's body.

Memorable places

1. Chaplin's house on the street. Walworth in London, where he was born.
2. Chaplin's house in London, where he lived in 1898-1899.
3. Hollywood Walk of Fame, where Charles Chaplin's star is located.
4. Chaplin's studio in Beverly Hills.
5. House of Charlie Chaplin in the city of Vevey, Switzerland, in which he died and where his museum is located today.
6. Meruz Cemetery in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland, where Charlie Chaplin was buried for the second time.

Episodes of life

One day, Charlie Chaplin decided incognito to take part in the Tramp look-alike contest, in which he appeared in films. The competition was held in one of the theaters in San Francisco. It is interesting that Chaplin, unidentified by anyone, did not even make it to the final.

In 1940, Chaplin made his famous film The Great Dictator, in which he made fun of Hitler. He himself starred in this film in two roles at once - the Jewish hairdresser Charlie and the German dictator Hynkel. Quote Chaplin, uttered by him during the filming, flew around the world: “Dictators are ridiculous. I want people to laugh at them." It is also known that the film was sent to Hitler and he watched it, after which Chaplin admitted that he would give everything just to find out what Hitler thought of his film.

After his exile, Chaplin came to the US only once - in 1972, to receive an honorary Oscar, but even then he was given a limited visa. Chaplin was ready for any attack, but his appearance during the ceremony caused an incredible storm of applause. Chaplin was so moved by this reception that he could hardly find words.

Chaplin had 12 children - from several marriages. He was especially fond of his daughter Geraldine. Already at the age of 76, during the period of her search for herself on stage, he once wrote Geraldine a letter - emotional and deeply personal, in which he gave her wise and loving advice from the height of his experience. One of famous quotes Chaplin from this letter: “I was not an angel, but I always aspired to be a man. Do your best too."

Charlie Chaplin with his last wife Una, with whom they have been married for 34 years

Testaments

“It doesn't matter where you live, it matters who you live with. Your naked body should belong to someone who loves your naked soul.

"I believe that the power of laughter and tears can be an antidote to hatred and fear."

Charlie Chaplin at the Oscars Honorary Ceremony

condolences

Chaplin was not only big man he was a giant. In 1915, he sprang into the world like a ghost with his gift for comedy, laughter and help, at a time when everything was being torn apart in World War I, and for the next 25 years during both the Great Depression and the rise of Adolf Hitler. , - he continued to create ... It is unlikely that any other person will ever be able to bring more joy, pleasure and relief at a time when most people need them so much.
Martin Siff, journalist