Career of film producing
In 1907, Charlie joined the Kamo Pantomime Troupe, where he made his first tour of the United States and Canada, three years later. He stayed with the Kamo Troupe until 1913, before signing a contract with Adam Kessel, who had an interest in the Keystone Film Company, for $125 a week. Later that year, Charlie signed with Keystone Films for $150 a week. He remained here all through 1914 until November, when he was offered $1,250 a week with Essanay Films. He made a total of fourteen films during the year of 1915, including one of his most famous 'The Tramp'. His character, the Tramp, was a short, twitchy man with a black moustache, baggy trousers and a waddling penguin like walk. It was believed Charlie played this role so well because he had dealt with real poverty during his youth.
Within two years of his first appearances in motion pictures, he had become one of the best known personalities in the nation. Therefore on the 27th of February 1916, Chaplin signed with Mutual Films for $10,000 a week plus a £150,000 signing bonus. However he remained with them for little over a year, until June 17, 1917, when he signed with First National Exhibitor's Circuit for $1,075,000 a year. This is the equivalent of over $20,000 a week (which was a substantial amount of money during the early 1900's). I am sure that when Chaplin was earning $125 a week, he did not dream of making 160 times that amount, just four years later.
This increase in wages brought him other things too. Chaplin was twenty-nine when he became involved with sixteen year old movie star, Mildred Harris. On October 23rd, 1918, they were suddenly married. He was hugely talented, handsome, rich and famous and by the early 1920's, no studio could afford his talents. He only appeared in films produced by himself. Then movies with sound came out, called 'talkies'. When Chaplin was asked about these, he replied,'' Talkies are spoiling the oldest art in the world- the art of pantomime. They are ruining the great beauty of silence. They are defeating the meaning of the screen.'' Despite his obvious lack of education this interview portrays a man of intelligence and full of common sense.
FBI's false accusations
Then disaster struck. Chaplin was accused of being a communist. He had no answer to prove the accusations wrong except that it was his constitutional right. However this was not enough and forty years after coming to the United States to boost his career, he was being forced out. The FBI then started work to find out what was going on. The extensive files on Chaplin maintained by the FBI totalled more than nineteen hundred pages. They had accumulated over a period of fifty years. Furthermore, he was also accused of being Jewish as well because Sidney was ¾ Jewish.
After being questioned about being a communist, he intelligently and calmly answered,'' I do not want to create a revolution, all I want to do is create a few more films. I might amuse people, I hope so.'' However the accusations were having an effect on him, and on January 15th, 1927, he suffered a serious nervous breakdown. Three days after that, he learnt from an article in the New York Times that the U.S Government was about to lien on his assets. In 1933, the performances stopped and Chaplin's dark moods were more obvious, as his anger flashes were more constant. The saviour and answer to his problems was the undoubted success and happiness of his marriage to Oona.
In 1947, he produced one more film, which was 'Monsieur Verdoux'. After this he returned to California but stayed far away from the studio. Meanwhile the FBI's investigations were coming along, due to the help of a beautiful, young actress, Hedda Hopper. They had bugged telephones and hotel rooms. They had also put stops on border posts to prevent Chaplin leaving the country, if he had wanted to.
Eventually in November of that year, he was put on the Security Index and accused of all those things but no one had proof or any evidence at all. The files were disappointing and the FBI finally admitted that they had no evidence to support the beliefs that Chaplin was a communist. However he would still not have his re-entry permit to the U.S honoured. In the end, he was re-issued a re-entry permit but he decided to turn it in anyway and make his home in Europe. He chose Switzerland and he said he was his happiest there, with his wife Oona and children. Chaplin had now recovered from three disastrous marriages, a succession of love affairs and the FBI's false accusations.
Final years
In 1957, Chaplin produced his last film in London, which was 'The Kings in New York'. Unfortunately this brought back fresh accusations of pro-communism, which Chaplin specifically denied. These accusations were quickly dropped.
In 1972, Chaplin was honoured at the Academy Awards as an all round wonderful comedian, actor and loving person. This was his first time back to the United States since the accusations, but the crowd loved him.
In 1977, on the 25th of December (Christmas day), Chaplin passed away of natural causes in his home in Switzerland. He was eighty-eight years old and marries to Oona at the time, who was his wife for thirty-six years.
Conclusion
Charlie Chaplin's most famous films that brought him the most admiration and controversy were:
- The Kid (1920)
- The Gold Rush (1925)
- City Lights (1931)
- Modern Times (1936)
- The Great Dictator (1940)
- Monsieur Verdoux (1947)
- Limelight (1947)
After these films he was recognised as 'the most famous person who ever lived'. We can definitely say that he came close or even achieved his life long ambition.
He was a man who had a huge impact on the lives of Americans during the world wars and hard times of depression. He made people laugh for the first time in a long time and changed the way they looked at the world despite his own troubles. Even though his films were in black and white, he put a lot of colour into everyone's life. He had an eventful life and is now seen is a legend. His films were for the underdog, and with great pity and understanding, his films were about him.
