Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin was born on 16 April 1889 to Hannah Chaplin and Charles Chaplin Sr in London. He was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who catapulted fame and popularity in the era of silent film. At the age of seven, he started working at the workhouse, as his family was poverty stricken. In 1898, his mother was diagnosed with psychosis and was admitted to a mental asylum. This affected him profoundly and soon he was left to look after himself due to his father’s severe addiction to alcohol.
Charlie debuted as an actor with the film Making A Living (1914) and went on to become an accomplished actor with his comical acts in many hit films before venturing into direction. His journey into direction established him as one of the distinguished artists of all time. The year 1915 marked his journey as a director with successful films like A Night Out, The Champion, The Tramp, Work, A Woman, The Bank, Triple Trouble and Police. From 1916 to 1917, he directed, wrote, produced and acted in films like The Floorwalker, The Vagabond, The Pawnshop, The Count, The Cure and The Adventurer. He continued to foray into filmmaking with films like A Dog’s Life, The Bond, The Kid, Pay Day, The Pilgrim, Sunnyside and The Idle Class. In 1929, he received the Honorary Academy Award for versatility and genius in acting, writing, directing and producing. In 1972, he was the recipient of the Honorary Academy Award for ‘the immeasurable effect he has had in crafting motion pictures the art form of this century’. In 1972, he was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1973, he won the Academy Award in the category, Best Music, Original Dramatic Score for the film Limelight.
Some of his notable films include:
A Woman of Paris
The Gold Rush
The Circus
City Lights
Modern Times
Charlie tied the nuptial knots four times; however his marriage with Mildred Harris, Lita Grey and Paulette Goddard ended in divorce. In 1943, he stepped into the conjugal bliss with his fourth wife Oona O’Neill and the couple was blessed with eight children. The couple remained blissfully married until his death. After suffering from a stroke, he died in his sleep at the age of 88.
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