Mrs. Lynch
English IV / Period. 3
May 2, 2014
Charlie Chaplin
During the 1900’s most films had no sound or dialogues, but there was Charlie Chaplin. Although his films were black and white, he put a lot of joy and color into everyone’s life. Charlie Chaplin was a man who had struggles throughout his life, but made millions of people put a smile on their face. Chaplin is one of the greatest of all silent film starts of comedies. His work on and off the screen had a influence on American lives during the world wars and his talent in pantomime made the whole world laugh.
Charles Spencer Chaplin was born on 16th April 1889 in Walworth, London (“Charlie Chaplin Bio”). Chaplin was most known of his early years in Hollywood that experienced his life with both in his films and behind the camera. He was a recognized star in the silent era often known as the little tramp character. Charlie’s parents were music hall entertainers and singers but everything started to fall apart when his father was absent and his mother tried to get her stage career but her voice tendency started to break often in most of her performances when this happened Chaplin’s family started to have problems financially since then Chaplin lived his childhood around a poor area. After years, Chaplin was a teenager when his mother who suffered psychological mental problems that she was hospitalized many times in mental institutions and couldn’t support their child. Chaplin and his brother Sydney were sent to orphans for children. “During his period Chaplin was placed in several institutions including the Hanwell School for orphans” (“Charlie Chaplin Bio”). Chaplin began his acting career at his age of eight and at 18 started to touring with Fred karno’s troupe. Chaplin quoted “I was well aware of the social stigma of our poverty” (Asplund 9). His life was really lonely and had to face many struggles. Chaplin began performing in his early years His first appearances in music halls and as clown with a group of people. Chaplin was a clown that with his face and body made a lot of people laugh. “He was a master of pantomime-silence was the domain over which he was most assuredly the king” (Harness 4). Chaplin signed with Fred Karno Company which it took him to America and that’s when he developed the character the tramp. His first movie “Little Tramp “ his character was a little man with old shoes, baggy pants moustache , cane and the pride he had towards his character was what made him a unique character. The Little tramp made the million of people laugh of joy. Chaplin continues to play with the same character, tramp to many other short films. Later in the silent era it was considered an international character. “The Tramp was Chaplin’s alter ego. He played him for twenty five years during that time Chaplin never stopped developing the tramp” (Harness 5). His great perseverance as an artist he called himself as the time went by, a unique clown from other clowns.
Chaplin’s major work that made him one the greatest of all time and phenomenon until this time they still remember Chaplin for his accomplishments on his film “the Tramp”. A small man with moustache, baggy pants, a small coat and a cane is Charlie Chaplin a classic hero and role model. Charlie Chaplin’s character in the tramp first describe himself as a tramp a gentle man, a poet and a dreamer always hopeful (Harness 5). He was famous for his innocence and strange chivalry. Chaplin is a person that no matter how bad or struggles his situation is the tramp always tries to look ahead and move on with a smile with his cane and a cheerful strut. The tramp holds a strong positivity and that reflected himself in his character on and off cameras. The tramp goes through bad times social based on The Great Depressions age however throughout his film Chaplin never showed hopelessness from the tramp even if losing his job and being sent to jail. “The little tramp” was one his first film that