Ki is volt Charlie Chaplin?

“We think too much and feel to little.”

Sir Charles Spencer “Charlie” Chaplin was a British actor, comedian, movie maker, screenwriter, editor, musician, and author. He was a pioneer in movie-making, and famous for his silence movies. Apart from being the protagonist in them, he also directed, scripted, and produced most of them.

Charlie Chaplin was born in London on 16 April, 1889. Both his parents were music hall entertainers. When he was 5 years old his father died, and his mother – a talented singer, who spent most of her life in and out of mental hospitals – could no longer take care of him, so from then on he lived on the street and in orphanages. He started working when he was 5 and worked until he was 80.

At the age of 17, he joined a music hall company and toured the United States where he spent many years. In 1914, he played “Little Tramp” for the first time in a movie. The “Tramp” – the character that he played most – was a man of good manners, who wore a coat, a pair of big trousers, shoes, moustache, and a black hat, and carried a cane. People loved the character and Chaplin became a movie star.

Within a few years, he was producing, directing and writing the screenplay and music for his movies, as well as acting in them. He not only became very famous but also a wealthy man.

In 1932, Chaplin was also the target of an assassination attempt which took the life of Prime Minister of Japan, Inukai Tsuyoshi. On May 15, 1932, Prime Minister of Japan was shot by eleven young naval officers (most were just turning twenty years of age) at the Prime Minister’s residence. The original assassination plan had included killing Chaplin who had arrived in Japan on May 14, 1932, at a reception for him, planned by Prime Minister Inukai. When the Prime Minister was killed, his son Inukai Takeru was watching a sumo wrestling match with Charlie Chaplin, which probably saved both their lives.

In the early 1950s, Chaplin was caught up in the anti-communist movement in the United States. He was working on a film in England, when he knew that he might not be allowed back to the States because of his political views. He decided to move to Switzerland. It was only in 1972 when he was again welcome in the USA, when he was given an honorary Academy Award.

Chaplin won two special Oscars:  he had first been chosen for both “Best Actor” and “Best Comedy Directing”. But then, instead, he was given a special award “for versatility and genius in acting, writing, directing and producing”. Chaplin’s second special award came 44 years later, in 1972. When getting this award, Chaplin had the longest standing ovation in the history of Academy Awards. In 1976 he was given the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award, a lifetime achievement award. Chaplin became the first actor to have appeared on the cover of Time magazine, in 1925. In 1975 he was knighted by the Queen.

Over the years, Chaplin was married several times, and had relationships with many women. He fathered at least 10 children. Chaplin died on 25 December, 1977 in Switzerland.