Charlie Chaplin Films
The silent film era is notable for one person in particular and that is Charlie Chaplin. The comic actor went on to make talkies and Charlie Chaplin films made an important contribution to the development of movies. Born in London in 1889, Chaplin had many other talents apart from acting and he was also involved in directing, producing and writing films. He even wrote music for films too. He was awarded two Honorary Oscars and a belated Oscar in 1972 for Best Musical Score for Limelight, released in 1952.
Chaplin's greatest character, which featured in many of his movies, was The Tramp. His was one of the most familiar images and the derby hat, walking cane and moustache became his trademarks. In common with other films of the day, films with Charlie Chaplin in employed slapstick and visual humor, particularly in the silent days. He was slow to embrace talkies, believing that silent films were the true cinema. However, his characters were more than slapstick and he managed to convey a range of emotions, obtaining the sympathy of the audience.
After a start in music hall, his first film appearance was in a one-reel comedy called Making a Living in 1914. His film credits included more shorts and then went on to feature length productions. Chaplin had ambition and wanted to take control of his career. He achieved this by co-founding United Artists production company in 1919, along with Douglas Fairbanks, D.W Griffith and Mary Pickford. It was a shrewd move on Chaplin's part, as the Hollywood studio system would soon end any thoughts of independence for actors. He had the influence to use his many talents in Charlie Chaplin films, making some classics that have stood the test of time.
Three movies with The Tramp character stand out and are still enjoyed by modern audiences. In the 1925 feature, The Gold Rush, The Tramp searches for wealth in the Klondike and strikes gold. In City Lights in 1931, he has a romance with a blind, flower girl. A Charlie Chaplin film can have a message too and Modern Times from 1936 is a funny attack on the soulless environment of an assembly line in a busy manufacturing plant. In 1940, Chaplin played an eccentric dictator in The Great Dictator, a thinly disguised portrayal of Adolph Hitler. As World War II was underway for Great Britain, it was a good morale boost for audiences there.
