CHARLIE CHAPLIN (A Tribute Review)

Charlie Chaplin (April 16th, 1889 - December 25th, 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame during the silent era of movies. His very first breakout role was in the 1915 short film, "The Tramp," and he is considered one of the most important figures of Hollywood's history. Chaplin's childhood in London was full of poverty and hardship. When he was 14,  his mother was committed to a mental asylum. Chaplin began his career performing at well-known music halls and later working as a stage actor and comedian. At age 19, he was signed to the "Fred Karno Company," which took him to the U.S. He eventually developed The Tramp persona and attracted a small fan base. He also directed his own films and continued to hone his craft as he moved to the Essanay Mutual and First National Corporations and by 1918, he was the most famous comedic actor. Charlie Chaplin co-founded the company, "United Artists" in 1919, which gave him complete control over his own films. His father was absent and his mother struggled financially. Some of his early films include "The Kid" (1921), "A Woman of Paris" (1923), "The Gold Rush" (1925), and "The Circus" (1928). Instead of being progressive and making more talkies (which are sound films) in the 1930's, he produced "City Lights" (1931), and "Modern Times" (1936) without any dialogue. His very, very first sound film was "The Great Dictator" (1940) which completely satirized Adolf Hitler. He abandoned The Tramp persona in his later films, which include "Monsieur Verdoux" (1947), "Limelight" (1952), "A King in New York" (1957), and "A Countess from Hong Kong" (1967).

Charlie Chaplin wrote, produced, edited, starred in, and composed the music for most of his films. He was a perfectionist, and his financial independence enabled him to spend years on the development of motion pictures. His films are often characterized by slapstick combined with pathos, which was emphasized in The Tramp's struggles against adversity. He received an extremely prestigious Academy Award for "the incalculable effect he's had in the production of motion pictures......... the art-form of the century" in 1972 as part of a renewed appreciation for his cinematic work. He continues to be held in high regards with "The Gold Rush," "City Lights," "Modern Times," and even "The Great Dictator." Those particular movies are ranked as some of the best of all time!

So overall, I’d rate Charlie Chaplin’s film career, as a solid 8 out-of 10