Biography
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Overview of His Life
Charles Spencer Chaplin was born in London, England, on April 16th 1889. Charlie was thrown on his own resources before he reached the age of ten...
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Charlie’s Mother: Hannah Chaplin
Hannah was a singer and character comedienne in the British music halls with the stage name of Lily Harley, and she did enjoy some success. Sadly her career was plagued on and off by ill health, and it was when her voice failed during a performance.
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Charlie’s Father: Charles Chaplin Sr.
His marriage to Hannah did not last long, and they separated when Charlie was only about one year old. Charlie Chaplin had little contact with his father, except for a short period when he and Sydney stayed with Charles Chaplin Sr. during their mother’s
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The older brother: Sydney
Charlie Chaplin and his brother Sydney were very close and looked out for each other from their childhood days. Four years Charlie’s senior, Sydney played a paternally protective role to his little brother throughout his life.
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The younger brother: W. Dryden
The son of Hannah Chaplin and Leo Dryden, Wheeler Dryden was taken away from his mother as a baby. He was touring India and the Far East as a vaudeville comedian when he first learned from his father that the famous Charlie Chaplin was his half brother.
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The Gamine: Paulette Goddard
Among Chaplin's leading ladies, Paulette Goddard stands out for a number of reasons. She was the female lead in his last silent film (Modern Times 1936) and in his first talkie (The Great Dictator 1940). She enjoyed a success beyond and independent of Cha
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Charlie Chaplin's Wives
Charlie Chaplin had three wives previous to Oona O' Neill : Mildred Harris, Lita Grey and Paulette Goddard.
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Chaplin & Music
“Mother usually brought me to the theatre at night in preference to leaving me alone in rented rooms”
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Chaplin as a composer
Extract from « Charlie Chaplin » by Theodore Huff, published by Henry Schuman Inc., New York 1951
Films
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the kid
Chaplin 1st feature film. The little tramp finds an orphan and raises him
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Woman of paris
Marie St. Clair believes she has been abandoned by her fiance because he fails to meet her at the station. He reappears later in this woman's life while she loves another man.
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the gold rush
Seeking for gold in the mountains the little tramp encounters some wilde characters before falling in love with the beautiful Georgia.
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the circus
Escaping the police in the middle of a circus the little tramp will soon become the star of the show without knowing it
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city lights
Tangled up with a suicidal millionaire and in love with a blind girl the little tramp will find a way to help her recover her sight
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modern times
Loosing his mind and his job in a ruthless factory, the little tramp struggles to survive in the industrial age with the aid of a helpless gamine
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the great dictator
After a long amnesia a jewish barber returns to his shop and finds that the dictator Hynkel is persecuting his community
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monsieur verdoux
Suave and cynical Monsieur Verdoux supports his family by marrying and murdering rich women for their money
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limelight
A fading actor and a suicidal ballet dancer help each other to restore hope and give meaning to their lives.
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A king in new york
A deposed European monarch sought refuge in New York and accidentally becomes a television star. Later he is wrongly accused of being communist.
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A countess from hong kong
A Russian countess illegally climbs aboard a luxury liner to reach America for a better life. She hides in the cab of a diplomat billionaire.
