Charlie Chaplin biography, wife, children, son, photo without makeup, cause and age of death

Biography of Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin was a legendary figure who stood at the origins of world cinema. Bernard Shaw called him "the only genius to come out of the movie industry." Creator and performer of the famous Tramp character, a versatile cinema master who worked as a director, screenwriter, and composer. Films like "The Kid," "The Gold Rush," "City Lights," "The Great Dictator," and many others have entered the "gold history" of cinema.

The entire life of the tragicomic actor was filled with extraordinary adventures and stories. Even after his death, they did not stop: criminals stole the coffin with his body from the grave, demanding ransom from the family. Soon, they returned the genius's body, burying it under a concrete slab.

Childhood, Youth, Family

Charles Spencer Chaplin was born in the spring of 1889 into a creative London family: Hannah and Charles Spencer Chaplin Sr. His mother, a variety artist with gypsy roots and the stage name Lily Harley, already had a child from a previous marriage, four-year-old Sydney, to whom Chaplin Sr. later gave his surname.

His father, whose lineage traced back to the Huguenots, was a famous baritone of that time, singing in music halls in the capital, composing his own pieces, and touring Europe.

Charlie Chaplin's parents were variety artists

The family lived comfortably in a cozy three-room apartment on West Square in Lambeth. In one of his early memories, Chaplin later wrote in a book:

…before going to the theater, mother lovingly tucked Sydney and me into soft beds, and after adjusting the blankets, left us in the care of a maid. At my age of three and a half, everything seemed possible to me. If Sydney could perform tricks, swallow a coin, and then pull it out from the back of his head, then I could do the same and not worse. To prove it, I swallowed half a penny, and mother had to call a doctor.

The parents divorced a year after their son's birth due to the father's constant drinking. Hannah's patience ran out when Charles Sr. stopped coming home and providing money for the household and children. Furthermore, when drunk, the artist became violent, and one day the woman couldn't take it anymore and fled to friends.

When the boy turned five, he went on stage in a variety show to replace his mother, who had suddenly lost her voice, and sang a song from her repertoire, pausing to collect coins thrown by the audience. This made the crowd laugh, but Charlie's childlike spontaneity, combined with a decent voice, brought him his first success with the audience.

Hannah never regained her voice, and with its loss, their financial situation worsened. She first moved with her sons into two rooms, then into one, each time relocating to more wretched areas. The path to the stage was closed, so she bought a sewing machine to try to earn a living. Hoping that her voice would return, Hannah carefully kept a trunk with theatrical costumes.

But a miracle didn't happen. When the money ran out completely, the woman and her sons entered the Lambeth workhouse, under the care of the state. There, Charlie first felt acute loneliness: his mother was in the women's section, and he and his brother were in the children's section. They saw each other only briefly.

Later, the Chaplin brothers were sent to a poor school in Hanwell. There, Charlie first experienced physical pain combined with humiliation – he was whipped for an offense he didn't commit.

When Sydney turned eleven and was sent to the navy on the ship "Exmouth," Charlie was left completely alone. He learned to read and write but missed his family terribly. Somehow, Hannah saved up some money, left the workhouse, and took her younger son to a room she managed to rent. Soon, Sydney joined them.

But happiness didn't last long, and the children were sent back to the orphanage, while their mother went back under state care. Chaplin wrote about his first sense of disaster:

One day, when Sydney was playing football, two caretakers called him aside and informed him that our mother had lost her mind and was sent to the Cane Hill Asylum. Hearing this terrible news, Sydney didn't show any sadness, but after finishing the game, he hid in a dark corner and cried. When he told me about our misfortune, I couldn't believe it for a long time. I didn't cry, but I was filled with despair. Why did she do it? Mother, so cheerful and carefree, how could she go insane? I had a vague feeling that she lost her mind on purpose, to stop thinking about us.

The boys moved in with their father and his new family. His wife, Louise, wasn't too happy about this turn of events: Charles was getting fewer engagements, and they already had a son. The woman drank, as did her husband, and the boys often spent nights on the street because she wouldn't let them in. Once, the police even got involved.

One day, Hannah showed up at the apartment door, having been released from the asylum. She took her sons, rented a room again, and lived there with them. Charlie was happy to listen to her theater stories again.

School was boring for the boy, but one day, just before Christmas, it was announced that they would stage "Cinderella," and he got excited. Charlie was sure he'd get a part. He was disappointed. But soon, he became a school celebrity: the boy recited a funny poem about a fluffy kitten, and his comedic talent was appreciated, leading to his participation in school performances.

Realizing his potential, Charlie began performing on the streets, entertaining passersby. There, a school teacher named Jackson noticed him and invited him to join the children's tap dance ensemble, "Eight Lancashire Lads," with whom Charlie performed from 1899. Charlie made great progress, and people predicted a bright future for him in tap dancing, but he longed to make people laugh.

The ensemble 'Eight Lancashire Lads' (Chaplin is second from the left)

In 1903, Chaplin left school and began working. He sold flowers, newspapers, and worked as a messenger. But dreams of becoming an actor never left him. He regularly visited a theatrical agency on Bedford Street, but without success. Finally, at 14, shortly after his mother was again sent to an asylum (and his father had died two years earlier from cirrhosis of the liver), he got a small role – he was to play the messenger boy Billy in the production of "Sherlock Holmes" and another boy, Sammy, in the trial engagement "Jim, A Romance of Cockayne."

First Roles

The boy's happiness knew no bounds: they could escape poverty, and his mother, who had lost her mind again, could be taken out of the hospital. Syd helped him quickly learn the role, and Charlie began rehearsals. With "Sherlock Holmes," they went on tour, after which Chaplin received an offer to perform in a West End theatre. The artist called this moment his second birth, but an even more significant turning point awaited him.

Charlie Chaplin in the production of 'Sherlock Holmes'

Charlie’s older brother worked in Fred Karno’s troupe, playing roles in "slapstick comedies." At this time, Charlie was out of work and worried. Syd did his best to persuade Karno to take a look at his talented younger brother. One day, Fred, dissatisfied with the partner of the then "star" Harry Weldon in one of his most successful sketches, "A Football Match," offered Charles to try himself in this pantomime. And Chaplin exceeded all expectations.

Charlie Chaplin on the poster of the Karno theater

Karno signed a contract with him, and Chaplin toured not only in Britain. He visited France, a place he had dreamed of for a long time:

Paris turned out to be just as I had expected. The journey from Gare du Nord to Rue Geoffroy-Marie filled me with such excitement and impatience that I wanted to jump out of the carriage and walk at every corner. It was still the Paris of Monet, Pissarro, and Renoir. Even new innovations like the automobile didn’t spoil the picture.

Soon after returning from France, Karno’s troupe went through Canada to the United States, where they toured for two years, ending their first tour in Salt Lake City. Chaplin very much wanted to stay in the States forever, understanding that he had already reached his peak in London. The United States seemed to him a place where he could realize his new ambitions.

But he had to return to Britain – the contract wasn’t extended. However, during the second American tour, movie producer Mack Sennett noticed the actor and invited Chaplin to take Ford Sterling’s place as a comedian in Keystone Comedies.

Chaplin’s first film role was as a newspaper reporter in one of Henry Lehrman’s short films, "Making a Living," released in February 1914. The director ruthlessly cut out all his comedic ideas, and Chaplin nearly despaired when the film hit the screens. Much later, Henry confessed that he did this because Chaplin "allowed himself too much" for a beginner actor.

Charlie Chaplin's first film role (left)

The Peak of His Career

One day, producer Mack Sennett suggested Charlie put on makeup and act out something comedic. This is when the character of the ridiculous tramp was born: with a cane, a bowler hat, baggy pants, and enormous shoes. To add age, Chaplin glued on a small mustache that didn't hide his expressions.

The character quickly acquired its eccentric nature: he was a tramp, a poet, and a gentleman dreaming of love and adventure (and this in the early days of cinema!). At the same time, under the right circumstances, he could kick someone in anger and then run away.

Kid Auto Races at Venice

During the first shoot – for the film "Kid Auto Races at Venice" (1914) – a huge crowd of employees gathered, laughing at Chaplin's improvisation. Next was the film "Mabel's Strange Predicament," where Chaplin first appeared in the outfit that soon became integral to his image.

Mabel's Strange Predicament

Soon, comedies starring Charlie, which were filmed relatively quickly, began to gain success, and the actor offered Sennett his services as a director. The first film for which he wrote the script was called "Caught in the Rain" – a mix of action and comedy.

A shot from the movie 'Caught in the Rain'

After creating several films, Chaplin moved to a new film company – Essanay, where he began earning significantly more. A year later, he started working at the Mutual Film Corporation, and in 1917, he signed a million-dollar contract with First National. During this time, his films "The Immigrant," "The Adventurer," and "Easy Street" were released. Regularly starring with Chaplin were Edna Purviance, Eric Campbell, Henry Bergman, and other famous actors of that era.

From 1919, the director gained almost complete creative freedom by founding his studio, United Artists, with several friends. He remained faithful to silent films until the end, even as the industry moved towards sound. During that time, he made the touching "The Kid" and the psychological drama "A Woman of Paris." Later followed the famous "The Pilgrim," "The Gold Rush," and "The Circus."

Chaplin's popularity was so immense that he received hundreds of thousands of letters, and people flocked to see him at train stations upon learning he would merely pass through.

The film "City Lights" (1931), about a blind flower girl and the Tramp, brought great fame to the director. However, it caused much suffering for the novice actress Virginia Cherrill. For the scene where she says, "Flower, sir," Chaplin used 342 takes, demanding she deliver the line as if speaking to a deaf person. He didn't explain why this was necessary for a silent film, later attributing it to a nervous breakdown. Cherrill was convinced that Charlie hated her.

Charlie Chaplin and Virginia Cherrill in the movie 'City Lights'

Chaplin's first sound film was "The Great Dictator," released in 1940, in which he mocked the Hitler coalition. He wrote the script, composed the music, produced, and starred as Adenoid Hynkel/the Jewish barber. The film also starred Paulette Goddard and Jack Oakie. This was the last film in which Charlie appeared as the Tramp.

Charlie Chaplin - Final Speech from The Great Dictator

After the film's release, accusations against Chaplin of anti-American activities intensified, and there were rumors of his involvement with the Communist Party. The accusations escalated in 1942 after Chaplin called for opening a second front.

Meanwhile, Chaplin wrote the book "Limelight," which was adapted into the 1952 film "Limelight," earning an Oscar for Best Original Score (the third in Chaplin's career – he already had two Academy Awards for his contributions to cinema). The world premiere took place in London in the fall, and the master was supposed to attend. He was not allowed to return to America.

Chaplin was forced out of the USA because of accusations of communist views

Prepared for such a turn of events, Chaplin moved to Switzerland. In the town of Corsier-sur-Vevey, he settled in a villa called "Manor of the Exile." His last films – made in the UK – were "A King in New York" in 1957 (starring Chaplin himself) and "A Countess from Hong Kong" in 1967 (starring the dazzling Marlon Brando and Sophia Loren).

Visiting Chaplin, 1973

Last Years of Charlie Chaplin's Life

However, the actor's popularity had a downside. Over the years, people accused him of aiding communist criminals. For this reason, many of his films were pulled from circulation. Chaplin himself often faced widespread criticism.

Chaplin's film "The Great Dictator," in which he played Hitler, also caused him great trouble. The pressure on him eased after Germany attacked Poland, but many supporters of the fascist party frequently sent him threatening letters.

In the last ten years of his life, Charlie Chaplin did not act. In his old age, he settled in the Swiss town of Vevey, where he quietly passed away in 1977. A monument to the comedian stands in the town that became his final resting place.

Charlie Chaplin's Personal Life

Charlie Chaplin's first love was the young ballerina Hetty Kelly. She was only fourteen, and their relationship consisted of a few dates. During one of them, Charlie confessed his love, which scared Hetty. They parted ways, but this platonic first love stayed in the actor's heart forever. Later, he preferred young, sometimes too young, girls.

Chaplin's romance with actress Edna Purviance began when he was taking his first steps as a director. They dated for three years, and he even considered marriage. However, their relationship didn't progress beyond working together in films. Edna appeared in over thirty of Chaplin's films and later married American colleague Thomas Meighan, maintaining a friendly relationship with Chaplin.

Edna Purviance, Charlie Chaplin's first wife

In 1918, already a famous actor and director, 29-year-old Chaplin married 16-year-old Mildred Harris, upon learning of her pregnancy. Unfortunately, their first child, Norman, lived for only three days. Chaplin hesitated to file for divorce immediately, hoping for a happy marriage, but it was not to be. They eventually divorced. Chaplin recalled that they simply couldn't understand each other—Mildred was too down-to-earth:

Mildred wasn't mean, but she was hopelessly zoological. I could never reach her soul. It was stuffed with some pink fluff and all sorts of trifles.

At that time, Chaplin was finishing the film "The Kid." His wife's lawyers tried to seize the film to claim future profits. Chaplin packed over a hundred thousand feet of film into coffee cans, secretly moved them out of California, and edited "The Kid" in a hotel room in Salt Lake City. He paid his ex-wife a hundred thousand dollars instead of the initially demanded twenty thousand.

For a while, Chaplin dated actress May Collins and even got engaged to her, but they never married. In 1924, he was forced to marry Lillita McMurray (stage name Lita Grey). Chaplin was thirty-five, and she was sixteen.

Later, after their divorce, Lita claimed that she and Chaplin had their first intimate encounter when she was 13. Their "meetings" continued for two years before she became pregnant. When her parents learned about their affair, they demanded marriage, threatening to sue Chaplin for seducing a minor. He tried to buy them off:

I can't marry this child. I already married a 16-year-old girl once, and the press made a laughingstock of me.

Chaplin married the actress away from journalists in Mexico. The wedding was "disguised" as film shooting. During their three-year, most unhappy marriage, their sons Charles and Sydney Earl were born. Chaplin hadn't planned on a second child. A few years later, their divorce cost Chaplin seven hundred thousand dollars. The children stayed with their mother.

Another secret wife of the "silent film great" was actress Paulette Goddard, with whom Charles lived from 1932 to 1940 in his Beverly Hills home. It became known that they were officially married in 1936 only after their separation. Paulette soon married German writer Erich Maria Remarque.

Chaplin's fourth and final wife was actress Oona O'Neill. The wedding took place in 1943. Their age difference was over thirty years. According to Charlie, their honeymoon in Santa Barbara was the happiest time of his life. Oona, the daughter of playwright Eugene O'Neill, declared she wanted to devote herself entirely to her family.

She gave Chaplin three sons (Christopher, Eugene, and Michael) and five daughters (Josephine, Joanna, Victoria-Emilie, and Geraldine). Geraldine later played the famous Coco Chanel in a film by Karl Lagerfeld.

Chaplin had eight children in his last marriage

Geraldine's daughter, Oona Chaplin, also became an actress and starred in the series "Game of Thrones."

Death and Memory

Charlie Chaplin spent his final years in Switzerland. He was 88 years old when he quietly passed away in his sleep. The legendary Tramp was buried in the Corsier-sur-Vevey cemetery. But he didn’t find peace immediately.

Two immigrants dug up Charlie Chaplin's coffin in March 1978, a few months after his death. As the police later discovered, Polish Roman Wardas and Bulgarian Gantscho Ganev did this to demand ransom from the family. The authorities soon found the culprits, and the coffin was reburied in the same grave. Nearly two meters of concrete were poured over it.

The grave of Charlie Chaplin and his wife

Several feature and documentary films were made in memory of the cinema legend, including "Chaplin" (with the great comedian portrayed by Robert Downey Jr.).

In honor of Charlie Chaplin, a statue was erected on the shore of Lake Geneva, an asteroid was named after him, and many followers of his work have used the image of the Tramp. For example, Raj Kapoor imitated him in the film "Mr. 420," and Soviet clown Karandash mimicked him in the circus.

Interesting Facts

During his lifetime, many rumors surrounded Charlie Chaplin. One such rumor concerned his origins. Despite being the son of English parents, people claimed his real name was Israel Thornstein. In the 1930s, they even included him in the list of "The Richest Jews" and the encyclopedia "Who’s Who Among American Jews."
As a teenager, Charlie encountered murderers twice and escaped both times. The first was Edgar Edwards, who killed the owners of a grocery store and hid the bodies in a large box. The second was bartender George Chapman, who poisoned his lover. These dangerous encounters stayed with him and later inspired the creation of the black comedy "Monsieur Verdoux."
When Chaplin turned 21, he seriously considered quitting acting to raise pigs in Arkansas. A book about pig farming, which described the castration process of piglets, horrified him so much that he chose to stay on stage.
In his youth, Chaplin, who had only one set of clothes and washed it twice a month, had a reputation for being untidy. Later, when he became famous, he hired people to help him take care of himself. Otherwise, he would get so absorbed in work that he forgot how many days he wore the same clothes.
In 1932, the artist narrowly escaped death in Japan, where he was promoting the film "City Lights." After the premiere, he was supposed to have dinner with Prime Minister Tsuyoshi Inukai. However, Chaplin chose to spend time with Inukai's son and watch a sumo match. As it turned out, this decision saved his life. Japanese military nationalists, who attempted a coup, stormed the dinner and killed the Prime Minister. In court, one of the ringleaders, Seishi Koga, stated that he had nothing against Chaplin personally but hoped his death would provoke a war with America. The lieutenant was unaware that Charles was not even a U.S. citizen.
Chaplin had friendly relationships with Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt. Churchill taught him bricklaying, and Roosevelt persuaded the director to make the comedy "The Great Dictator," despite threats from American Hitler fans. Chaplin feared the film might be shut down and even halted production at one point, but Roosevelt gave the go-ahead. The movie was completed and greatly pleased the American president.