Ok Ok so Chaplin was a silent film star but what exactly was he all about?

Charlie Chaplin was a notable diector, composer, and muscian in the early to mid "Hollywood cinema" era. He was greatly influenced many people in the acting field, and is considered one of the greatest mimes and clowns ever caught on screen.

Chaplin acted in, directed, produced, scripted and even scored his own films. Chaplin's life in the entertainment business spanned over 65 years. He began performing as a child in music halls and on the Victoria stage, and continued on up until almost his death at the age of 88.

Chaplin's main "character" was known as " the Tramp." The Tramp is a "vagrant with the refined manners and dignity of a gentleman." The Tramp bears a tight coat, oversized pants and shoes, and a derby. He carried a signature bamboo cane; and flaunted that infamous mustache. Charlie developed the Tramp character for his early films that were created for Mack Sennett's Keystone Studios. The Tramp character was first introduced to the public in Chaplin's second film Kid Auto Races At Venice.

Chaplin's beginning films used Mack Sennett's lethal combination of phsyical comedy and exaggerated gestures. Chaplin leaned more toward the romantic subtle miming techniques, but for Keystone's benefit the Tramp generally assaulted enemies with "kicks and bricks." Critics

generally did not back Chaplin. They claimed his acting bordered on vulgarity.

In his first year of pictures, Sennett instrusted him to create his own films. Chaplin responded by making 34 short films, including the comedy Tillie's Punctured Romance.

In 1915 Chaplin's availibility in the film business sky rocketed when he signed a deal with Essanay Studios. These films were more ambitious and ended up running twice as long as the Keystone productions. With this deal Chaplin was able to build off his cinematic skills and acquire new ones, creating even more amazing films.

In 1916 Chaplin was paid $670,000 to create a dozen two reel comedies for Mutual FIlm Corporation. Within about eighteen months Chaplin had almost complete control over the films and created some of the most influential films of all time, including Easy ST, and One AM. These twelve comedies were revamped in 1933 to be "sound movies."

After the Mutual movies were created, Chaplin created eight two reels for First National. FIrst National distributed the films, however, Charlie has complete control over every aspect of the film. This allowed him to take on a pace that he could concentrate on quality. Within these movies Chaplin produced full feature length movies such as The Pilgram, Shoulder Arms, and The Kid.

Later in his career, Chaplin also produced dialogue films in Hollywood; these included The Great Dictator, Limelight, and Monsieur Verdoux.

Charlie has major successes in the United States, and even lived here for a period of time. However, during the era of McCarthyism he was seen as partaking in "un American activies." The source of propaganda and lies, Chaplin eventually left and went home to Switzerland.