HISTORICAL RESEARCH PAPER
CHARLIE CHAPLIN
PART I
Background/ History of the Filmmaker
Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin was born on April 16, 1889 in East Street, Walworth London. He died at the age of 88 on December 25, 1977. His parents were both entertainer, Charles Spencer Chaplin Sr,. was a vocalist and an actor deserted his family when little Charlie was three years old and later on he died of alcoholism in 1901 when Charlie was twelve . Though lived briefly with their father and his mistress, Louise. The brothers lived there when their mother became mentally ill and was admitted to the Cane Hill Asylum at Coulsdon. His mother, Lily Harley ( Hannah Harriet Hill) , was a talented singer and an actress was in and out of mental hospitals. As a child Charlie and his brother lived with his mother in various addresses. After his parents separated, Charlie and his brother Sydney spent most their childhood in the Lambeth Workhouse. The young Chaplin brothers pretended a close relationship in order to survive. They were strongly attracted to the Music Hall while still very young, and both of them proved to have a very great and natural stage talent. He left school at the age of 10 and joined the clog dancers in their tour. At the age of 19 he had the lead in a comedy act and became one of the most popular music-hall performers in England. Chaplin’s mother died in 1928 in Hollywood, after being brought by her sons in the US. Unknown to the brothers, they had a half brother through their mother. The boy, Wheeler Dryden, was raised abroad by his father but later on got connected with the Chaplin brothers and went to work for them at their Hollywood studio.
Work/Career of the Filmmaker or the development
Chaplin acted in, directed, scripted , produced and eventually scored his own films. He began his career in 1910. He toured America with Fred Karno troupe in 1910 until 1912. In 1913, Chaplin’s act with the Karno Troupe was noticed by...