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My Autobiography PDF Free Download

My Autobiography PDF, written by the legendary actor-director Charlie Chaplin, was published in 1964 by Simon and Schuster. This book provides a vivid autobiographical account of Chaplin’s life as an artist, his tumultuous personal life, and his unique approach to filmmaking.

Themes covered within this classic autobiography include finding success against all odds, the struggles of being an artist and celebrity, and Chaplin’s own philosophy on life. The reviews for this book have been overwhelmingly positive; many critics praised Chaplin’s ability to detail his personal as well as professional experiences with remarkable honesty.

My Autobiography has become one of Chaplin’s most well-known works, having sold millions of copies worldwide. It is available in both paper and digital formats so readers can choose their preferred method of enjoying Chaplin’s narrative. Overall, My Autobiography is an iconic work that provides an honest insight into the life of one of cinema’s most influential figures.

Table of Contents

My Autobiography Summary

The book starts with Chaplin’s childhood and upbringing in London, as the son of a music hall performer. He shows his early passion for acting and recounts his travels around England to join touring theatre companies. Along the way, he meets people who will become lifelong friends, including Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, with whom he forms a strong bond.

Chaplin then moves to America, where he begins a meteoric rise in the movies. He recounts his early attempts at filmmaking, including successes such as City Lights and The Great Dictator. He also talks about the struggles of making films in Hollywood, including censorship issues and dealing with powerful studios.

As Chaplin’s fame grows, he becomes embroiled in a series of scandals, including accusations of communist sympathies and boasts about his sexual conquests. He also talks openly about the breakdown of his marriage and the difficulties of balancing his fame with his private life. But despite the hardships, Chaplin never loses sight of the joy that filmmaking brings him. He recounts some of his most successful films, including Modern Times and Limelight, as well as his later experiments with more serious dramas such as A King in New York.

Details of My Autobiography Book

Multiple Languages Editions of My Autobiography Book

My Autobiography book has been translated into several languages and released worldwide in many countries. The book has been published in Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Korean, and Chinese editions.

About the Author

Charlie Chaplin was a British actor, comedian, and filmmaker from the early to the mid-20th century. He is best known for his silent films in which he used physical comedy and slapstick humor. The iconic Little Tramp character Charlie Chaplin created was widely recognized throughout the world and made him an international star.

Chaplin had a troubled childhood, as his mother was institutionalized and his father abandoned the family. Chaplin began performing as a young child, often dancing in music hall shows, where he also developed some of his most famous comic routines. He became one of the most recognizable faces in cinema during the early 20th century, starring in many silent films such as The Kid (1921), The Gold Rush (1925), and Modern Times (1936).

Chaplin was also a talented director, producer, writer, composer, and editor. He wrote the screenplay for all of his films, as well as composed the music score. His autobiography My Autobiography was published in 1964. In it, he covers his life story, his entertainment career, and the struggles of being an international star. He also wrote extensively about his personal life and philosophy, discussing topics such as religion, love, politics, and art.

Click on the download button below to get a pdf file of My Autobiography book.

Similar Books to My Autobiography Book

• The Little Tramp: My Autobiography by Charlie Chaplin
• Struggles and Triumphs: An Autobiography by P.T. Barnum
• Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
• The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley and Malcolm X
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
• Becoming by Michelle Obama
• The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
• Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
• The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

FAQs(Frequently Asked Questions)

What is the book My Autobiography about?

It is about the life story of the world-famous actor, director, writer, and comedian Charlie Chaplin.

What is the genre of My Autobiography book?

My Autobiography is a memoir that shares Chaplin’s story of his life.

What will the readers find in My Autobiography book?

My Autobiography is an intimate and comprehensive look at Chaplin’s life, from his childhood spent in poverty to the success of his career and films.

How long does it take to read My Autobiography pdf?

My Autobiography is a lengthy book and takes some time to read.

Is My Autobiography book worth reading?

My Autobiography is worth reading as it offers an insight into Chaplin’s life and career while showing his remarkable resilience and talent.

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Biography Of Charlie Chaplin – Free PDF Download

Table of Contents

• Born Charles Spencer Chaplin in London, England, on April 16, 1889, Chaplin’s rise to fame is a true rags-to-riches story.
• His father, a notorious drinker, abandoned Chaplin, his mother and his older half-brother, Sydney, not long after Chaplin’s birth.
• That left Chaplin and his brother in the hands of their mother, a vaudevillian and music hall singer who went by the stage name Lily Harley
• Chaplin’s mother, who would later suffer severe mental issues and have to be committed to an asylum, was able to support her family for a few years.
• But in a performance that would introduce her youngest boy to the spotlight, Hannah inexplicably lost her voice in the middle of a show, prompting the production manager to push the five-year-old Chaplin, whom he’d heard sing, onto the stage to replace her.
• Chaplin lit up the audience, wowing them with his natural presence and comedic angle (at one point he imitated his mother’s cracking voice). But the episode meant the end for Hannah.
• For a time, Chaplin and Sydney had to make a new, temporary home for themselves in London’s tough workhouses.
• Armed with his mother’s love of the stage, Chaplin was determined to make it in show business himself, and in 1897, using his mother’s contacts, he landed with a clogdancing troupe named the Eight Lancashire Lads.
• In 1914, Chaplin made his film debut in a somewhat forgettable one-reeler called Make a Living. To differentiate himself from the clad of other Chaplin decided to play a single identifiable character, and “The Little Tramp” was born, with audiences getting their first taste of him in Kid Auto Races at Venice (1914).
• Over the next year, Chaplin appeared in 35 movies, a lineup that included Tillie’s Punctured Romance, film’s first full-length comedy.
• In 1915, Chaplin left Sennett to join the Essanay Company, which agreed to pay him $1,250 a week.
• During his first year with the company, Chaplin made 14 films, including The Tramp (1915). Generally regarded as the actor’s first classic, the story establishes Chaplin’s character as the unexpected hero when he saves the farmer’s daughter from a gang of robbers.
• By the age of 26, Chaplin, just three years removed from his vaudeville days, was a superstar. He’d moved over to the Mutual Company, which paid him a whopping $670,000 a year. • The money made Chaplin a wealthy man, but it didn’t seem to derail his artistic drive. With Mutual, he made some of his best work, including One A.M. (1916), The Rink (1916), The Vagabond (1916) and Easy Street (1917).
• Through his work, Chaplin came to be known as a grueling perfectionist.
• During the 1920s Chaplin’s career blossomed even more. During the decade he made some landmark films, including The Kid (1921), The Pilgrim (1923), A Woman in Paris (1923), The Gold Rush (1925), a movie Chaplin would later say he wanted to be remembered by, and The Circus (1928).
• The latter three were released by United Artists, a company Chaplin co-founded in 1919 with Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, and D.W. Griffith.
• Chaplin kept creating interesting and engaging films in the 1930s. In 1931, he released City Lights, a critical and commercial success that incorporated music Chaplin scored himself.
• Chaplin spoke even louder in The Great Dictator (1940), which pointedly ridiculed the governments of Hitler and Mussolini.
• But Chaplin was not universally embraced. His romantic liaisons led to his rebuke by some women’s groups, which in turn led to him being barred from entering some U.S. states.

 LATER YEARS

• Chaplin soon became a target of the right-wing conservatives. Representative John E. Rankin of Mississippi pushed for his deportation.
• In 1952, the Attorney General of the United States obliged when he announced that Chaplin, who was sailing to Britain on vacation, would not permit him to return to the United States unless he could prove “moral worth.”
• The incensed Chaplin said good-bye to the United States and took up residence on a small farm in Corsiersur-Vevey, Switzerland.
• Nearing the end of his life, Chaplin did make one last visit to the United States in 1972, when he was given an honorary Academy Award.
• In 1975, Chaplin received further recognition when he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
• In the early morning hours of December 25, 1977, Chaplin died at his home in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland. His wife, Oona, and seven of his children were at his bedside at the time of his passing.

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Biography_ Charlie Chaplin ( PDFDrive.com )

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­ 1 –  Biography: Charlie Chaplin  (April 16, 1889 ­ December 25, 1977)  Charlie Chaplin, who brought laughter to millions worldwide as the silent \"Little  Tramp\" clown, had the type of deprived childhood that one would expect to find  in a Dickens novel. Born in East Street, Walworth, London on 16 April, 1889,  Charles Spencer Chaplin was the son of a music hall singer and his wife. Charlie  Chaplin's parents divorced early in his life, with his father providing little to no  support, either financial or otherwise, leaving his mother to support them as best  she could. Chaplin's mother Hannah was the brightest spot in Charlie's  childhood; formerly an actor on stage, she had lost her ability to perform, and  managed to earn a subsistence living for herself, Charlie, and Charlie's older  half­brother Sidney by sewing. She was an integral part of Charlie's young life,  and he credited her with much of his success. Sadly, she slowly succumbed to  mental illness, and by the time that Charlie was 7 years old, she was confined  to an asylum; Charlie and Sidney were relegated to a workhouse (a government  facility for orphaned and abandoned children) ­­ not for the last time. After 2  months, she was released, and the family was happily reunited, for a time. In  later years, she was readmitted for an 8­month stretch later, during which time  Charlie lived with his alcoholic father and stepmother, in a strained  environment.  Charlie Chaplin's first taste of show business  Sidney left home first, working first on a sailing  ship, and later on the stage, opening the door for  Charlie to follow in his footsteps later. Young Charlie  felt more alone than ever without the presence of  his brother, his closest friend and confidant.  However, there was a bright spot as well in  Chaplin's 9th year ­­ he toured with a stage  company, the 8 Lancashire Lads, with a kindhearted  couple who led the troupe, and gave Chaplin his  first taste of stage life. He also met a young Stan  Laurel as part of the troupe.  At the age of 12, Charlie's father died quite young.  At the age of 14, Charlie's mother is readmitted to  Charlie Chaplin  the asylum, while Sidney is out of town on an  Buy From Art.com extended trip. Charlie provides for himself as best  he can, desperate to avoid returning to the  workhouse, until Sydney returns home. With Sidney's return, young Chaplin's  luck begins to turn for the better. He wins a part in the stage play \"Jim, A  Romance of Cockney\" to glowing reviews. Later in the same year, he earns the  part of Billy in a stage adaptation of \"Sherlock Holmes,\" again to sterling reviews,  and tours with the company playing that part. The tour continues through the next  ­ 2 –  year, and Hannah is again released, seemingly in her right mind. All seems to be  going well, until Hannah relapses, and is institutionalized for the next 7 years;  Charlie is 16 years old.  Charlie Chaplin tours with the Karno troupe, and enters  films  Charlie continues in his acting career, as his brother Sidney joins the Karno  troupe, again opening the way there for Charlie. Charlie joins the Karno troupe  the next year, again working alongside Stan Laurel. Two years later, Chaplin  (along with the rest of the Karno troupe) tours the United States' vaudeville  circuit. Two years later, in 1912, Charlie returns with the Karno troupe to the  USA, but this time decides to stay. The next year, Chaplin leaves the stage to  join Mack Sennet's Keystone Films Studio, marking a milestone both in his own  life and in the history of film.  Charlie Chaplin's famous Tramp character is born  The pace of film making in early Hollywood seems impossible by today's  standards. In just two months, Chaplin appeared in the following Keystone films:  Making a Living, Kid Auto Races, Mabel's Strange Predicament, Between  Showers, A Film Johnnie, Tango Tangles, His Favourite Pastime, Cruel, Cruel  Love. Although Chaplin started at the Keystone Company as a bit player, with the  introduction of his world­famous tramp character he quickly exploded into a  major star. By April, at the age of 25, Chaplin directs his first film, 'Twenty  Minutes of Love.'  By November of that year, Chaplin is leaving Keystone, having signed an  exclusive contract for the newly formed Essanay Film Company. Sidney follows  in Charlie's steps this time, and joins the Keystone Company shortly before  Charlie left it.  In February of 1915, Chaplin begins work for Essanay, with greater control over  his films than ever before ­­ but not enough to avoid 'creative differences' with  his bosses at Essanay. However, another milestone occurs at the same time ­­  he meets Edna Purviance, who was to be his leading lady for many of his films,  as well as an off­again, on­again romance. At Essanay, Chaplin created many of  the classic short films he's best remembered for, including His New Job, A Jitney  Elopement, The Tramp, A Night in the Show, and The Immigrant. In February of  1916, Chaplin again jumps to another film company, Mutual, where he continues  to create some of his finest shorts, including The Floorwalker, The Vagabond,  The Pawnshop, Behind the Screen, and The Rink. In both his personal and  professional life, his inner circle began to expand. He first hired Henry Bergman  (the 'heavy villain' in so many of Chaplin's films), as well as hiring Tom Harrington  as his personal secretary, a position which he kept for many decades, becoming  Chaplin's right­hand man in many respects. ­ 3 –  Desiring even more creative control, Chaplin began  building his own studio in the fall of 1917, and  signed with yet another studio, First National. For  the first time, Chaplin has complete control over  every step of his films. For First National, Chaplin  continues to create classic shorts: A Dog's Life,  Shoulder Arms, and The Bond. In 1918, he also  marries for the first (but not the last) time, to  Mildred Harris.  Charlie Chaplin's woman troubles  Charlie begins in his personal life a recurring,  destructive pattern ­­ he chases (and frequently  marries) a young woman, loses interest in her  (being consumed by his creative energies), goes  Charlie Chaplin with Dog  through a messy breakup (or divorce), typically  Buy From Art.com impacting his professional life, and then repeats the  pattern. In November of that year, his first true love, Hetty Kelly, dies ­­ although  Chaplin doesn't find this out until he visits England in 1921.  Charlie Chaplin ­ pathos and comedy  1919 was a year of both great gains and losses for Charlie. One of his most  popular short films, Sunnyside, is released ­­ demonstrating a degree of both  pathos and comedy mixed together to a high degree. Chaplin had been slowly  moving the Little Tramp towards this more balanced characterization for some  time ­­ and now Charlie the tramp is maturing. Sadly, Charlie the human being  suffered a terrible loss, as his & Mildred's infant child is born, horribly deformed,  and dies after only 3 days. Charlie sought solace in his work, alienating his wife  even more. In that same year, he formed United Artists with his closest friend  Douglas Fairbanks and Fairbanks' wife, screen legend Mary Pickford ­­ in a  successful effort to keep the major studios from monopolizing and controlling all  aspects of production. In December of that year, A Day's Pleasure was released,  dealing with a happy family trying to enjoy a quiet day at the beach ­­ somewhat  ironically, considering the state of Charlie Chaplin's personal life at that stage.  But something new was on the horizon ­­ Charlie Chaplin had begun production  of The Kid.  ­ 4 –  Charlie Chaplin ­ The Kid  The Kid was Charlie Chaplin's first full­  length movie. It, more than anything else to  that date, made Chaplin a living legend. It  took over a year to produce, and was an  incredible success for Chaplin, both  financially and artistically.  Over the next year, Charlie Chaplin continues  working on The Kid, as his perfectionism  takes more and more time in creating his film  masterpieces. Sadly, he and Mildred Harris  divorce at this time, in one of the most bitter  Hollywood divorces seen up to this point. But  there is light at the end of the tunnel, as The  Kid is finally released to unanimous praise,  and record box office success, in 1921.  Charlie Chaplin had gone through a very  difficult time, and needed time to relax, and  renew himself. He took his first vacation,  Charlie Chaplin with Kid ...  returning to Europe to crowds that were  Buy From Art.com beyond his wildest dreams. In a bittersweet  moment, he learns of Hetty Kelly's death from her brother while in London. More  cheerfully, he begins several friendships in London that become lifelong,  including with the famous writer H. G. Welles. In addition, he and Sydney brought  their mother, Hannah, to the States, where she lived the rest of her life, under the  best medical care that Charlie's money could provide.  Returning to America, and to his work, Charlie quickly produces his next film, The  Idle Class. Charlie begins working on his next film, Payday, in his professional  life, and meets the European actress Pola Negri, with whom he has an off­again,  on­again romantic relationship that goes on for nearly a year. Over the course of  that year, Charlie Chaplin releases his next film, The Pilgrim (about an escaped  convict who takes on the role of a preacher to avoid recapture), and prepares for  his first dramatic film, A Woman of Paris, designed to catapult Edna Purviance  into her own career. Audiences by now had associated the name Charlie Chaplin  with comedy, however, and were not expecting serious fare. Although a good  movie, it died at the box office ­­ and gave Charlie Chaplin his first commercial  failure.  ­ 5 –  Charlie Chaplin in  The Gold Rush ­ and  in a family way  That was reversed by his  next film, one of the classics  of the silent era ­­ The Gold  Rush. It is the story of the  Little Tramp going north to  the Alaskan gold rush, and  by more luck than skill both  getting the girl and becoming  rich. It is touching, poignant,  and hilarious, containing  some of Chaplin's most  Charlie Chaplin ­ The Gold Rush  famous routines. However,  Buy From Art.com early in the filming of the  movie, Chaplin's leading  lady, Lita Grey, had to be replaced by Georgia Hale ­­ since Charlie Chaplin had  married Lita Grey, and she had become pregnant. She was only 16 at the time.  Chaplin worried incessantly about his young wife's pregnancy ­­ had felt that the  death of his first son was, in some way, his fault. Thankfully, in 1925 this child  was born healthy ­­ Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. Charlie had qualms about  naming the child after himself, fearing that the boy would live in his father's  shadow, but he gave way to Lita. That same year, The Gold Rush (read review)  was released to critical acclaim and great financial success. Some believe it is  Chaplin's finest film. Ironically, there was a third birth that year that would  become integral to Chaplin years later ­­ Oona O'Neil was born.  The next year, Charlie began work on his next film, The Circus (read review). As  John McCabe noted in his excellent biography of Charlie Chaplin, The Circus  was not the equal of The Gold Rush, but was a good film in its' own right ­­ and,  given the circumstances under which it was filmed, it was a miracle that it was  even palatable.  Charlie Chaplin in a messy divorce  Despite the birth of a second son, Sidney, in 1926, Charlie & Lita's marriage  broke apart ­­ bitterly, and publicly. Charges went back and forth, with  newspapers gleefully displaying the details of the Chaplins' marital woes. Charlie  Chaplin always refused to discuss his marriage with Lita; Lita, however, wrote a  one­sided account, Wife of the Life of the Party. The divorce ended in 1927 with  a record­breaking divorce settlement of $825,000. The stress was enough to  permanently turn Charlie Chaplin's hair prematurely white. During all of this,  Charlie continued to film The Circus (read review), one of his lesser­known, but  best, films.  ­ 6 –  In 1928, Charlie Chaplin released The Circus to popular acclaim, and also  received a special Oscar for his work on the film as director, actor, producer.  Sadly, this positive year was also crushingly negative, as Charlie's beloved  mother died. Chaplin's life continued to be centered around his work, even in his  grief, as he began work on his next film towards the end of that year: City Lights  (read review).  Charlie Chaplin ­ the end of the Tramp  City Lights, released in 1931, was Charlie Chaplin's first non­silent film. But it still  was not a 'talking' picture. Chaplin included the musical soundtrack, and used  sound effects, but nobody spoke in the picture yet. This was a major gamble for  Chaplin, since sound pictures had now become the standard. But it was a  gamble that paid off handsomely. The movie was both a financial and critical  success, and many believe it to be one of Chaplin's finest films, if not his best.  After City Lights, Charlie Chaplin did  something totally out of character; he  took a vacation. Actually, Chaplin took  vacations quite frequently, both to  refresh himself and to find new ideas for  his films. But this was his first extended  vacation, away from creating a new  movie for nearly two years. He talks at  length about this time in his  autobiography (My Autobiography),  Modern Times  including globe­trotting and how he was  Buy From Art.com nearly assassinated in Japan; but  perhaps his most pivotal moment was in 1932, when he met Paulette Goddard,  who would costar in his next film ­­ Modern Times ­­ which would be the Tramp's  final film.  After the release of Modern Times, Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard were  married in secret, while on vacation in the Orient. Upon his return, Charlie began  his most audacious comedy yet ­ The Great Dictator, making fun of Adolph Hitler  himself. Hitler, in many ways, was a natural subject for Chaplin to satirize. Hitler,  it is said, adopted his mustache in imitation of Charlie. Both were smaller men, of  slight build. And Chaplin saw the ideas that Hitler was championing as horrible,  evil; and Charlie was determined to show the world what he saw.  ­ 7 –  Charlie Chaplin attacks Hitler in The  Great Dictator  The Great Dictator was Charlie Chaplin's first truly  talking picture, and when it was finally released in  1940, it was a worldwide sensation. Many people  mistakenly think that the character of the Jewish  Barber in the film is the Tramp, but Charlie Chaplin  was adamant that they are different characters.  Although the barber uses many of the Tramp's  mannerisms, he is also clearly an individual in his  own right. And the barber is far more long­winded,  as the famous \"Look Up, Hannah\" speech at the end  of the movie reminds us.  Charlie Chaplin ­ un­American?  The Great Dictator  In the same year that Charlie Chaplin began working  Buy From Art.com on The Great Dictator, the House Un­American  Committee begins investigating Charlie. At first glance, there seems to be no  reason for this ­­ until the second glance. Earlier Chaplin had done his patriotic  part in raising money for the war effort, alongside his long time friends Douglas  Fairbanks and Mary Pickford ­­ raising large amounts of money for the war.  Charlie was a lifelong pacifist, but he was also a realist who saw that the  aggression of the Axis powers had to be stopped. In many ways, Chaplin was  politically naive ­­ such as speaking at fund raisers for the Communist USSR,  whom Chaplin simply saw as our allies in the fight. And by suggesting that  America immediately open a two front war to help our \"friends\" in the Soviet  Union. These were some of the reasons that the government began keeping tabs  on the immigrant film maker (although he worked for all of these years in  America, he maintained his British citizenship, and had no intention of  becoming an American citizen).  1942 was a very busy year for Charlie Chaplin, at least in his personal life.  Paulette Goddard, co­star of Modern Times and The Great Dictator, divorced  Chaplin, and went on to be a star in her own right. In that same year, Charlie met  another young lady, whom he falls deeply, and permanently, in love with ­­ Oona  O'Neil. Oona, although young, is mature beyond her years ­­ perhaps from  having grown up in the household of her father, Eugene O'Neil, the famous  playwright. Eugene O'Neil was opposed to having his daughter date Charlie  Chaplin; given Chaplin's track record to date, one can hardly blame him. In  addition, Chaplin meets another young lady that year, whose relationship to  Chaplin would almost seem to confirm the playwright's suspicions ­­ Joan Barry.  By all accounts, Joan Barry was a troubled young woman, who had some talent  for acting. She had met Charlie Chaplin, who had given her a screen test for a  role, but did not hire her for any of his movies. Although they dated on and off,  ­ 8 –  nothing serious came of it. But in Joan Barry's mind, it was very serious ­­ serious  enough that she breaks into Chaplin's home later that year, armed with a gun.  Charlie eventually talked her out of any violence, got her to leave quietly, and  then called the police, resulting in a restraining order that should have served to  keep her out of Charlie Chaplin's life.  Charlie Chaplin in the paternity suit  However, two things happened that next year that prevented that from  happening. First was Joan Barry's pregnancy; she named Charlie Chaplin as  the father. Second, Charlie married Oona O'Neil ­­ and, in a very real sense, they  lived happily ever after. The couple truly loved each other, were devoted to each  other, and grew closer as time went on.  In the more immediate term, Charlie Chaplin denied being the father of Joan  Barry's child, and a blood test proved his innocence. However, the blood test was  inadmissable in the California court at the time, and a jury of his peers ordered  Chaplin to pay child support. (This is recreated quite well in the 1992 'Chaplin'  movie starring Robert Downey, and is highly recommended viewing).  In 1946, the first of Oona and Charlie Chaplin's children, Michael, is born. Over  the years, he will have 7 more siblings (Josephine, Victoria, Eugene, Jane,  Annette and Christopher). Charlie also begins his next film, a very great  departure from anything Charlie has ever attempted ­­ the dark comedy Monsieur  Verdoux .  Monsieur Verdoux is a very dark comedy, in which the title character, a fired  bank clerk, makes his living by marrying rich older women and then killing them  for their money. Charlie Chaplin used it to make a statement about the paradox  of killing millions in war is virtuous, for the winning side, but killing individuals is a  crime. Although it has moments both humorous and engaging, it was not the fare  that the public was expecting from Chaplin, and it did not do well domestically,  although it did well overseas, and Chaplin made a tidy profit from it. He also used  Edna Purviance on screen for the last time, essentially as an extra.  Charlie Chaplin's final films  In 1951, Charlie Chaplin made one of his finest films, and one of his least well  known ­ Limelight. Limelight is the story of a formerly great dance hall tramp  clown, Calvero (portrayed by Chaplin) on a downward spiral, contrasting with a  young dancer on her way to fame ­ into the spotlight. A funny, poignant film, it  also teamed two of the great clowns of the silent era, Buster Keaton and Charlie  Chaplin, for the first and only time.  Limelight did not do well at American movie houses, largely due to the false  rumors that Chaplin was a communist or communist sympathizer, as well as an  organized protest by various unions resulting in theaters refusing to show the  film. As a result, it was not seen widely in the United States of America for ­ 9 –  decades. Years later, when it finally played in Los Angeles, it was nominated for  the Best Music Academy Award ­­ and won.  Charlie Chaplin in Exile  After Limelight, Charlie took another vacation to England, wanting to show his  new wife and children his native country. Upon leaving the territorial waters of the  United States of America, Charlie Chaplin received a cable, informing him that  the State Department had rescinded his reentry permit ­­ effectively locking him  out of the country as an undesirable alien. There were many reasons for this ­­  Chaplin's unorthodox political views, the false accusation that he was a  Communist, and not least of all, money. There would have been an attempt by  the federal government to seize Chaplin's assets, which were enormous.  However, his wife Oona returned to the United States, and promptly took all of  the liquid assets, as well as liquidating everything she could ­­ leaving the  government without a penny for its' trouble.  Charlie Chaplin was not, however, a man without a country. He was still a citizen  of Great Britain, but he did not desire to live there. After the stress of the situation  had been dealt with, the Chaplins relocated to Vevey, Switzerland in 1953, where  they lived for the remainder of their lives together. After their death, it has been  turned into an international Charlie Chaplin museum.  In 1954, Oona renounced her U.S. citizenship, casting her lot with her husband.  And, ironically, Charlie Chaplin was awarded World Peace Council Prize in that  same year. In the next year, he resumes doing what he does best ­­ making  comedies. ­ 10 –  His next film, A King In New York, was a biting  indictment of modern society. In it, he played the  role of King Shadov, an European monarch in exile,  who comes to New York to promote the peaceful  uses of nuclear power. Along the way, he pokes fun  at the Red Scare, commercials, movies, celebrities,  movie magazines, and life in urban America. Filmed  in England, it was the last film in which he was on  screen as a major character.  In the same year that A King In New York  premiered, Charlie Chaplin's half­brother Wheeler  Dryden died. Wheeler had been introduced to  Charlie many years before by Edna Purviance ­­  Charlie had been unaware of him. Wheeler was a  competent, though not gifted, actor, and idolized his  famous brother. He began to work for Charlie in  various roles and positions, and years later served  as Charlie's assistant director on The Great Dictator  and Monsieur Verdoux. Jerome Robinsons' photo  journal, Charlie and Me, contains some interesting anecdotes about Charlie's  lesser­known sibling.  Chaplin's professional pace seemed to be slowing down, to an outside observer.  After all, he was now 69 years old. However, Charlie was not finished working.  He had been reediting some of his earlier movies, and composing new music for  some of them. Charlie was musical by nature as well as profession, and he wrote  some of the most enduring melodies of the century ­­ not least among them the  song 'Smile'. However, before he could release his reedited movies, now  narrated by Charlie Chaplin himself, death claimed another old friend ­­ Edna  Purviance died in 1958. And, to add insult to injury, Chaplin's name was removed  from Los Angeles' Walk of Fame. ­ 11 –  In 1959, the Chaplin Revue was released, to  worldwide acclaim. Charlie Chaplin continued his  work in Switzerland, writing and composing, and  raising his growing brood of children. In 1964 he  published his autobiography, which he humbly titled  'My Autobiography.' It was an interested look into  the life of Charlie Chaplin, although incomplete ­­  he mentioned his marriage to Lita Grey in only one  sentence.  In 1965, death again intruded on Charlie Chaplin's  family life, as his older brother Sidney died. This  was a strong blow to Chaplin, second only to the  loss of him mother in 1928. Sidney had been his  brother, friend, companion, confidant and business  manager all rolled into one. Charlie grieved deeply  for the loss of his beloved brother.  But Charlie Chaplin did not stop working. After  dealing with his grief as best he could, in 1966 Charlie began work on his next,  and final, movie, A Countess in Hong Kong. It was a number of firsts for Chaplin ­  ­ he did not star in the film, and only had a small, Hitchcock­esque walk­on scene  as a porter. Instead, he directed two of Hollywood's largest stars of the day,  Marlon Brando and Sophia Loren. Although an interesting idea, it was not a hit at  the box office when released in 1967.  In 1968, Chaplin was now 79 years old. It is not  surprising that more and more of his friends and  coworkers died ­­ for example, his longtime  cameraman and assistant Rollie Totheroh died the  previous year. However, Charlie Chaplin's oldest  son, Charles Chaplin Jr., died. Again, Charlie  worked through his grief, and threw himself into his  work. He was preparing a new film, 'The Freak',  about a young girl who sprouts wings, as a vehicle  for his daughter ­­ but it never went past the  planning stages.  In 1972, Charlie Chaplin did something he never  thought he would do ­­ he returned to the United  States of America. He was returning to accept a  lifetime achievement Academy Award. The  foolishness of 20 years previous had been  forgotten, and Chaplin was greeted by America with ­ 12 –  open arms. Correcting another old injustice, Chaplin's name was added again  to the 'Walk of Fame' in Los Angeles. Chaplin was also awarded the Golden Lion  at that year's Venice Film Festival .  In 1974, Charlie Chaplin published another book, 'My Life in Pictures.' The next  year, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, and became Sir Charles Spencer  Chaplin.  In 1977, Charlie Chaplin passed away, on Christmas Day. He left behind grieving  family and friends, and millions of fans worldwide.  Quotes by Charlie Chaplin: · \"To truly laugh, you must be able to take your pain, and play with it!\" · \"I remain just one thing, and one thing only ­­ and that is a clown. It places  me on a far higher plane than any politician.\" · \"Laughter is the tonic, the relief, the surcease for pain\"  Check out reviews of some of Chaplin's finest films, including The Gold Rush,  The Immigrant, The Kid and Limelight (a personal favorite)  For more images of Chaplin, please check out the Charlie Chaplin Gallery.  Other Charlie Chaplin Resources  www.chaplinmuseum.com  Charlie Chaplin game  Need content? You may use this article at your website, or in your newsletter.  The only requirement is inclusion of the following sentence: Article by Tom  Raymond of Clown­Ministry.com ­ the definitive source for clowns of all ages.

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