Charlie Chaplin Research Paper

Introduction

On April 16th 1889, the first international movie star was born. His name, Charlie Chaplin, and while he may be recognized as one of the world’s most pivotal actors, his rise to stardom began at the bottom.

Early years

The story of Charles Spencer Chaplin begins in Wadworth, England, a South London slum. He was born to Hannah Harriet Pedlingham (Hill), a young actress and singer who had pulled herself up from nothing and her husband Charles Chaplin Sr. (also a singer and actor), who had come from a moderately prosperous family of pub keepers. Charles Sr. was a well-known entertainer and as noted in Milton (1996) Chaplin’s father was often away on tour and was “popular enough to receive top billing in the provincial music

It was during this time that Charlie began showing signs of stardom. As early as the age of 2, Charlie had caught the entertainment bug from the parents. As noted in Milton (1996), Chaplin would often perform for his parents and their friends after they had come back from the London music halls, as well as performing with his mother when her voice became hoarse. Although young Charlie Chaplin had found his calling, there were still troubles at home. In March of 1894, his father, Charles Sr., dies from alcoholism at the age of 37. A few years later his mother Hannah, unable to support her children, fell into depression and was hospitalized. She would remain there for the majority his early

As he began to slow down his process, his films began to gain more notoriety. During this time Chaplin began to alter his onscreen persona of the “Tramp” making him more loveable and romantic, as seen in his (1915) short film, “The Tramp”. Chaplin also began to add depth to his movies, adding emotion and evoking pity or sadness from the audience, shown in his short film “The Bank” where Chaplin plays an inefficient janitor that mistakes a women’s love for a bank cashier with his same name. Thinking that a letter titled “To Charlie with love” is for him. He later dreams of a bank robbery where he plays the hero that saves the day and wins the girl, just to wake up and find that it is all a dream. At this time Chaplin had become a phenomenon, all of which manifesting from his “Charlie persona” that was beginning to spread throughout America like wild fire, even advertisers began to use Chaplin’s character to sell toys, and create cartoon