Chaplin made his stage debut as a tot.īoth of Chaplin’s parents were music hall entertainers in London. Listening to his speech from 'The Great Dictator' is especially poignant right now as Russia wages war on the Ukraine.1. His views on war and man's inhumanity to man make me wonder if, 100 years later we have learnt anything at all. Chaplin's views on machines dehumanising people ring as true today if not more so. How various alliances were formed that have led to where film making stands today. However, his story covers how Hollywood was formed, the change from silent to sound movies. Chaplin writes this as a 'rags to riches' story with a fair bit of artistic license. which is a a shame as it would have made him a little more human. He gives little insight into himself, little reflection on any mistakes he made and so therefire little remorse.

Chaplin is incredibly discreet about his role as a husband to four wives and father to eleven children as well as friendships with the great and good of the time. This is a fascinating account written by Chaplin and beautifully narrated. His other films include Modern Times (1936), a commentary on the Great Depression, and The Great Dictator (1940), a satirical attack on Hitler and the Nazis. Best known for his work in silent film, his most famous role was the Little Tramp, a universally recognisable and iconic character who appeared in films such as The Kid (1921), The Gold Rush (1925) and City Lights (1931). Sir Charles 'Charlie' Chaplin (1895-1976) was born in Walworth, London. Griffith and Douglas Fairbanks, the struggle to maintain artistic control over his work, the string of failed marriages and his eventual exile from Hollywood after personal scandals and persecution for his left-wing politics during the McCarthy Era. From a childhood of grinding poverty in the South London slums, Chaplin found an escape in his early debut on the music hall stage, followed by his lucky break in America, the founding of United Artists with D.W.

Born into a theatrical family, Chaplin's father died of drink while his mother, unable to bear the poverty, suffered from bouts of insanity.

Chaplin's film career as the Little Tramp adored by the whole world is the stuff of legend, but this frank autobiography shows another side. A silent comedy star whose legendary slapstick routines are recognisable to this day, Charles 'Charlie' Chaplin's My Autobiography is an incomparably vivid account of the life of one of the greatest filmmakers and comedians, with an introduction by David RobinsonĪs a child, Charlie Chaplin was awed and inspired by the sight of glamorous vaudeville stars passing his home, and from then on he never lost his ambition to become an actor.

Charlie chaplin autobiography book