Charlie Chaplin
In the Roarin' Twenties Film Industry
Charlie Chaplin
Publicity Poster for a Chaplin Film
"Charlie Chaplin’s newest film, and a picture generally admitted to be his very best, is ‘The Kid,’ which is showing at the Liberty theatre this week.
Not content with presenting himself in the usual six reels of fun that compose ‘The Kid,’ Chaplin has brought to the screen Jackie Coogan, a child who shares equally with the comedy star the credit for the interest in this film play.
None so good as Jackie has been brought to filmland before, and, with Chaplin in his usual prominent role, the picture is a certain winner.”
--- “Photo Plays”
The Oregon Daily Journal Sun, February 27, 1921
Newspaper Clipping of "The Kid"
Silent Movie Music
Short Biography of Charlie Chaplin
“By the early 1920s, Chaplin was making his own films with actors Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks due to the establishment of Chaplin Studios and United Artists in 1919. Having control of his own films lead to classics such as 'The Kid', 'The Gold Rush', 'City Lights', 'Modern Times' and 'The Great Dictator'. These films made him the most popular and successful film star of his time.”
Fun Facts about Charlie Chaplin
- Charlie Chaplin was the first actor who appeared on the cover of Time Magazine
- He had 4 wives and 11 children
- Charlie Chaplin secretly entered a Charlie Chaplin look-a-like contest and won third place
- His body was stolen for 11 weeks after he died, in efforts to take money from his family
- He never became a U.S. citizen
Charlie's Significance Today
Charlie Chaplin is still relevant and important today because he made silent films more popular and more enjoyable to watch, especially the comedic ones he had starred in. He also starred in talkies, but believed they didn’t have the same artistry as silent films. This caused Chaplin to mainly stick to silent films. It has been said that "He’s the closest thing the 20th century produced to a universal cultural touchstone."