Victor Hugo once said, “Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.” Up to now, nobody has been able to create laughter like Charlie Chaplin. He brightened the lives of millions through two world wars and the hard years in between. He made people laugh at a time when they felt depressed, so they could forget their difficulties.
Not that Charlie’s own life was easy. He was born to a poor family in 1889. His parents were both poor music hall performers. To make money, Charlie learnt to sing as soon as he could speak, and dance as soon as he could walk. Such training was common in stage families at that time. Every member of the family performed to help make money. Then his father died, and so Charlie spent his youth looking after his sick mother and his brother. By his teens, Charlie had, through his humour, become one of the most popular child actors in England. No one was bored watching him—he made everything funny.
As time went by, Chaplin began making silent films, where the story was told only through body language and gestures. Usually, Chaplin appeared in these films as the Little Tramp, a poor man with a moustache, large trousers, worn-out shoes, and a small, round hat. He walked around stiffly, carrying a walking stick. Even though the Little Tramp was considered a failure in life, he was still full of kindness and hope. Like Chaplin, the Little Tramp always tried to turn his sadness into joy. Chaplin once said, “My pain may be the reason for somebody’s laugh. But my laugh must never be the reason for somebody’s pain.” He also said, “To truly laugh, you must be able to take your pain, and play with it!”
In 1914 and 1915, Chaplin worked almost constantly, making nearly 50 short films. Though short films were in high demand, Chaplin’s popularity allowed him to take more time and make longer films. One of these films, The Kid (1921), is considered to be among the greatest films ever made. In the film, the Little Tramp finds a baby that has been abandoned, and raises the child as his own. While the film has many funny moments, it also has times of great sadness. As Chaplin said, it was “a picture with a smile, and perhaps a tear”.
How did the Little Tramp make a sad situation funny? Here is an example from one of his most famous films, The Gold Rush (1925). It is around 1900, and gold has just been discovered in Alaska. The Little Tramp has rushed there in search of gold, but without success. Instead, he is hiding in a small house on a mountain during a snowstorm, with nothing to eat. He is so hungry that he has cooked one of his boots for dinner. The Little Tramp first cuts off the laces and eats them as if they were noodles. Then he cuts up the boot and shares it with Big Jim, another fortune-hunter. The Little Tramp chews on the lower part of the boot, treating it like something good to eat and making you believe that this is one of the best meals he has ever tasted.
When the silent era ended in 1929, Chaplin continued to make films, but these films had little or no dialogue. They had just music and sound effects. Unfortunately, his style of visual humour had gone out of style and so his films were not as successful as before. Finally, in 1940, Chaplin gave up silent films to make The Great Dictator. This became Chaplin’s most successful movie. It was also his last great success. Essentially, Chaplin went into retirement afterwards, though he made a handful of films later on.
Charlie Chaplin wrote, directed, and produced the films he starred in. In 1972, he was given a special Academy Award, which became known as an Oscar in later years, for his contributions to the film industry. He lived in England and the USA, but spent his last years in Switzerland, where he died in 1977. He is loved and remembered as a great actor who inspired people during dark times.