Charlie Chaplin

By Kathryn Dixon

Charlie Chaplin literally fell into the genre of slapstick comedy when he was 18 years old. Long out of work and anxious to secure a part in an upcoming third-rate London production of Casey’s Circus, entering the audition Chaplin slipped, tried to right himself, slipped again, fell on all fours over a chair which then fell on him, finally sitting upright on the floor with the chair on top of him. Chaplin’s completely unintentional routine was greeted with howls of laughter by the director who immediately gave Chaplin the part. He left England for America at the age of 22 destined to make it big in a brand new medium called moving pictures. Commencing work at Keystone Studios in late 1913, he quickly adapted to his new world. By 1916, Chaplin was commanding the largest salary—$670,000 a year—ever offered to a motion picture star. An instant success in Hollywood, Chaplin enjoyed a long career, accomplishing such a stellar reputation on the silver screen that he is one of few entertainers from a century ago that is recognizable today by virtually everyone. Chaplin’s legacy of his most famous character, The Tramp, is unique in its longevity and its global, intergenerational appeal.

• Language: English
• Publisher: TAJ Books International
• Release date: Jan 9, 2013
• ISBN: 9781844062874

Kathryn Dixon

Kathryn Dixon was born and raised in South Carolina. She has lived in New York City, Los Angeles, Barcelona, and Geneva. Until this book, her writing and editing have been strictly related to financial matters, having worked in investment management for over 20 years. Having a dual US/Swiss nationality, Ms. Dixon shares Audrey Hepburn’s deep affection for the French-speaking cantons of Switzerland that border Lac Leman. She currently resides in Charlottesville, Virginia, with her husband. Their newly blended family comprises three grown children: Isabella, Thomas, and Jessica.

Book preview

CHARLIE CHAPLIN

Charlie Chaplin literally fell into the genre of slapstick comedy when he was 18 years old. Long out of work and anxious to secure a part in an upcoming third-rate London production of Casey’s Circus, entering the audition Chaplin slipped, tried to right himself, slipped again, fell on all fours over a chair which then fell on him, finally sitting upright on the floor with the chair on top of him. Chaplin’s completely unintentional routine was greeted with howls of laughter by the director who immediately gave Chaplin the part.

Yet harboring the ambition to be a famous dramatic actor, Chaplin secretly devised his own routine in Casey’s Circus, appearing on stage with top hat and cane, inspired by a Covent Garden street-corner vendor of medicinal tinctures. His carefully prepared dramatization quickly devolved into comedy as he, once again, accidentally floundered with his props in the glare of the footlights. The crowd loved his act. Chaplin had found his calling.

Born to entertain, from an early age Chaplin had been pulled out of bed in the middle of the night to stand on the dining table and perform for guests at his parents’ raucous parties. He was a natural mimic, rewarded by the cheers and applause of the partying crowd. Years of imitating the movements and expressions of others had honed the skills Chaplin needed to amuse and captivate audiences in both bawdy London and in the entertainment-starved provinces of England. For Chaplin, his art imitated the life he observed around him.

Chaplin’s childhood was quite tough. The son of an alcoholic father and a sickly mother, Chaplin was forced on stage at the age of five to replace his mother, a vaudeville songstress, who at the last moment was unable to perform. Chaplin was frightened at first, but grew increasingly emboldened as his simple song was greeted with a hearty response and with tossed coins which soon filled his pockets. The coins, to his and his mother’s chagrin, were garnered by his father to be spent at the local pub, even though the family would have benefited immensely from the extra money to buy much needed food and clothing.

It would be another five years before Chaplin made it to the stage again—this time as a clog dancer. Watching him from the wings was a rather despicable man named Mr. Hawkins who swooped upon Chaplin as he left the stage, offering him a part with a clogging troop. Chaplin’s mother, busy on stage, was not at Chaplin’s side to stop him from accepting the man’s offer. Chaplin ran away with him that night, only to find himself