"physical resemblance that supplied the plot for Chaplin's next film, ""The Great Dictator"", which directly satirised Hitler and attacked fascism. Chaplin spent two years developing the script, and began filming in September 1939 – six days after Britain declared war on Germany. He had submitted to using spoken dialogue, partly out of acceptance that he had no other choice, but also because he recognised it as a better method for delivering a political message. Making a comedy about Hitler was seen as highly controversial, but Chaplin's financial independence allowed him to take the risk. ""I was determined to go ahead,"""
"the leader had ever seen it. Hitler's response to the film is not recorded, but another account tells that he viewed the film twice. Some of the signs in the shop windows of the ghetto in the film are written in Esperanto, a language which Hitler condemned as a Jewish plot to internationalize and destroy German culture, perhaps because its founder was a Polish Jew. The film was Chaplin's first true talking picture and helped shake off criticism of Luddism following his previous release, the mostly dialogue-free ""Modern Times"" (1936), after the silent era had all but ended in the"
"in the Holocaust. In 1940, they decided to turn their fears into comedy. They parodied Hitler in their shorts, ""You Nazty Spy"" and ""I'll Never Heil Again"" Chaplin followed with his ""The Great Dictator."" The film was not only Chaplin's first sound film, it was the final appearance of his Tramp character, who he reveals is Jewish. With the entry of the United States into World War II, Hollywood became focused on themes related to the conflict. Comedies portrayed military themes such as service, civil defense, boot-camp and shore-leave. Abbott and Costello became a popular comedy duo who appeared in"
"into exile there when she is a young girl. Later, after she has grown into a young woman, she stops her uncle's plan to illegally remove diamonds from the continent. However, just as in the modern era, early film usages were not confined to action-adventure stories. Charlie Chaplin's ""The Great Dictator"" was a 1940 comedic evil twin story that worked on two levels. In the narrative itself, Chaplin played both a good, simple barber and his evil counterpart, a Hitler-esque dictator. But it was also born of the notion that Chaplin himself actually looked like Hitler. As a modern reviewer"
"The Great Dictator The Great Dictator is a 1940 American political satire comedy-drama film written, directed, produced, scored by and starring British comedian Charlie Chaplin, following the tradition of many of his other films. Having been the only Hollywood filmmaker to continue to make silent films well into the period of sound films, this was Chaplin's first true sound film. Chaplin's film advanced a stirring, controversial condemnation of Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, fascism, antisemitism, and the Nazis. At the time of its first release, the United States was still formally at peace with Nazi Germany. Chaplin plays both leading roles:"
"noted Chaplin's use of Wagner's ""Lohengrin"" prelude when Hynckel dances with the globe-balloon. Chaplin repeated use of the ""Lohengrin"" prelude near the conclusion, when the exiled Hannah listens to the Jewish barber's speech celebrating democracy and freedom. The music is interrupted during the dictator's dance but it is heard to complete and climax in the barber's pro-democracy speech. Commenting on this, Lutz Peter Koepnick writes in 2002, Chaplin's film was released nine months after Hollywood's first parody of Hitler, the short subject ""You Nazty Spy!"" by the Three Stooges, which premiered in January 1940. Chaplin had been planning his feature-length"
"the Nazis. Resenting his style of comedy, they published a book titled ""The Jews Are Looking at You"" (1934), describing the comedian as ""a disgusting Jewish acrobat"" (although Chaplin was not Jewish). Ivor Montagu, a close friend of Chaplin, relates that he sent the comedian a copy of the book and always believed that Chaplin decided to retaliate with making ""Dictator"". In the 1930s cartoonists and comedians often built on Hitler and Chaplin having similar mustaches. Chaplin also capitalized on this resemblance in order to give his Little Tramp character a ""reprieve"". In his memoir ""My Father, Charlie Chaplin"", Chaplin's"
"the time. Ernst Lubitsch's 1942 ""To Be or Not To Be"" dealt with similar themes, and also used a mistaken-identity Hitler figure. But Chaplin later said that he would not have made the film had he known of the true extent of the Nazis' crimes. After the horror of the Holocaust became known, filmmakers struggled for nearly 20 years to find the right angle and tone to satirize the era. In the period when Hitler and his Nazi Party rose to prominence, Chaplin was becoming internationally popular. He was mobbed by fans on a 1931 trip to Berlin, which annoyed"
"the West was lost. Chaplin, on the other hand, laughed uproariously at the film. He used it to inspire many elements of ""The Great Dictator"", and by repeatedly viewing this film, Chaplin could closely mimic Hitler's mannerisms. Trimborn suggests that Chaplin decided to proceed with making ""The Great Dictator"" after viewing Riefenstahl's film. Hynkel's rally speech near the beginning of the film, delivered in German-sounding gibberish, is a caricature of Hitler's oratory style, which Chaplin also studied carefully in newsreels. The film was directed by Chaplin (with his half-brother Wheeler Dryden as assistant director), and written and produced by Chaplin."
"(2001), Kevin Brownlow and Michael Kloft's documentary exploring the lives of Chaplin and Hitler, including interviews with author Ray Bradbury, director Sidney Lumet, screenwriter Budd Schulberg, and others. It has a booklet featuring an essay by film critic Michael Wood, Chaplin's 1940 ""New York Times"" defense of his movie, a reprint from critic Jean Narboni on the film's final speech, and Al Hirschfeld's original press book illustrations. The Great Dictator The Great Dictator is a 1940 American political satire comedy-drama film written, directed, produced, scored by and starring British comedian Charlie Chaplin, following the tradition of many of his other"
"Chaplin (film) Chaplin is a 1992 British-American biographical comedy-drama film about the life of British comedian Charlie Chaplin. It was produced and directed by Richard Attenborough and stars Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei, Dan Aykroyd, Penelope Ann Miller, and Kevin Kline. It also features Geraldine Chaplin in the role of her own paternal grandmother, Hannah Chaplin. The film was adapted by William Boyd, Bryan Forbes and William Goldman from the books ""My Autobiography"" by Chaplin and """" by film critic David Robinson. Associate producer Diana Hawkins got a story credit. The original music score was composed by John Barry. The"
"son Charlie Jr. described his father as being haunted by the similarities in background between him and Hitler; they were born four days apart in April 1889, and both had risen to their present heights from poverty. He wrote: Their destinies were poles apart. One was to make millions weep, while the other was to set the whole world laughing. Dad could never think of Hitler without a shudder, half of horror, half of fascination. ""Just think"", he would say uneasily, ""he's the madman, I’m the comic. But it could have been the other way around."" Chaplin prepared the story"
"who loses his job and begins marrying and murdering wealthy widows to support his family. Chaplin's inspiration for the project came from Orson Welles, who wanted him to star in a film about the French serial killer Henri Désiré Landru. Chaplin decided that the concept would ""make a wonderful comedy"", and paid Welles $5,000 for the idea. Chaplin again vocalised his political views in ""Monsieur Verdoux"", criticising capitalism and arguing that the world encourages mass killing through wars and weapons of mass destruction. Because of this, the film met with controversy when it was released in April 1947; Chaplin was"
"Adolf Hitler. The 1940s were a decade marked with controversy for Chaplin, and his popularity declined rapidly. He was accused of communist sympathies, while he created scandal through his involvement in a paternity suit and his marriages to much younger women. An FBI investigation was opened, and Chaplin was forced to leave the United States and settle in Switzerland. He abandoned the Tramp in his later films, which include ""Monsieur Verdoux"" (1947), ""Limelight"" (1952), ""A King in New York"" (1957), and ""A Countess from Hong Kong"" (1967). Chaplin wrote, directed, produced, edited, starred in, and composed the music for most"
"Making a Living Making a Living (also known as Doing His Best, A Busted Johnny, Troubles and Take My Picture) is the first film starring Charlie Chaplin. It premiered on February 2, 1914. Chaplin plays Edgar English, a lady-charming swindler who runs afoul of the Keystone Kops. It was written and directed by Henry Lehrman. Chaplin's character attempts to convince a passerby (director Henry Lehrman) to give him money. Chaplin is then shown flirting with a woman and proposes to her, which she accepts. Lehrman enters to present the woman with flowers and a ring, which the woman refuses citing"
"Recreation (film) Recreation is a short comedy film written, directed, and starring Charlie Chaplin. It was released on 13 August 1914. Seated in a park, Charlie gives his expert attention to the picture of a pretty girl on the cover of the Police Gazette. Since he doesn't have a girl of his own, Charlie becomes despondent and prepares to drown himself in the park's lake. He quickly changes his mind when an attractive girl approaches. However, she has a sailor boyfriend. Charlie and the sailor begin to fight. Shortly thereafter two policemen become involved in what has become a terrific"
"over into the German trench. He goes ""over the top"" and captures thirteen Germans (""I surrounded them""), then volunteers to wander through the German lines disguised as a tree trunk. With the help of a French girl he captures the Kaiser and the Crown Prince and is given a statue and victory parade in New York and then ... fellow soldiers wake him from his dream. ""Shoulder Arms"" proved to be Chaplin's most popular film, critically and commercially, up to that point. A review in the October 21, 1918 ""New York Times"" was typical: ""'The fool's funny,' was the chuckling"
"observation of one of those who saw Charlie Chaplin's new film. ""Shoulder Arms"", at the Strand yesterday—and, apparently, that's the way everybody felt. There have been learned discussions as to whether Chaplin's comedy is low or high, artistic or crude, but no one can deny that when he impersonates a screen fool he is funny. Most of those who go to find fault with him remain to laugh. They may still find fault, but they will keep on laughing."" Shoulder Arms Shoulder Arms is Charlie Chaplin's second film for First National Pictures. Released in 1918, it is a silent comedy"
"variety of propaganda films. The most successful was ""The Kaiser, the Beast of Berlin"", a ""sensational creation"" designed to rouse the audience against the German ruler. Comedies included ""Mutt and Jeff at the Front"". The greatest artistic success, considered by many a landmark of film history, was Charlie Chaplin's ""Shoulder Arms"", which followed the star from his induction into the military, his accidental penetration of the German lines, and his eventual return having captured the Kaiser and Crown Prince and won himself a pretty French girl. Other activities included film shorts supporting the sale of war bonds or for war"
"series of controversies, both in his work and in his personal life, which changed his fortunes and severely affected his popularity in the United States. The first of these was his growing boldness in expressing his political beliefs. Deeply disturbed by the surge of militaristic nationalism in 1930s world politics, Chaplin found that he could not keep these issues out of his work. Parallels between himself and Adolf Hitler had been widely noted: the pair were born four days apart, both had risen from poverty to world prominence, and Hitler wore the same toothbrush moustache as Chaplin. It was this"
"Charlie Chaplin's ""A Dog's Life"". Hollywood films saw massive growth in demand thanks to a sharp decline in European production; it exported an increasing number of films. In 1919, films from the United States accounted for about 90% of films screened in Europe. Some films showed the influence of surrealism, with director Luis Buñuel collaborating with Salvador Dalí on his first short film, ""Un Chien Andalou"". René Clair's silent films blended comedy and fantasy. In the Paris of the 1920s, the theater was essentially dominated by four directors -- Louis Jouvet, Georges Pitoëff, Charles Dullin and Gaston Baty. They decided"
"couldn't hear what the actors was talkin'. Charles Chaplin was the leading fun maker."" A reviewer for the New York Dramatic Mirror wrote, ""Superlatives are dangerous epithets, especially when dealing with pictures. For that reason it is unwise to call this the funniest picture that has ever been produced, but it comes mighty close to it."" Caught in a Cabaret Caught in a Cabaret is a 1914 short comedy film written and directed by Mabel Normand and starring Normand and Charles Chaplin. Chaplin plays a waiter who fakes being the Prime Minister of Greenland to impress a girl. He then"
"Sharples and sound effects, and re-released them through RKO Radio Pictures. Chaplin had no legal recourse to stop the RKO release. One A.M. (1916 film) One A.M. was a unique Charlie Chaplin silent film created for Mutual Film in 1916. It was the first film he starred in alone, except for a brief scene of Albert Austin playing a cab driver. The film opens with a scene of a wealthy young man (Chaplin) arriving at his house in a taxi late at night after a night of heavy drinking. He struggles with the car door when exiting the car and"
"in feature-length films waned, in favor of newsreels and shorts. This also proved to be more profitable though even American audiences came to prefer British war films. Charlie Chaplin produced and starred in multiple pro-US propaganda films. One film, ""Zepped"", which contains the only known scenes of a Zeppelin bombing raid over London, was designed to be used on a morale mission for the troops in Egypt and to defuse the terror inspired by the frequent Zeppelin raids. In 1918, Chaplin made, at his own expense, ""The Bond"", and produced short clips in which he beat up Kaiser Wilhelm with"
"His New Job His New Job is a 1915 American short silent comedy film written by, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin. Gloria Swanson appears as an uncredited extra. The title is an inside reference to this being Chaplin's first film after leaving Keystone Studios for Essanay Studios. It was also the only film Chaplin shot at Essanay's Chicago studio. He found the facilities and climate (""His New Job"" was shot in mid-winter) not to his liking, and Chaplin soon relocated back to California. When one of the actors on a movie set doesn't show up, Charlie gets his chance"
"over the making of his pictures. ""A Dog's Life"", released April 1918, was the first film under the new contract. In it, Chaplin demonstrated his increasing concern with story construction and his treatment of the Tramp as ""a sort of Pierrot"". The film was described by Louis Delluc as ""cinema's first total work of art"". Chaplin then embarked on the Third Liberty Bond campaign, touring the United States for one month to raise money for the Allies of the First World War. He also produced a short propaganda film at his own expense, donated to the government for fund-raising, called"
"frantic chase which culminates in the thieves' arrest. Charlie uses the money to buy a farm for himself and his bride. The movie ends with the newlyweds peering fondly into a cradle. It contains Scraps and her puppies. A Dog's Life A Dog's Life is a 1918 American short silent film written, produced and directed by Charlie Chaplin. This was Chaplin's first film for First National Films. Chaplin plays opposite an animal as ""co-star"". ""Scraps"" (the dog) was the hero in this film, as he helps Charlie and Edna toward a better life. Edna Purviance plays a dance hall singer"
"A Dog's Life A Dog's Life is a 1918 American short silent film written, produced and directed by Charlie Chaplin. This was Chaplin's first film for First National Films. Chaplin plays opposite an animal as ""co-star"". ""Scraps"" (the dog) was the hero in this film, as he helps Charlie and Edna toward a better life. Edna Purviance plays a dance hall singer and Charlie Chaplin, The Tramp. Sydney Chaplin (Chaplin's brother) had a small role in this film; this was the first time the two brothers were on screen together. Charles Lapworth, a former newspaper editor who had met Chaplin"
"Lausanne, Switzerland. The British Film Institute has also established the Charles Chaplin Research Foundation, and the first international Charles Chaplin Conference was held in London in July 2005. Chaplin is the subject of a biographical film, ""Chaplin"" (1992) directed by Richard Attenborough, and starring Robert Downey Jr. in the title role and Geraldine Chaplin playing Hannah Chaplin. He is also a character in the period drama film ""The Cat's Meow"" (2001), played by Eddie Izzard, and in the made-for-television movie ""The Scarlett O'Hara War"" (1980), played by Clive Revill. A television series about Chaplin's childhood, ""Young Charlie Chaplin"", ran on"
"dramatic films, apart from their original role as propaganda vehicles. Charlie Chaplin once again joined the U.S. war effort, creating ""The Great Dictator"" (1940), in which he played the Hitler-like character of 'Adenoid Hynkel' — this was preceded by some nine months by the short subject starring The Three Stooges, ""You Nazty Spy!"", as Moe Howard was the first American actor (as ""Moe Hailstone"") to spoof Hitler in film. Animation became popular, especially for winning over youthful audiences. Walt Disney and Looney Tunes were among those that actively aided the U.S. war effort through their cartoons which provided training and"
"two decades of his career, Chaplin concentrated on re-editing and scoring his old films for re-release, along with securing their ownership and distribution rights. In an interview he granted in 1959, the year of his 70th birthday, Chaplin stated that there was still ""room for the Little Man in the atomic age"". The first of these re-releases was ""The Chaplin Revue"" (1959), which included new versions of ""A Dog's Life"", ""Shoulder Arms"", and ""The Pilgrim"". In America, the political atmosphere began to change and attention was once again directed to Chaplin's films instead of his views. In July 1962, ""The"
"a living treasure."" However, some reviewers have been critical of the re-release due to its format. To allow for a soundtrack, the original footage was stretched and certain frames were duplicated. Walter Kerr in ""The Silent Clowns"" declares that the ""cadence of all three films, and of Chaplin's work in them, is utterly destroyed. Let no newcomer to the form begin acquaintance with Chaplin on such terms; only the originals will do."" The Chaplin Revue The Chaplin Revue is a 1959 film comprising three silent films made by Charlie Chaplin. The three shorts included are ""A Dog's Life"", ""Shoulder Arms"","
"mallet gives these indescribable comedians the opportunity for another genuinely funny farce."" The Fatal Mallet The Fatal Mallet is a 1914 American-made motion picture starring Charles Chaplin and Mabel Normand. The film was written and directed by Mack Sennett, who also portrays one of Chaplin's rivals for Normand's attention (Sennett and Normand were offscreen lovers during this period). ""The Fatal Mallet"" is one of more than a dozen early films that writer/director/comedian Mabel Normand made with Charles Chaplin; Normand, who had written and directed films before Chaplin, mentored the young comedian. Three men will fight for the love of a"