10 Interesting Facts About Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin was a comedic British actor who became one of the biggest stars of the 20th century’s silent-film era.
Born Charles Spencer Chaplin in London, England, on April 16, 1889, Chaplin’s rise to fame is a true rags-to-riches story. His father, a notorious drinker, abandoned Chaplin, his mother, and his older half-brother, Sydney, not long after Chaplin’s birth. That left Chaplin and his brother in the hands of their mother, a vaudevillian, and music hall singer who went by the stage name Lily Harley.
Here are 10 interesting facts about Charlie Chaplin.
1. Charlie resisted sound.
The sound was a revelation for the medium. But like all new technologies, some of the old guards were reluctant to embrace it. Chaplin was one filmmaker vehemently opposed to using sound and dialogue in his movies. As most of his comedy was a pantomime, he felt it was unnecessary. He also bemoaned its technical limitations. City Lights was produced when the sound had all but become the norm, and while it was a silent film, it still included sound effects. Despite his resistance towards the rising tide of talkies, the movie was a huge success and stands as one of his most celebrated works.
