In the end everything is a gag.
| Birth: | 16th April, 1889 |
| Death: | 25th December, 1977 |
| Nationality: | British |
| Profession: | Actor, Comedian, Composer, Director |
Charles Spencer Chaplin was born on 16 April 1889 to Hannah Chaplin and Charles Chaplin Sr.. Chaplin's first stage appearance came at five years old, when he took over from his mother one night in Aldershot. He began his professional career in this way, as the group toured English music halls from 1899 to 1902. Chaplin worked hard and the act was popular with audiences, but dancing did not satisfy the child and he dreamt of forming a comedy act. By age 13 Chaplin had fully abandoned education.
At 14, shortly after his mother's relapse, he registered with a theatrical agency in London's West End. The manager sensed potential in Chaplin and he was soon on the stage. His first role was a newsboy in H. A. Saintsbury's Jim, a Romance of Cockayne. It opened in July 1903 in Kingston upon Thames, but the show was unsuccessful and it closed after two weeks. Chaplin's comic performance, however, was singled out for praise in many of the reviews. From October 1903 to June 1904, Chaplin toured with Saintsbury in Charles Frohman's production of Sherlock Holmes. He repeated his performance of Billy the pageboy for two subsequent tours, and was so successful that he was called to London to play the role alongside William Gillette, the original Holmes. "It was like tidings from heaven", Chaplin recalled. Chaplin starred in the West End production at the Duke of York's Theatre from 17 October to 2 December 1905. He completed one final tour of Sherlock Holmes in early 1906, eventually leaving the play after more than two and a half years.
Chaplin died in his sleep from the complications of a stroke in the early morning of 25 December 1977 at his home in Switzerland.
Share with your friends