Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin (1889–1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame during the era of silent film. Chaplin became a worldwide icon through his screen persona "the Tramp" and is considered one of the most important figures in the history of the film industry. His career spanned more than 75 years, from childhood in the Victorian era until a year before his death in 1977, and encompassed both adulation and controversy. Chaplin's childhood in London was one of poverty and hardship. As his father was absent and his mother struggled financially, he was sent to a workhouse twice before the age of nine. When he was 14, his mother was committed to a mental asylum. Chaplin began performing at an early age, touring music halls and later working as a stage actor and comedian. At 19 he was signed to the prestigious Fred Karno company, which took him to America. Chaplin was scouted for the film industry, and began appearing in 1914 for Keystone Studios. He soon developed the Tramp persona and formed a large fan base. Chaplin directed his own films from an early stage, and continued to hone his craft as he moved to the Essanay, Mutual, and First National corporations. By 1918, he was one of the best known figures in the world. Being a faithful recital of a romantic career, beginning with early recollections of boyhood in London and closing with the signing of his latest motion-picture contract. This was a narrative ghostwritten by a San Francisco Bulletin writer, Rose Wilder Lane, deriving from interviews Chaplin had given her in 1915 for a serialized autobiography, which ran in thirty installments in the San Francisco Bulletin. Lane arranged for the series to be published as a hardcover book, Charlie Chaplin’s Own Story, in 1916. Rose Wilder Lane was the daughter of Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the beloved Little House books. She was born in 1886 on a homestead claim in the Dakota Territory, similar to the one she describes in this novel. I remain just one thing, and one thing only — and that is a clown. It places me on a far higher plane than any politician.” – Charlie Chaplin Only a select few actors become international stars in their time, but none had as unique a career as Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin was the first true film star, and he managed to do so even when films were still silent. He has been honored with too many awards to count, and the fact that his name remains instantly recognizable nearly a century after his first film is a testament to his influence.
