December 25: On This Day in World History … briefly
In 1998, the film critic Andrew Sarris called Chaplin ‘arguably the single most important artist produced by the cinema, certainly its most extraordinary performer and probably still its most universal icon’. He is described by the British Film Institute as ‘a towering figure in world culture’.
1977: Charlie ‘The Tramp’ Chaplin dies
Sir Charles Chaplin, KBE, died today at his home in Switzerland aged 88. Chaplin’s career in the cinema spanned 50 years, but his reputation as a comic genius rests on a core of films made between 1916 and 1928, including the Oscar-winning ‘The Circus’.
Chaplin’s childhood in London was one of poverty and hardship, as his father was absent and his mother struggled financially, and 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. He 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. He directed his own films 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.
The star’s love-hate relationship with Hollywood was resolved in 1973 when, after a 20-year exile in Europe, he was awarded a special Oscar for his lifetime contribution to film and commemorated with a statue at the corner of Hollywood and Vine.
In 1975 he was made KBE (Knight Commander, Order of the British Empire) in the New Year’s Honours list.
Most notable historic snippets or facts extracted from the book ‘On This Day’ first published in 1992 by Octopus Publishing Group Ltd, London, as well as additional supplementary information extracted from Wikipedia.
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