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'''Charlie Chaplin''' (1889 - 1977) was the most famous [[actor]] in early [[Hollywood]] [[cinema]]. His principal character was "The Tramp"--a lower class character with a tight coat, oversized pants and shoes, a derby hat, a wooden cane, and his signature square mustache.
Chaplin was one of the most creative personalities in the [[silent film]] era. He directed, acted, wrote his stories, and was even known to write his movie scores.
:''See also :'' [[BinomialDistribution]]
His salary history suggests how rapidly he became world famous.
1914: Keystone, worked for $150 a week
1914-15: Essanay, $1250 a week, plus $10,000 signing bonus
1916-17: Mutual, $10,000 a week, plus $150,000 signing bonus
1917: First National, a million dollar deal -- the first actor ever with such a high price tag.
1919: Founded United Artists with [[Mary Pickford]], [[Douglas Fairbanks]] and [[David Griffith]]
Although "talkies" (movies with sound) became the dominant mode of moviemaking soon after they were introduced in 1927, Chaplin resisted making a talkie all through the 1930's.
His first sound picture, "The Great Dictator" (1940)was a brave act of defiance against Adolf Hitler and facists everywhere. Chaplin played a fascist dictator, clearly modeled on Hitler; Chaplin also played a Jewish barber cruelly persecuted by the fascists.
Although Chaplin had his major successes in the [[United States]] he was born in [[Britain]] and retained his [[British]] nationality. During the era of [[McCarthyism]], Chaplin was accused of "[[Un-American activities]]", and as a result had his residency rights removed.
In 1952, he left the [[United States]] and remained a political exile until 1972, when he returned briefly for an award ceremony.
Charlie Chaplin died in 1977.
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