Charlie Chaplin Essay

Submitted By stunnarob2
Words: 392
Pages: 2

My name is Charles Spencer Chaplin but everyone calls me Charlie. I was born in London, England, on April 16th 1889. My father was a versatile vocalist and actor; and my mother was an actress and singer. When I was just 10 years old, I had to fend for my younger brother, Sydney, and myself as my father unexpectedly passed and my mother caught a sudden illness. As the best opportunity for a career, I took to the stage and made my debut as a member of a juvenile group called “The Eight Lancashire Lads”. I was always one of the favorites due to my talents as a tap dancer. When I was 12, I got my first chance to act in “Sherlock Holmes” as “Billy” the pageboy. Once that died down, I decided to become a comedian and that really took off. It eventually brought me to The United States in 1910 when I preformed with Fred Karno Repertoire Company. Later, in 1912, I was offered a motion picture contract since I was such a huge hit with the Americans. As I became more well known in the United States, other producing companies took interest in me and I got a new job with the Essanay Company. My brother decided to come to the U.S from England and take my spot with the Fred Karno Company. Once my contract expired in 1917, I decided to become an independent actor and build my own studio right in the heart of Hollywood. My next production was of a comedy dealing with the war called “Shoulder Arms” which was released in 1918. I followed up with “Sunnyside” and “A Day’s Pleasure” in 1919. In