Charlie Chaplin's Contributions to the Film Industry

It was estimated that by the late teens of the 20th century, Zukor held 75% of the best talent in the filmmaking business. I was baffled by this statistic when I read it. For one studio to hold ¾’s of the best talent in the industry is nearly a monopoly. Another thing I found interesting was that Fox worked on 70 mm wide-screen techniques. This was thought provoking to me because this summer I saw the film Dunkirk, and my friends and I saw it with the 70 mm wide-screen edition. I had never seen a movie with this wide-screen 70 mm and it was definitely different from a regular screen. Another thing that caught my attention was the connection between film and politics. I was interested to learn that MGM used a film to bring down Upton Sinclair as he was running for office. I was also shocked to read that Charlie Chaplin was not let into the United States because of his progressive political views. I was baffled that a man that was once called the “king of comedy” in the United States was denied entry because of his political

In the 1931 film “City Lights”, Charlie Chaplin “opens our eyes”, so to speak, about how society values trivial elements of people over the deeper person by using blindness. In this film, Chaplin brilliantly mixes lighthearted comedy with deep and complex ideas about problems with society. Chaplin uses music, gags, and a genuine love connection to portray this point in multiple ways throughout the movie. Chaplin also took the bold step of not making a talking movie, even though they were available at the time, making the details in the pictures and sounds he was creating that much more important. What makes “City Lights” so special, and different from other comedies, is Chaplin’s natural blend of comedic scenes with tense and serious scenes. Chaplin weaved together a masterpiece that culminates in the end with the lady seeing who she fell in love with, which is also the moment Chaplin slaps the viewer in the face with the realization that the priorities in society are misguided and that the important things cannot be seen with the eye.

This paper was prepared for Introduction to Film History, Module 1 Homework Assignment, taught by Professor Stephanie Sandifer.

It started out with GW Griffith. He was the director of many movies and short films. His early work in short films “were the first to combine all the new narrative devices, including cross-cutting, multiple camera positions, inter-titles, and close-ups.” (Matthew Hunt) GW Griffith is considered the first modern director. A household comedian name Charlie Chaplin was a very early actor in the history of cinema. Originally Charlie Kaplan was in London but around 1910 he immigrated to America. In America Charlie Chaplin starred in many silent movies. One of the movies he is most well-known for is “the tramp” this movie gained him worldwide popularity and became the world’s most recognizable actor. Soon GW Griffith noticed and began to work with Charlie Chaplin. After creating some more films “Chaplin founded the independent studio United Artists in 1919.” (Matthew Hunt) between 1908 in 1911 there was a very short period called the Brazilian cinema. During the short time some very popular productions were

Charlie Chaplin, or the “Little Tramp”, led a life many referred to as a Cinderella story. Chaplin was the son of a poor London family, who were entertainers. As a child, at an early age, he also performed, and made his stage debut in 1894. He began his career when he played a paperboy in the film Sherlock Holmes. He also worked as a mime in Vaudeville theatres in London, until he left for America. When Chaplin arrived in the States, he joined the Karno Pantomime Troupe, and toured with them for six years. This experience led him to branch out on his own, making his own films. One of these films was City Lights. Many say that this film and others, lead him to be one the most successful film stars of his time. “Chaplin dedicated himself to perfecting every scene during both the writing process and on set, sacrificing his personal life during production” (Eggert, 2006).

Rarely has a film impacted an audience and held the test of time as the film Gone with the Wind. I have always been curious if director, Victor Fleming and producer, David O. Selznick and screenplay writer, Sidney Howard knew what they were creating a masterpiece and how this film would have such an enormous impact on audiences for years to come. Interestingly enough there were some who thought the film should not be made, as Irving Thalberg said to Louis B. Meyer in 1936, “Forget it Louis, no Civil War picture ever made a nickel” (Ten Films that Shook the World).

This further demonstrates how the affluence of that period enabled people to support this industry and help its enormous growth. It was during the roaring 20s that the first real celebrities began to appear, with the ever-increasing role of cinema having a huge role to play. Similarly their fame contributed to the growing status of Hollywood and the American film industry. (Source J). Charlie Chaplin is one example of an actor that gained worldwide recognition in the twenties; he was particularly famous for his ‘highly visual style of acting’ (Soucre J). The 1920s was often referred to as “The Golden Age of Hollywood” (Source G) emphasizing how this period represents the era of greatest output in the United States movie market [an average of 800 films were produced annually]. ‘The cinema came of age in the 1920s and Hollywood confirmed its position as the “dream factory” of the English- speaking world. It was there that fame and fortune could be found.’ (Source J) This also highlights the growing image of Hollywood ‘throughout the roaring 20s, which started to represent wealth and achievement. ‘The establishment of the Academy Awards showed the maturing cinema as an industry confident of its own technical and artistic standards.’ (Source J) This further shows how there were many other expansions and transformations from this industry that occurred during this period. Artists, directors and other personalities of the film making industry received acknowledgement and recognition of their work in this industry. ‘The awards soon acquired international status’ (Source J) showing how Hollywood’s film industry developed into a global sensation that was supported by people all over

Charles Christopher Parker Jr. was born on August 29, 1920 in Kansas City, Kansas to Charles and Addie Parker. Charlie led a lonely childhood which resulted from his parents separation in 1927 when Charlie was just 7 years old. His father was never around much following the separation. Their house however was just a short walk from Kansas City's entertainment district which attracted Charlie while growing up. This was to be where Charlie would find his place in the world.

Charlie Chaplain is one of the most famous actors in history because of his role in the film industry. What started out in black and white, with no sound and only 3 or 4 actors working from one set has evolved into a worldwide business that entertains billions of people using computer generated images, sets in exotic locations, hundreds of actors, orchestral background tracks and many other components. How did we get from a simple point A to such an incredible point B? The simplest way of putting it would be supply-and-demand. Originally, films were only a few minutes long, and were shown only in storefronts or in

He spoke for his society and fought for what he believed in, all while promoting positive messages and spreading love and peace. He was unique in the ways that he made significant contributions to both US history and culture; he brought new aspects of film to the table that had never been seen before and paved the way to the cinematic elements that we have today, while simultaneously leading and speaking for the people during troubling times in both the economy and foreign relations. For these reasons, his legacy is likely to live on forever in the hearts and minds of

     Walt Disney; When that name is spoken faces of children and adults alike light up with looks of sheer joy. When debating what to see at the movies the newest Disney flick is almost always decided upon over the others. With Disney people are 100 percent sure to walk out of the theater happy and smiling. From the catchy theme songs to the thrilling theme parks Disney has built the fantasy empire. Although he built the fantasy world Disney was not a man who walked around with his head in the clouds. He used his animation and film making skills to not only make fantastic movies but to also bring joy into times of war, fun into times of education, and excitement into times of vacation

He demonstrated that a capacity to grasp the essence of America's attitude about work, family, social life success in historical circumstances. He was the most influential during the Great Depression to World War 2 and Cold War and other aspects of American history (Rosa Sanmartin). The reason he was so impactful during this time was everyone was going through difficult times and he was able to make people feel better through his films.

When he turned fourteen, he got a break when he was asked to act in a legitimate stage show as “Billy” in “Sherlock Holmes”. Following that gig, at the age of eighteen, he started a career as a comedian in vaudeville (“Charles Chaplin” 100). In 1912 the troupe traveled to New York, where he was a featured player with the Fred Karno Repertoire Company. Mack Sennet, founder of Keystone Studios, saw him perform one night and decided to take him on at the Keystone Studio and offered Charlie a motion picture contract. Chaplin agreed to appear before the cameras at the termination of his vaudeville commitments in November of 1913 (“Biography of Charlie Chaplin”). He did not know it, but this would be the beginning of his legendary career.

It is hard to imagine a person who has not heard of Steven Spielberg. He is one of the most renown, if not the most renown, American filmmakers of the century. His films have captivated and helped develop imaginations of contemporary society and remain among the most successful films ever made.

The film remains Chaplin's one of the greatest achievements and it remains one of his popular film. (Back story source- Wikipedia)