CharlieChaplinwasbornonApril16,1889inLondon.Herfatherwasanentertainerandalthoughnotoneofthebignames,hewasdoingverywell.HermotherHannahwasalsoanentertainer.Awonderfulmimic,shehadasweet,charmingvoice.Whiletheywerebynomeans[1]rich,themusichallprovidedtheChaplinswithacomfortableliving.
Unfortunatelyhappylifedidn'tlastlong.Father'salcoholismwasslowly,butsurelydestroyinghismarriage.Finallyitendedindivorce,butHannahwasindomitable[2].Withouther,CharlieChaplinwouldhavebecomejustonemorechildlostinthepovertyofVictorianLondon.SomehowshenotonlymanagedtokeepCharlieandhisbrotherSyneycleanandwarm,clothedandfedbutsheconjured[3]littletreatsforthem.Shewouldsitatthewindowwatchingthepassersbyandguessattheircharactersfromthewaytheylookedandbehaved,spinningtalestodelightCharlieandSyney.Charlietookinherskillsandwentonusingthemallhislife.
Charliehadalwaysbelieved,evenintheworsttimes,thathadsomethingspeciallockedawayinsidehim.Hetookhiscourageandwenttoseeoneofthetoptheatricalagents.Withnoexperienceatall,hewasbeingofferedtheplumpart[4]ofBilly--thepageboyinanewproductionof"SherlockHolmes"."SherlockHolmes"openedonJuly27,1903attheenormous"PavilionTheatre"Charlieseemedtochangeovernight.Itwasasifhehadfoundthethinghewasmeanttodo.
Itwas,bynow,1908,Charliewasnineteenandhefellinlove.HettyKellywasonlyfifteen.Butherparentsquashed[5]thetheromancebeforeitreallybegun--butthememoryofprettyHettystayedwithCharlieallhislife.
In1910,whenKarnosetoffonhisyearlyAmericantour,"Oneofthebestpantomime[6]artistseverseenhere."TheyhadreachedPhiladelphiawhenatelegramarrivedandhewasbeingofferedthechancetoreplaceastarintheKeystonefilmcompany.
CinemawasborninthesameyearasCharliethoughtpeoplestillbelieveditwasapassingfad,andwouldneverreplaceliveshows.Hewaskepthangingabout[7]forseveralweeksandheusedthetimetowatchandtolearn.Hewasdeterminedtomasterthisnewmedium.Itofferedhimthechanceofmoneyandsuccess--anditwouldsethimfreefromtheunpredictabilityofliveaudience.
Charlie'sfirstfilm,releasedinFebruary1914,wascalled"Makingaliving".Thoughitdidn'tsatisfyCharlie,thepubliclikedit.Afterthathehadmadetenfilmsandhehadlearnedalot.ThepubliclovedhimanddistributorsweredemandingmoreandmoreChaplinfilms.Inanincrediblyshorttime,Charliehadbecomeaveryimportantmaninmotionpicture...