Charlie Chaplin is a man who has a remarkable capacity to convey a tale solely via his actions, without uttering a single word.
Chaplin is perhaps one of the most well-known movie stars of all time. His humorous on-screen character ‘The Tramp’ is remembered as one of the most famous and iconic silent film characters.
You may have seen some of Chaplin’s films, but how much do you know about this hilarious genius?
In this post, we’ll look at five surprising facts about the great British actor that you might not know in detail. Pushpita Karim writes.
Richer than the US president
Chaplin’s debut film was released in 1914. He would sign with Essanay for $1,250 per week and a bonus of $10,000 a year later. He had the contract for $10,000 a week and a $150,000 bonus a year later. Chaplin would have been considered wealthy by 1918, but his fortune would grow even more when he signed a million-dollar contract with First National. Chaplin would go on to co-found United Artists and achieve stardom, all while becoming a very wealthy guy.
During this time, the president of the United States was paid $75,000 each year. After signing a deal with the Mutual Film Corporation of New York in 1916, Chaplin’s earnings jumped to $670,000.
He was richer than the US president during that time.
Chaplin’s Body was grave-robbed
Charlie Chaplin died in Manoir de Ban in Switzerland in 1977, at the age of 88. A pair of robbers stole Chaplin’s coffin with his remains inside over a year after he was laid to rest in a Swiss cemetery.
The robbers attempted to collect $600,000 in ransom from Chaplin’s widow. The robbers were later caught, and Chaplin’s body was restored to the cemetery, although this time his coffin was buried surrounded by stone to prevent future robberies.
Married three times to teens
Chaplin married Mildred Harris, a 17-year-old actress, in a hasty ceremony in 1918, a move he would soon come to regret, claiming they were “irreconcilably mismated.” Following his divorce, he married Lita Grey, a 16-year-old actress with whom he had a tumultuous relationship.
In 1943, Chaplin again married 18-year-old Oona O’Neill, whom he had met through a Hollywood agency, despite being in the middle of a high-profile paternity suit. Eugene O’Neill, O’Neill’s father, was so upset by the match that he disinherited her. This romance, unlike Chaplin’s others, would last. They were married until Chaplin’s death at the age of 88, and they had eight children together.
Effectively expelled from the US
Chaplin was unquestionably a divisive personality.
Considering his politically engaged life and the famed “Orwell’s List” incident, Chaplin was effectively forbidden from entering the United States, and most of his films were also restricted.
Chaplin never made an American citizen despite living in the country for nearly 40 years.
Meanwhile, he earned a reputation as a communist sympathizer. The FBI had him under surveillance during the McCarthy era. In 1952, while on vacation in England, the US authorities withdrew his re-entry permit. Rather than return to the United States to face charges, Chaplin and his family moved to Switzerland. In 1972, Chaplin returned to America only once more to receive an honorary Academy Award.
Chaplin’s home is now a museum
Chaplin’s legacy would find a home on the grounds of Manoir de Ban in Switzerland many years after his death.
The Manoir de Ban, where Charlie Chaplin stayed until his death was renovated into Chaplin’s World and opened to the public.
The heritage complex includes the manor house, as well as its parks, gardens, and outbuildings, which span 14 hectares. Each room in the now-renovated mansion is elegantly furnished with historical pieces, much of which were leftover from Chaplin’s family’s stay there until 1977.
Over the span of his almost 75-year career, Charlie Chaplin appeared in more than 80 films. As the best actor on the big screen, he earned the hearts of the entire world.
