I grew up with people born from 1890-1940’s. My grandfather had a small movie theater in his home that would seat about 15 comfortably. He had a lot of silent films from Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy, Our Gang, Little Rascals. .... etc,. In addition, he had hundreds of movies from the 30’s-60’s. What I loved to watch were the people watch the movies. People of that era watching Chaplin or Laurel and Hardy would literally laugh until they were crying. It was contagious. I was very young and found myself laughing just as hard. I’ve shown some of these films my grandfather had to my kids and friends...... Somehow... our modern age has lost the ability to laugh at what was once very funny. I find this sad.
I think people have gotten more cynical in the “modern age” and that is quite sad. Silent films are soundless and in black and white…it’s hard to pitch these films to a modern audience. But..if you give them half a chance, so many of these films from 100 years ago are still very funny and offer a wealth of rich entertainment. Through the internet, I think that new Chaplin fans are being created every single day somewhere in the world. There is HOPE!
I read your comment years after it was published, but I wanted to reply anyway. All is not lost, I assure you! I'm in my early twenties and many of my friends and I love old comedies, especially silent films and, of course, Chaplin's. We laugh out loud and deeply admire the genius of these timeless works. I've also shown them to my young cousins and the kids I look after, and they all love them! Perhaps people are becoming more and more jaded in our world, and I can understand that. We're drowning in entertainment to the point where nothing seems really good or innovative anymore. Getting back to basics and imagining that time so different from our own is a good way to get back to enjoying things. Also, given the way our world is evolving and current trends, particularly among young people, who increasingly admire certain values that have been lost, such as an appreciation of simplicity, it wouldn't be surprising if these arts were to make a comeback. And it's already happening. So, I assure you, all is not lost! We still need and will always need Chaplin, to laugh at tragedy, to warm our hearts, to believe in love, and to overcome the dark times that, alas, never end. Anyway, today is Christmas, and the anniversary of this great man's death, a date on which I always watch some of his films. If by chance you're reading this, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Great film (Robert Downey Jr. is brilliant) although they had to change some biographical details and cut things out because Chaplin’s life was so complex! You would have to do a ten hour mini series about Chaplin’s life to truly capture its amazing scope.
Kid’s got good taste! I think these icons will always be funny and always find their audience…whether it was 100 years ago, present day or 1000 years from now.
"Comedy is King" Serious stuntmanship was involved in slapstick, which is often undetected by modern audiences. The revelation of soundies did have the charm that new technology radiates, but it was, in a way also a hindrance on action and story with the early mics. He didn't use them until he felt he had something for them to hear. Today folks have the idea that silent film is just oldie film but boring and with silly slapstick, which is sad because of the often serious subject matter that they had. I mean, think about it, it's was pre-code. I haven't seen a lot of his, but the Kid is magical! Great video
Great video. I have been studying Chaplin for a little while now. His work is really something. City Lights is my favourite film of his. A perfect mix of poignancy and comedy
This is a true story, he entered a look-alike contest and came in second place, no joke, and "gay "Edgar Hoover hated him for some reason I guess he was likable
The ACTUAL reason is that Chaplin, a pacifist, had lefty political tendencies and though not a communist himself, flirted with some of its tenets and defended the right of communists to freely associate and promulgate their ideology. He had a penchant for relations with 15 and 16 year olds and impregnated one. Not the prison term it would be today, but it was sufficiently unseemly that Hoover knew he could use the scandal against him if deemed necessary during the 'Unamerican Activities' investigations in the second Red Scare of the late 40s.
Fabulous film! This is the best mini-docu I have ever seen on Chaplin! I would love to sit diwn and pic your brain for an hour or two! I could learn many things!!
I never really looked into him much, I never really liked him. However I might be changing my mind after all these years, thanks to this documentary. I'm old. Lol But your never to old to change your mind! I'm going to watch those movies you recommend. Thanks! By the way, I didn't like Mae West either until later in my life, so there ya go.
Though it's true that Chaplin loses his true love and sacrifices himself for her at the end of The Circus, the ending is ultimately NOT sad. As he walks away at the very end, he gives that paper ball a little humorous kick, and then gets a little spring in his step and starts twirling his cane as if to say "life is still good". It is actually an optimistic end to the film as Chaplin makes it clear the little tramp will recover from his broken heart and move forward to other adventures.
I think his best film is modern times. And i know he lingered with silent long after sound was prevelant but he had good reason the early 30s were just talking heads and probably the worst period in filmmaking history as they hadnt grasped how to use sound properly yet. Some silent films are considered among the greats of all time like greed, passion of joan arc, abel gances napoleon, four horsemen, metropolis, and the general and i would put modern times and city lights there too. Sound is not always better then silent when it comes to filmmaking.
City Lights and Modern Times are my two favorite Chaplin films and among the greatest silent films ever made. I wish Chaplin would have just gone on making silents on into take 1950s and 60s!
1. Chaplin's joining United Artists did not result in his films being finished and released less often. In fact, his failure to supply "product" to the company was a financial problem for it. He worked by instinct and while short, physically funny films were easier to evolve, his desire to make more complex stories did not change how he worked. I read that once he set up a camera and the crew spent the day filming one scene over and over that he was in. It seemed he was waiting or mentally searching for the inspiration that would lead into the next part of the story. 2. In "The Gold Rush," Chaplin is not merely dreaming of the girl whom he loves. The Tramp has invited and her girlfriends over for a party for New Year's Eve. She forgets all about it because she accepted only to create jealousy in her real boyfriend. The Tramp earns money to buy decorations and food for the party and then the girls never come. Very complex emotions are involved, especially with what happens next.
I think Chaplin was good, but dated & maybe over rated a bit. He was lucky to get into film comedy early & become extremely popular. His type of slapstick was very popular with early, working-class audiences. I find most of his early 1&2 reelers to be dated & boring. He was good at making stuff up on the spot, but now mostly seem like just mugging before the camera (how many times can falling down be funny ?). Chaplin was a good business man & made good business decisions. One being he owned most of his films. He kept his films, where 80% of other silent films ended up being destroyed. The second great decision was in making feature films. These are the films that made him a great film maker. There were other great early comedians that would surprise you. They were hugely inventive too & much more funny. Larry Semen comes to mind. But Semen's films are largely lost & he didn't own his films. His films are visually interesting & we're very expensive to make. This led to Semen going broke & dying young. Some of the other great were Arbuckle, Lloyd, & Keaton.
Were all adults here and I'm not homophobic I have relatives who are gay, actually, we get along excellent maybe a fuss over pets, he is the one who started the firing of gays and lesbians everywhere so his secrets wouldn't be revealed why do you think he wouldn't go after "the family" they had some nice photos of him and his house guest.
Charlie is a comedic genius and no one can work the audience into pure laughter without saying a word like Charlie!!
I grew up with people born from 1890-1940’s. My grandfather had a small movie theater in his home that would seat about 15 comfortably. He had a lot of silent films from Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy, Our Gang, Little Rascals. .... etc,. In addition, he had hundreds of movies from the 30’s-60’s. What I loved to watch were the people watch the movies. People of that era watching Chaplin or Laurel and Hardy would literally laugh until they were crying. It was contagious. I was very young and found myself laughing just as hard.
I’ve shown some of these films my grandfather had to my kids and friends......
Somehow... our modern age has lost the ability to laugh at what was once very funny. I find this sad.
Wow
I think people have gotten more cynical in the “modern age” and that is quite sad. Silent films are soundless and in black and white…it’s hard to pitch these films to a modern audience. But..if you give them half a chance, so many of these films from 100 years ago are still very funny and offer a wealth of rich entertainment. Through the internet, I think that new Chaplin fans are being created every single day somewhere in the world.
There is HOPE!
I read your comment years after it was published, but I wanted to reply anyway. All is not lost, I assure you! I'm in my early twenties and many of my friends and I love old comedies, especially silent films and, of course, Chaplin's. We laugh out loud and deeply admire the genius of these timeless works. I've also shown them to my young cousins and the kids I look after, and they all love them!
Perhaps people are becoming more and more jaded in our world, and I can understand that. We're drowning in entertainment to the point where nothing seems really good or innovative anymore. Getting back to basics and imagining that time so different from our own is a good way to get back to enjoying things.
Also, given the way our world is evolving and current trends, particularly among young people, who increasingly admire certain values that have been lost, such as an appreciation of simplicity, it wouldn't be surprising if these arts were to make a comeback. And it's already happening. So, I assure you, all is not lost! We still need and will always need Chaplin, to laugh at tragedy, to warm our hearts, to believe in love, and to overcome the dark times that, alas, never end.
Anyway, today is Christmas, and the anniversary of this great man's death, a date on which I always watch some of his films. If by chance you're reading this, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
I just watched Chaplin with Robert Downey Jr. for the first time last night, so this is impeccable timing!
Great movie, I like that Charlie's real daughter played the character of his mother in the film.
Great film (Robert Downey Jr. is brilliant) although they had to change some biographical details and cut things out because Chaplin’s life was so complex!
You would have to do a ten hour mini series about Chaplin’s life to truly capture its amazing scope.
I showed a 20 year old at work some clips of Chaplin, and Buster Keaton, and he laughed his butt off.
Did you recommend "Steamboat Bill, Jr." or "The Circus?" Really loved "The General," too. =)
Kid’s got good taste!
I think these icons will always be funny and always find their audience…whether it was 100 years ago, present day or 1000 years from now.
"Comedy is King" Serious stuntmanship was involved in slapstick, which is often undetected by modern audiences.
The revelation of soundies did have the charm that new technology radiates, but it was, in a way also a hindrance on action and story with the early mics. He didn't use them until he felt he had something for them to hear.
Today folks have the idea that silent film is just oldie film but boring and with silly slapstick, which is sad because of the often serious subject matter that they had. I mean, think about it, it's was pre-code.
I haven't seen a lot of his, but the Kid is magical!
Great video
Great video. I have been studying Chaplin for a little while now. His work is really something. City Lights is my favourite film of his. A perfect mix of poignancy and comedy
🥰I'm so glad you made a nice video instead of going to the gutters like most people these days,😎 shows YOU got class man, real class! 👍👵♥️ Thanks 😊
The Kid & City Lights are my 2 favorite Charlie Chaplin movies.
I really like this series. The Circus has always been my favorite of two Chaplin films, the other being Modern Times.
This is a true story, he entered a look-alike contest and came in second place, no joke, and "gay "Edgar Hoover hated him for some reason I guess he was likable
I think Hoover might have had a crush on Sir Chaplin but knew he didn't stand a chance ☺🤔
@@jackieaustin7517 possible?
The ACTUAL reason is that Chaplin, a pacifist, had lefty political tendencies and though not a communist himself, flirted with some of its tenets and defended the right of communists to freely associate and promulgate their ideology. He had a penchant for relations with 15 and 16 year olds and impregnated one. Not the prison term it would be today, but it was sufficiently unseemly that Hoover knew he could use the scandal against him if deemed necessary during the 'Unamerican Activities' investigations in the second Red Scare of the late 40s.
@@Muonium1 Oh okay.
@@Muonium1, I get trolled a lot they need to be careful if they stay too long they get caught in the sun and turn to stone until sunset.
Love love 💘 this brilliant man.
Fabulous film! This is the best mini-docu I have ever seen on Chaplin! I would love to sit diwn and pic your brain for an hour or two! I could learn many things!!
Excellent video!
If you can find the time, can you do a spotlight video on either Harold Lloyd or Jack Dempsey
Thanks for giving me some good laughs tonite😆 I've been a lifelong Chaplin fan~
A stuntman as well- dangerous stuunts.
I never really looked into him much, I never really liked him. However I might be changing my mind after all these years, thanks to this documentary. I'm old. Lol
But your never to old to change your mind! I'm going to watch those movies you recommend. Thanks! By the way, I didn't like Mae West either until later in my life, so there ya go.
I always love Charles Chaplin, a big artist in the cinemin art. Very beautiful
Though it's true that Chaplin loses his true love and sacrifices himself for her at the end of The Circus, the ending is ultimately NOT sad. As he walks away at the very end, he gives that paper ball a little humorous kick, and then gets a little spring in his step and starts twirling his cane as if to say "life is still good". It is actually an optimistic end to the film as Chaplin makes it clear the little tramp will recover from his broken heart and move forward to other adventures.
Awesome....pure genius! Thanks for posting!
Cool era.
Great commentary. Very intelligent and complete. All your stuff is impressive
I think his best film is modern times. And i know he lingered with silent long after sound was prevelant but he had good reason the early 30s were just talking heads and probably the worst period in filmmaking history as they hadnt grasped how to use sound properly yet. Some silent films are considered among the greats of all time like greed, passion of joan arc, abel gances napoleon, four horsemen, metropolis, and the general and i would put modern times and city lights there too. Sound is not always better then silent when it comes to filmmaking.
City Lights and Modern Times are my two favorite Chaplin films and among the greatest silent films ever made. I wish Chaplin would have just gone on making silents on into take 1950s and 60s!
1. Chaplin's joining United Artists did not result in his films being finished and released less often. In fact, his failure to supply "product" to the company was a financial problem for it. He worked by instinct and while short, physically funny films were easier to evolve, his desire to make more complex stories did not change how he worked. I read that once he set up a camera and the crew spent the day filming one scene over and over that he was in. It seemed he was waiting or mentally searching for the inspiration that would lead into the next part of the story. 2. In "The Gold Rush," Chaplin is not merely dreaming of the girl whom he loves. The Tramp has invited and her girlfriends over for a party for New Year's Eve. She forgets all about it because she accepted only to create jealousy in her real boyfriend. The Tramp earns money to buy decorations and food for the party and then the girls never come. Very complex emotions are involved, especially with what happens next.
Agree with most of what you said except Chaplin didn't join United Artists, he was a founding & creating member.
They rereleased the gold rush in 1945 with Chaplin as the narrator. I was wondering did they ever do that for any other films?
Another great vid cheers! 👍
Interesting video.
Americans were not impressed with his first talkie. The person that they claimed was theirs spoke with a British accent.
Could you review The Jazz Singer
Lmao
I think Chaplin was good, but dated & maybe over rated a bit. He was lucky to get into film comedy early & become extremely popular. His type of slapstick was very popular with early, working-class audiences. I find most of his early 1&2 reelers to be dated & boring. He was good at making stuff up on the spot, but now mostly seem like just mugging before the camera (how many times can falling down be funny ?). Chaplin was a good business man & made good business decisions. One being he owned most of his films. He kept his films, where 80% of other silent films ended up being destroyed. The second great decision was in making feature films. These are the films that made him a great film maker. There were other great early comedians that would surprise you. They were hugely inventive too & much more funny. Larry Semen comes to mind. But Semen's films are largely lost & he didn't own his films. His films are visually interesting & we're very expensive to make. This led to Semen going broke & dying young. Some of the other great were Arbuckle, Lloyd, & Keaton.
Were all adults here and I'm not homophobic I have relatives who are gay, actually, we get along excellent maybe a fuss over pets, he is the one who started the firing of gays and lesbians everywhere so his secrets wouldn't be revealed why do you think he wouldn't go after "the family" they had some nice photos of him and his house guest.