The Kid to The Great Dictator: Charlie Chaplin’s most iconic films
Team OTTplay
Apr 16, 2023
Birth anniversary
April 16 marks the birth anniversary of comic genius Charlie Chaplin, who rose from the slums of Victorian London to become the most iconic actors of the silent film era
Cinematic gems
The actor-filmmaker’s onscreen tramp persona gained him worldwide prominence. Here’s a look at some of Chaplin’s cinematic gems…
Making a Living
Chaplin made his film debut with the 1914 film Making a Living. It was a one-reel comedy short that took just three days to make at Keystone Studios in Los Angeles
Caught in the Rain
A 1914 comedy silent film, called Caught in the Rain, featured Chaplin in a lead role. This 16-minute movie also starred Mack Swain, Alice Davenport and Alice Howell
The Immigrant
In 1917, Chaplin’s silent romantic comedy short - called The Immigrant - was released. It also featured Edna Purviance and Eric Campbell
One A.M.
Chaplin was the only actor in the 1916 filmOne A.M.Interestingly, it’s also one of the very few films in which he did not appear as a tramp
A Dog’s Life
Written and directed by Chaplin, the short silent film A Dog’s Life was released in 1918. Chaplin’s ‘co-star’ Scraps (the dog) was the movie’s real hero
The Kid
One of the most iconic films from that era, The Kid was Chaplin’s first full-length directorial. The 1921 movie also featured Jackie Coogan
The Circus
Released in 1928, The Circus was also written and directed by Chaplin. Al Ernest Garcia, Merna Kennedy, Harry Crocker and George Davis were among the other stars of the film
The Great Dictator
An anti-war political satire black comedy film, The Great Dictator was released in 1940. The Chaplin directorial also featured Paulette Goddard, Maurice Moscovich and Emma Dunn