Charlie Chaplin, born Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. on April 16, 1889, in London, England, died December 25, 1977, in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland, was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer. Raised in poverty in London, Chaplin performed in music halls before relocating to the United States in 1913 with Fred Karno's troupe. Chaplin debuted on screen in 1914 with Keystone Studios, introducing his Tramp persona in Kid Auto Races at Venice. Chaplin wrote, directed, and composed the orchestral scores for his feature films, beginning with City Lights in 1931, followed by Modern Times in 1936, The Great Dictator in 1940, Monsieur Verdoux in 1947, Limelight in 1952, A King in New York in 1957, and A Countess from Hong Kong in 1967. His compositions produced popular songs including “Smile” from Modern Times, “Eternally” from Limelight, and “This Is My Song” from A Countess from Hong Kong, which reached Number 1 on the UK Singles Chart. Chaplin received an Honorary Academy Award in 1929 for The Circus, a second Honorary Academy Award in 1972, and an Academy Award for Best Original Score in 1973 for Limelight. Chaplin died at age 88.
