Chaplin: his life and art

This is the authorized, definitive biography of the man who has often been called the greatest comic genius the world has ever been. Chaplin's widow, Lady Oona, granted the author unprecedented access to Chaplin's closely guarded archive of private papers, records, letters, and photographs. Chaplin was a man plagued by loneliness and driven by the search for artistic perfection. His life was an extraordinarily dramatic one, and David Robinson explores the often tragic story of Chaplin's alcoholic father; his mentally disturbed mother; his marriages to very young women, including the legendary film star Paulette Goddard; the 'white slavery' case against him; and his persecution by anti-Communist forces during the McCarthy era, including the FBI, which ultimately forced Chaplin to leave America. 'Chaplin' contains many provocative revelations and previously unknown and unpublished information about Chaplin's private life, romances and business dealings - and about the making of his magical films. The book vividly recreates the different worlds in which Chaplin moved: from Victorian and Edwardian London, through the glamorous birth and sad decline of Hollywood's studio system, to the nightmare of McCarthyism, after which America once again came to adore the "Little Tramp," the hero of the underdog, the droll genius who could make America laugh during the Depression when nothing else but bootleg gin could. Illustrated with 80 pages of rare photos from Chaplin's family albums, 'Chaplin' contains a detailed chronology, filmography, list of theatre tours, and a list of important people in Chaplin's life.