I was surprised to learn recently that Charlie Chaplin died as late as 1977. All of the pictures and films I have seen him are from the 20s/30s/40s.
I’d like to know what the guy looked like (and sounded like) in the 1970s. Are there pictures or videos of him in these later years? Not necessarily promotional shoots or movies… but even things like interviews… etc?
Here is a video (59 sec) of Chaplin in a cameo role as a steward on a ship in A Countess From Hong Kong (Dir. Charlie Chaplin, 1967). In accord with the maritime theme, the scene looks like it’s being viewed through a periscope.
In 1972, he was awarded an Honorary Oscar and there is some short footage (24 sec) of the reception he got at the ceremony.
Ahh, thank you very much.
I just finished reading a biography of Chaplin, and it’s a fascinating story. His left-leaning politics got him in trouble during the 1940s, and he was one of the early targets of both J Edgar Hoover and Senator McCarthy. While Chaplin was traveling abroad in 1952, Hoover revoked his visa (Chaplin was British), essentially sending Chaplin into exile. This also effectively ended his film career.
Chaplin settled in Switzerland and made two more films, including the one Chez linked to. He spent the next decade composing and recording scores for many of his silent films.
He wasn’t a recluse, but it’s interesting that such a major figure could essentially disappear from the world stage for thirty years.
Chaplin really didn’t need to make any films; that was the reason he stopped, not his exile. He was a smart businessman and owned the rights to all his features, which he’d revamp and rerelease every few years. After The Countess from Hong Kong (which did poorly and was quite old fashoned), he basically decided to retire on his own.
His autobiography showed he never really was comfortable with his fame and he was perfectly happy to live in Switzerland with Oona and their children.
BTW, the year after Chaplin got the honorary Oscar, he won his first competitive Oscar (he had been given a special Oscar for The Circus) for the best original score for Limelight. The odd thing about that was that the movie had been released 20 years earlier, but had never played in Los Angeles until 1972 (probably because he was getting the honorary Oscar), making it eligible the next year.