Charlie Chaplin with Russian harmonica player Borrah Minevitch and showman Sid Grauman of the famous Egyptian and Chinese movie Theatre’s, 1928

“Gentlemen of Nerve” 1914

“Work” 1915

Charlie plays an inept wallpaper hanger in this Essanay short film.

Charlie Chaplin in 1916, most people were quite surprised how handsome he was outside his tramp character.

He had just signed a lucrative contract with Mutual Film Company who set him up with his own film studio called The Lone Star Studio. The facility was formerly the Climax Studios, located at 1025 Lillian Way in Hollywood, and later would be used by Buster Keaton to make all his independently produced silent two-reel and feature-length films.

The contract called for twelve two-reel comedies in twelve months, he ended up taking 16 months (films released May 1916-October 1917) for which Chaplin was paid the unprecedented amount of $10,000 a week plus $150,000 sign on bonus = $670,000 ($20 million in 2024)

The $670,000 made Chaplin the highest-paid-entertainer in history to that date. He ultimately took 16 months

Charlie liked giving haircuts to people and even cut his own hair using a 3 way mirror.

The photos of the gentleman who’s hair he is cutting had this caption attached:

Charlie Chaplin liked this man who applied for work in “SUNNYSIDE”, but he didn’t like his hair-cut. “I’ll have it attended to, said the man. “No time.” replied Charlie. “I’ll do it myself.” and he did.

Motion Picture magazine April 1919 (x)

“City Lights” 1931

Charlie Chaplin circa 1914, magazine dated December 15th 1915

The cigarette was an early trademark of Chaplin’s tramp screen character.

“In keeping with the majority of adults in his day, Chaplin was a regular smoker, and remained such until at least well into middle-age, after which he abandoned the habit (Monsieur Verdoux refuses a cigarette prior to his execution).”
The CHAPLIN Encyclopedia; Glenn Mitchell 1997 (pg. 247)

Pola Negri (Chaplin’s on and off again fiancée in 1923) had this to say: “The only physically attractive thing about him were his hands, which was never without a cigarette”.

Charlie Chaplin with writers Upton Sinclair (white suit) & Rob Wagner 1918, on set of “Shoulder Arms” 1918.

Upton Sinclair (1878-1968), an author and Pulitzer Prize winner but most famous for his 1906 book “The Jungle”.
“The Jungle” exposed the U.S. Meat Packing Industry, shocking in it’s portrayal of the unsanitary conditions and how unsafe it was for public health. This ultimately led to stricter inspections in the form of the “Pure Food and Drug Act” & “Meat Inspection Act”.

An author, Rob Wagner among his many talents, published weekly liberal magazine “Script” from 1929-1949, it’s focus film industry, California and national politics.

Both Upton Sinclair and Rob Wagner were very influential in Charlie Chaplin early political worldview.

Source of top photo: (x)

“The Immigrant” 1917

This scene in the café, perhaps less than a minute is one of his most poignant.

Charlie Chaplin had the ability to convey more in one look than most in a hundred words.

In the film he is quite taken with young woman (traveling with her mother) when they first meet aboard the Immigrant ship. He is very excited to see her in the café, things are not going well for him in this new land he now calls home.

In the thrill of seeing her he does not notice her handkerchief, bordered in black (a sign she was in mourning). It’s then he realizes her mother has died and she is all alone in the world, a look of empathy sweeps across his face that is quite touching.

Drawing by artist ArtHritis on Deviant Art (x)

Charlie Chaplin, King Vidor, Mavoureen O'Brien and father actor Pat O'Brien.

Elizabeth Hill (King Vidor’s wife), Charlie Chaplin, Paulette Goddard and King Vidor (Elizabeth Hill his wife).

At his home in Beverly Hills - Charlie Chaplin (lounge chair), King Vidor, Paulette Goddard and Vidor’s wife Elizabeth Hill

King Vidor, wife Elizabeth Hill, Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard, Ensenada Mexico 1937.

Director/Producer King Vidor (“The Big Parade”, “Show People”, “Stella Dallas”, “The Champ”) told an amusing story regarding Chaplin and his thing with giving haircuts in the book “The Search for Charlie Chaplin” by Kevin Brownlow (2010)

“He used to cut his own hair. I don’t know why, it may go back to his early days when he didn’t have enough money. But once he said after tennis – he used to call me Buddy - “Come on up, Buddy and I’ll give you a haircut”. So I sat on a high stool and he gave me a haircut. A few weeks I was down in Los Angeles and went in the barber shop and the barber said, “Who cut your hair last time? And quietly I said “Charlie Chaplin ”The barber looked at me and said, “If I ask you a civil question. I expect a civil answer.”