Every one of us has a dream or dreams that we are
hoping to turn into reality. What does it take to make a dream come true?
Here, I pay tribute to none other than the legend
Charlie Chaplin, who never let go of his dream even in the most punishing of
circumstances.
Charles Spencer Chaplin was born on April 16th,
1889, in London. His parents, Hannah Chaplin and Charles Chaplin Senior, were performers
in the world of music and theater.
However, his alcoholic father abandoned the family
when Charlie was still a very young boy. His mother was left to raise Charlie
and his half-brother, Sydney, alone. The family lived in abject poverty as Charlie's
mother continued to perform, struggling to feed her boys with the little money
that she earned. Charlie sat in the audience, mesmerized by his mother’s
performances, dreaming of the day when he would stand and perform before an
audience.
Then one day, while performing, Hannah suddenly lost
her voice—she could not sing. The audience jeered and booed her. Then something
magical happened. Five-year-old Charlie stepped onto the stage, sang, and
danced. The crowd loved it. Charlie was happy. He now knew that this was what
he was born to do.
Life had other plans for Charlie. His mother grew
mentally ill and was taken to a mental hospital. Charlie and his brother were
left to fend for themselves. They were reduced to street urchins, fighting for
survival. In spite of the odds, Charlie kept going. He never gave up on his
dream.
Charlie’s life was now wretched. He and his brother
were forced to find work in workhouses. The workhouses were cruel and cold
places. Charlie was separated from his brother Sydney. His mother’s condition
was worsening. Charlie watched helplessly.
His dream was still alive. He knew he had to fight for
his dream. He began looking for jobs and delivered newspapers, washed dishes,
and even made toys. All through he held on to his dream.
One day, Charlie saw a group of street performers
doing their act. Charlie joined them, but nobody noticed him or paid any
attention to him. Charlie did not give up. He continued to work on his act,
watching other comedians and learning from them, and slowly he began to get
noticed. He knew he had the power to make people happy.
At the age of 14, he was hired by a theater group
called the Lancashire Lads. Though the part was small, Charlie worked hard, and
soon a theatre director noticed his talent and gave him opportunities to shine.
At 16, Charlie landed his first major acting role in a play called Sherlock
Holmes.
Charlie was no longer a street performer. He was
acting in real theaters before larger audiences. Directors noticed that there
was something extraordinary about Charlie. He could evoke emotions in people
without speaking a single word.
The best thing to happen to Charlie was when Hollywood
came calling in 1910. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Charlie. America
was the place where dreams came true. He was invited by a famous comedy troupe
called Fred Karno’s Company, which performed in America. He boarded the ship to
his future.
Charlie knew for sure that in America, he could
realize his dream of becoming a star. In 1913, a small company called Keystone
Studios gave Charlie a small role in a silent movie. Even though it did not
amount to much, Charlie grabbed the role. He wanted to create a character for
his audience, something they wouldn’t forget, and so he created a character—a small
man in a funny hat, wearing oversized clothes, a tight coat, a mustache, and a
walk unique to him.
At first, people did not understand, but slowly
Charlie’s character grew on them. Charlie made them laugh without speaking a
single word. His movies were hits, and he began earning huge sums of money. The
poor boy from London was now the most famous star in the world. By 1917, Charlie
Chaplin was not just famous; he was a phenomenon. Charlie remained unfazed by
the glitz, glamour, and fame. He was still the boy from London who had cried for
his mother and lived through merciless times, but never gave up his dream. He was
now the most famous movie star in the world.
C now wanted to be his own boss, creating and
directing films, but Hollywood did not take kindly to that idea. Then in 1918, he
did something unthinkable for those times. He built his studio called Chaplin Studios
and in 1921 released a movie, The Kid. It was Charlie’s story of pain, struggle, and hunger. It was funny and emotional. Charlie realized the tremendous impact that
movies had on people. He continued making movies, and in 1931, when talking
movies began to be made in Hollywood, Charlie continued with silent
films. He released City Lights in 1931, which took the world by storm.
Towards the end of the 1930s, Hitler was making his
presence felt, spreading hate and fear. Charlie realized that Hitler and he had
the same kind of mustache, and people were beginning to notice. He decided to
fight the horror that was Hitler with comedy. Charlie Chaplin made a movie called The Great Dictator.
In the final scene, Charlie gives a speech where he says, “We think too much
and feel too little; more than machinery, we need humanity. Let us fight for a
world of reason! Let us fight for freedom.” This was his first talking movie. The
speech proved that Charlie was not just a comedian; he was a fighter. Some
people did not like his political messages and began spreading lies about him. Then,
in 1952, he was forced to leave America. He stopped making movies and moved to
Switzerland, where he lived a quiet life with his family.
Then, in 1972, after 20 years, Hollywood realized its
mistake. They invited him back. At the Oscars, they gave him a standing
ovation- minutes of applause.
Charlie’s life teaches us never to give up, whatever
the obstacles. Charlie held on to his dream and grew to become a legend.
The world’s greatest comedian passed away at the age
of 88 on December 25th, 1977.
“I feel I am privileged to express
a hope. The hope is this: that we shall have peace throughout the world, that
we shall abolish wars and settle all international differences at the
conference table, and that we shall abolish all atom and hydrogen bombs before they
abolish us. The future of the modern world demands modern thinking. Therefore,
let us use the full force of our intelligence instead of obsolete homicidal
methods in settling our international differences.”
(Charlie Chaplin on his 70th
birthday)
“All I need to make a comedy
is a park, a policeman, and a pretty girl.”
(From
his autobiography)
“Life can be wonderful if you're not afraid of it.
All it needs is courage, imagination, and a little dough.”
Charlie Chaplin
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