You Will Beg ‘The Tramp’ to Stop Making You Laugh!

Charlie Chaplin. The comic timing of this genius can’t be emulated or matched, ever. I was reading about his life and it’s such a gut-wrenching story, you can’t but feel sorry. Right from the age of five, he commenced performing on stage. His father passed away early. When he was only 14, his mother was confined to a mental asylum.

With no proper financial support, he lived in absolute poverty. He worked as a child labourer for several years. But what a comeback! I, for one, hugely admire those who deliver with odds stacked up against them. In fact, Chaplin is one of the real rags to riches stories. His professional career spans 72 solid years! Can anyone boast of such an unimaginable feat? Chaplin’s tramp look and his ability to make you laugh and cry, often at the same times, is what separate him as an actor extraordinaire.  

Moreover, I believe he writes, directs, acts and produces his own movies. So, if the films don’t perform, the blame squarely rests on his shoulders. However, his movies, as we look back, on have a timing that’s sheer joy and pleasure to watch. In the film, ‘City Lights’, there’s this boxing match, where he keeps hiding behind the referee, it’s so rollicking you’ll end up on the floor in splits. As if his hiding behind the referee isn’t enough, every time the referee steps away, he delivers an unsuspecting blow to the unsuspecting opponent, edging closer to an unsuspecting victory. I tell you, it’s a riot. Many decades have gone by, since this scene was first shot, yet it doesn’t fail to deliver the knock-out punch.

Seen ‘The Great Dictator’? What a show! Who would have guts to film a comical movie of Hitler, the most feared man? Yes. Chaplin would. I remember reading somewhere that Hitler was so annoyingly furious with Chaplin for producing ‘ The Great Dictator’, that he wanted to confiscate the ‘film’ at any cost. But Chaplin put on a ‘fine act’ by disappearing with the film reels. But some other writings also suggest that Hitler, on screening the movie twice in his private chamber, reported that he actually enjoyed the parody! Whatever it was, the film turned out to be a colossal commercial hit – perhaps much to the furore of the fuehrer!  

Actually one falls short of words to express the unbridled and mighty talent of Chaplin. This man has hardly had any peers in his time. Even today, there’s none who can emulate him at such levels of passion and perfection.

If you still entertain doubts about his acting prowess, here’s a clip that will lay your suspicions to rest…And..And…don’t ask me which language the song in the clip is of. Even, I am not quite sure. But you will get the drift…believe me, you will.