How Did Charlie Chaplin Impact American History

Words: 1030
Pages: 5

When asked if I would be able to meet anyone who lived in America and impacted American history during the 1870s to the 1990s, who would it be? I answer Charlie Chaplin, the legendary actor and director of many films from the early eras of cinema. It may seem like an odd choice, but Chaplin’s personality and Life has many more dimensions when looking past his face value and well-known achievements. He was world famous, with many impersonators around the globe imitating his renowned style, and just a small example of this is in Spain: “In Spain the 'Chaplin of Tenerife' currently follows the example of such American imitators as Billie Ritchie, Billie West and 'Charles Aplin' as he capitalizes on the enormous popularity enjoyed by the comic …show more content…
Early Charlie Chaplin film shorts were perfect for uplifting moods because of their use of slapstick comedy. Chaplin himself believed these shorts helped those cope with their own troubles after he made the majority of his early films, “In 1922 he described humor as a ‘gentle and benevolent custodian of the mind which prevents one from being overwhelmed and driven to the point of insanity by the apparent seriousness of life.’” . Those who are affected by the burdens of war needed this comedy every now and then so life could be bearable. While Chaplin was greatly famous for the time he made his early works, he then turned infamous during the 1950’s for his pro-Russian rhetoric. This caused many to believe Chaplin was a communist, and they even wanted him deported. This attitude all rooted from The Red Scare, and Chaplin obviously took one of the biggest brunt from it. Chaplin was a victim of unjust government because of his own personal ideological beliefs, “In September 1952, after Chaplin and his family set sail for a European tour ... Attorney General James McGranery, after consulting with FBI Director Hoover, revoked Chaplin’s reentry permit, citing “grave moral charges” and allegations of communist