3 Read
Read the article and write notes to answer the questions.
a
Hero of the Silver Screen
Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977) was a very famous film star. He was from
a poor home in South London, and he started work as a comedy actor
in the theatre when he was a teenager. He was a brilliant musician too.
He taught himself to play the piano, the violin and the cello.
Chaplin moved to the United States in 1910, and in 1914 he was in
his first Hollywood film. In those days, the film industry was very
young. Chaplin's early comedies were in black and white and they
were 'silent - there were no words or music. By 1918 he was famous
all over the world.
Chaplin's favourite character was the tramp' - a little man with
big trousers, an old black hat and a sad face. Chaplin played the
tramp in his famous comedy films – for example The Kid (1920),
The Gold Rush (1924) and City Lights (1931). At first Chaplin didn't
like talking'films. He made his first ‘talking' film, Modern Times,
in 1936. In 1940 he directed and acted in the film The Great Dictator.
He also composed the music for it.
Chaplin decided to leave the United States in 1952 and he moved to
Switzerland. He died there on Christmas Day, 1977, at the age of 88,
Angland
88
1 Which country was Charlie Chaplin from?
2 Where did he live when he was young?
3 When did he move to the United States?
4 What did he do in 1914?
5 Why were early films called 'silent films'?
6 What was Chaplin's first film with words?
7 When did he make The Great Dictator?
8 Where did Chaplin live when he was an old man?