Charlie Chaplin: A cult figure that stood the test of time

Most people, even today, are familiar with Charlie Chaplin's trademark black mustache, bowler hat, cane, oversized boots and side-to-side waddle. It was Chaplin's first big success, "The Kid" in 1921, which introduced cinema audiences to his persona "the Tramp," and to his unique mix of humor and melancholy, slapstick and despair.

Charles Spencer Chaplin was born in 1889, probably in London, and died in Switzerland in 1977. While he had a hugely successful film career, his life wasn't without difficulty. Chaplin was born into poverty but went on to earn millions in Hollywood. His 1925 film "Gold Rush" tackles this tension between a bleak existence and the dream of gold and riches.

Many of Chaplin's works were screened during the era of silent film. The transition to the talkies began while he was making "City Lights" (1931), but Chaplin wasn't won over by "talking film." He decided to stick with silent productions, using soundtracks sparingly, almost in an experimental sense. Instead, he relied on facial expressions, pantomime and strong gestures.

Charlie Chaplin was also popular with women and had four marriages during his lifetime. His second wife, teenage actress Lita Grey Chaplin, is pictured here with two of their children in 1931. Chaplin's attraction to much younger women often caused scandals and drew fierce criticism both in the United States and his native England.

Chaplin played some unsympathetic characters in his early films. But before too long he took on the role that would define his career — that of the underdog, prevailing in the face of life's hardships. In later masterpieces such as "Modern Times" (1936), Chaplin also used film to critique society. Here, he was literally the man caught up in wheels of industrialization.

In 1940 Chaplin created the timeless masterpiece "The Great Dictator." In this work, he succeeded in the seemingly impossible task of satirizing Hitler and the Nazis. Later Chaplin said he would probably never have made the film had he known about the concentration camps. Still, "The Great Dictator" is worth seeing even today and is ranked among the best films of all time.

In "Limelight" Chaplin drew heavily on his personal experiences and observations. The film focused on the ups and downs of stage artists. The film's premiere took place in London in 1952, shortly after Chaplin had been banned from the United States. Along with many other artists in the 1950s, he was accused of being a communist and having questionable morals.

Following a 10-year break from making movies, Chaplin returned in 1967 with "A Countess from Hong Kong." The film had an all-star cast, including Marlon Brando and Sophia Loren, but it failed to attract crowds and was a box-office flop. Chaplin spent the last decades of his life in Switzerland. He only returned to the United States once.

There is perhaps no other figure in cinematic history as prevalent as Charlie Chaplin. In advertising, shopping centers, posters or street busking — you might come across "the Tramp" anywhere, anytime. Charlie Chaplin has certainly stood the test of time, even though his golden age as a director has long since passed.

Even those who didn't grow up with Charlie Chaplin and his films know his tramp persona. "He was not a Hollywood star," says Chaplin expert Lisa Stein Haven. "Because Hollywood still didn't exist when he had already become a star." Chaplin was far more than an actor or film director. He was, and remains, a legend.