On April 15, 1889, Charlie Chaplin was born in London, England to Charles Chaplin, Sr., and Hannah Hill. His parents were vaudeville performers, and so Charles grew up in the entertainment business. From a young age, the precocious young Chaplin was told he had talent, and soon he came to believe it with a passion. At age five he first appeared on stage when his mother was too ill to perform herself. When the pennies began landing no the stage as a reward for his good performance, Charlie knew this was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. Charlie's half-brother, Sidney, helped Charlie to get a gig at the London Hippodrome when Charlie was only ten years old. Within a few years, Charlie was one of the most popular child acts in England.
Charlie's alcoholic father died in 1901 when Charlie was twelve, and after this his mother became mentally ill. When she could no longer take care of herself or her children, Sidney and Charlie were turned over to a home while she went to a mental institution. Charlie was able to go to school for only two years before his mother suffered a complete mental breakdown and was permanently admitted to an asylum. Charlie dropped out of school and lived on the streets.
After a time, however, Charlie's mother became well enough to take the children back, and tried to make money by sewing. Charlie also worked at several odd jobs in order to help with the meager household expenses. But entertainment was always in the back of his mind.
In the early mid-1900s, Charlie was able to get some small acting jobs, but found that with the trials of oncoming adolescence, he could not remain as a "child" actor in the theater. Upon his return to the vaudeville stage, Charlie discovered that he had a gift: pantomine. Charlie honed this craft and became quite famous for his comic routines. At the age of twenty, Charlie took the plunge and came to America to seek fame and fortune.
Chaplin toured the U.S. and Canada with the Karno Pantomine Troupe for half a dozen years before he signed a film contract with Keystone Film Company. His contract was for $150 per week. A few weeks later, Charlie made his first feature film: Making a Living. Charlie's stint with Keystone didn't last long, though. In late 1914 - less than a year after he signed with Keystone - he signed a contract with Essanay Films. His new contract was for $1,250 a week, and he was required to make 14 films in his first year. It was here, at Essanay Films, that "The Tramp" was born. The character, "The Tramp," was a short, nervous looking man with a thick black mustache, a ill-fitting baggy suit and a penguinlike walk. Leading man material? Certainly not. However, within two years of "The Tramp's" first appearance on film, he was one of the most recognizable film characters known at the time.
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