No. / 18
1
HE TAUGHT HIMSELF GREEK
The public face of Charlie Chaplin was one of pratfalls and poor luck as The Little Tramp, his famous silent-film character. But off-screen, he was a man of incredible self-discipline. “He taught himself Greek and yoga when he was touring America,” explains The Real Charlie Chaplin co-director James Spinney. “He had already taught himself to play the violin and the cello. Chaplin didn’t have much formal education. But he had, right from the start, incredible ambition and drive.”
2
HE WAS KNOWN AS ‘PROFESSOR ALCOHOL’ IN JAPAN
As arguably the first international megastar, many countries adopted regional names for Chaplin. “Professor Alcohol, Charlot, Charlee, Carlitos, Sidakwa...” lists Spinney. “It’s an interesting thing, when you think about silent film, having this capacity to transcend language, to transcend borders.” Part of his appeal, the film argues, is his universal ability for audiences to project their own feelings. “This nameless figure, the Tramp, who is from nowhere, going nowhere...” Spinney stops himself. “But you know, I’m in danger of intellectualising here — because we mustn’t lose sight of the fact that he’s just very funny.”