Charlie Chaplin Interview

Key
I:=Interviewer
CC:=Charlie Chaplin


I: What kind of events earlier in your life, such as your childhood, caused you to become interested in your art?

CC: Well actually I really can thank old ma and pa for the love of performing they gave me. Both of em', bless their souls, were performers who genuinley tought me the love of performing and acting. They were the real reason I ever got into acting and performing. I was always around my mother when she performed on stage and I lived the stage life. In fact one time mama lost her voice on stage and she pushed me out and I had to work out my little pipes on stage, and gee golly wiz I was only 5! And when I was very young we, my brother and me that is, were a bit down at heel so I took it upon me-self to make some jack so I joined up with the clog dancing troupe the Eight Lancashire Lads when I was 8 years old.That only furthered my passion to become a performer for a living and becoming a true performer was soon to come. Stage work did indeed come my way when I played the part of a pageboy in a production of "Sherlock Holmes.After my role I moved in with a vaudeville outfit in 1908 named Casey's Court Circus and boy did we get around. That really was all the inspiration in my early life that led me to realy pursue acting as a career. Say you wouldn't happen to have a cig would ya?
(biography.com, Biography of Charlie Chaplin)(Marian K., Information on Charlie Chaplin).

I: Actually... *Digs in pocket* I do.

CC: Well why didn't ya say so chap?!? Butt me!

I: Yes sir. *Hands cigarette to Mr. Chaplin* Light? *Lights cigarette*

CC:  Well thats better. So whats the next question? Lets get a wiggle on here fella! Ha! I'm just joshin' ya.

I: So Mr. Chaplin what roles did your teachers and mentors play in your talents and interest you have as an artist?

CC: Well actually it's funny you should ask fella', cause' I just got back from having lunch with Fred Karno my long time employer, mentor and friend. I worked for him in 1908 and I became The Drunk in the sketch "A Night in the English Music Hall". Boy did we tour and, believe it or not, thats when I got my first taste of America. Me and Karno had a lot of good times and a lot of good laughs, cause' ya know what I say "A day without laughter is a day wasted." Coming to America with ole' Franky boy actually got me my first film gig when a film-movie producer noticed me and signed me on for 150 clams a week! Well I guess you could say I owe a heck of a lot of my career to Frank. "Fatty" Arbuckle also tought me a lot... He was kinda a mentor ta me too. I worked on my comedy with him and became a better comedian cause' of it.
(Brainyquote.com, Charlie Chaplin Quotes)(Biography.com, Charlie Chaplin)(http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/charlie-chaplin/, Charles Chaplin)

I: Okay so Mr. Chaplin what was the acting and performing feild like when you entered it?

CC: Well lets put it this a' way, cut-throat. People were clawin' and scratchin' just to make a clam or two in the acting business. Heck man when my mother, beautiful voice and all, started goin' a wee bit wacky those boys employin' er' dropped her like she was a red hot peice o' iron. Film really wasn't a hot thing until the 20's, but when I got into the business around 1908 or so Vaudville, which were variety shows with comedy, acting, singing and such, was a big deal and thats where I got my comedic start.
(Biography.com, Charlie Chaplin)(http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/charlie-chaplin/, Charles Chaplin)

I: So Mr. Chaplin how did the events that were occuring in your major acting time period affect your works and films?

CC: Ha well seing as that the prime of my career spanned from about 1914 to 1940 a heckuva lotta things influenced me. I went from WW1, The Great Depression all the way to WW2 and all those things really influenced me. "The Bond" was a film the people up in Washington and London pushed me to make to help out with the WW1 effort. I mean good ol' Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Regime basically gave me the idea for my most famed and popular movie "The Great Dictator" and thats really I can thank the mean galoot for. I mean for petes sake he bad mouthed me all the time, said I was a Jew and even gave me a different name! The Depression in the 20's and 30's and even growing up in the slums really helped me develop my best, *whispering* and favorite, character "The Tramp".
(Biography.com, Charlie Chaplin)(http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/charlie-chaplin/, Charles Chaplin)


I: What were your major accomplishments as an actor/comedian?

CC: Well my whole life was, in essence, a huge accomplishment! Haha just joshin'... Kinda. But in all reality chap my life was a true Rags-to-Riches story. I went from living in the London workhouses to being the first actor makin' a million clams a year. But film wise my biggest accomplishment was probably either "Kid Auto Races in Venice" or "The Great Dictator". Kid Auto was a huge accomplishment for me because it was my first real "breakthrough" onto the film scene and "The Great Dictator" was a huge accomplishment because it was my best made and most popular movie. Boy'o that was a tough question...

I: What were some of the key points in your life an career that really changed your life and career and turned it around.?

CC: Ya see I truly think it was when I first sang on stage at five years of age. I think that really changed my life the most. It kind of showed me a small sample of what I could be and what was coming and I think a light bulb kinda' clicked in my head at that moment. Then again when I went to America with my boy Karno I was first introduced into film and got my first film job. Man your questions are as tough as me boyo! Haha *Flexes*! But I really would have to say one of those two events.

I: What kind of choices did you make to become succesful?

CC: Well my whole life is and was about choices! But the biggest choice I ever made was probably... Hmmmmm... Welllll... I think... Wow... I'm stumped. *Face lights up* Well I'd say it was most definitley the choice I made when I joined up with Karno and the gang. Yeah thats what it was. I'm not gonna lie to ya though old chap, I made some bad choices with some women and the whatnot. But some of my choices made me the first actor to make a million  checks though eh?!? Haha geez I crack myself up...

I: What kind of obstacles did you have to overcome in your journey of becoming, and being an actor?

CC: Well geez you might as well have said "Charlie old pal, how many breaths have you taken in the last 3 minutes?" They both have the same answer. A whole lot. My childhood was the real obstacle. It wasn't what people would call a "good" or "ideal" childhood. In fact I would go as far as to say it was pretty darn rough. I mean my papa was a bit... okay he was a full blown wino that left me when I was but three years old and mama was a little... she was a nutjob. After papa left, and mama got shipped of to the wacko-hotel me and my half brother Sydney were on our own and we eventually had to go to the work house and live a hard life. I went through several jobs until acting finally worked out for me. I went with Karno to America and made it there. Even then I still faced issues. People persecuted me for not joining the British Army, even though I offered to go but they told me I was too short and I didn't weigh enough, and that basically prevented me from kinghthood, and old Adolf Hitler and some other punks called me a Jew, which caused me some issues. I mean those all were roadblocks and issues I personally had to deal with.

I: What limitations did you face during your career as an actor?

CC: Well I wasn't really all that limited during my career as an actor but occasionally their were limits. Such as when I didn't join the Army in WW1 I was criticized and I was basically prevented from knighthood because of it. People have always disliked me for going for the younger women also but thats basically the extent of it chap.

I: What stories really illustrate how you became succesful in the arts?

CC: Well I would say when I joined up with Karno and headed over to America and caught that mangers eye and that really was my road to fame. I really, though I'm not bragging on myself, put in a lot of hard work and showed a heckufalot of determination.

I: Well Mr. Chaplin that'll be about all today sir. Thank you very much and have a nice day.

CC: Well good day to you chap! *tips derby*

Bibliography:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Chaplin, Charlie Chaplin
http://www.ednapurviance.org/chaplinfilmlists.html, Charlie Chaplin
http://www.filmsite.org/20sintro.html, Charlie Chaplin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roscoe_Arbuckle
http://www.cobbles.com/simpp_archive/charlie-chaplin_biography.htm, Charlie Chaplin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Karno, Charlie Chaplin
http://www.paper-dragon.com/1939/slang.html, Charlie Chaplin
http://local.aaca.org/bntc/slang/slang.htm, Charlie Chaplin
http://www.ednapurviance.org/search/lostinterview.html, Charlie Chaplin
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/information-on-charlie-chaplin.html, Charlie Chaplin
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/c/charlie_chaplin.html, Charlie Chaplin
http://thinkexist.com/quotes/charlie_chaplin/, Charlie Chaplin
http://www.popstarsplus.com/actors_charliechaplain.htm#Bio, Charlie Chaplin
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/charlie-chaplin/about-the-actor/77/, Charlie Chaplin
http://www.biography.com/articles/Charlie-Chaplin-9244327, Charlie Chaplin, Charlie Chaplin