T he great comedian
Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (1889-1977) was a superior actor of rare gift. He was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I.
Chaplin was a master of pantomime – skilled in acrobatics and dancing, which he had learned in the London music hall. His type of comedy was born in the 16th century in the theatre created by Travelling players. But Chaplin managed to breathe a new life into the old theatre form.
His splendid improvisations quickly attracted the attention of American film-makers. In 1914 he appeared in a great number of short films. His success with the public was truly unique. This gave him opportunities to start his own business. Chaplin showed rare versatility in acting as the producer-director-script writer-musician-leading actor of his own comedies. Three great comedies of the 20th century – “The Kid”, “The Gold Rush” and “The Circus” were created by Chaplin in the golden age of silent film. However Chaplin didn’t give up making films after sound came to the cinema. He was able to produce his masterpieces in the sound age: “City Lights” (1931), “Modern Times” (1936).
Charles Chaplin created a great comic tradition. Most of our contemporary comedians keep on perfecting the art that had been developed in the 20’s. Chaplin’s masterpieces will never fade, and they will influence the film comedies.
(From “American Cinema”)
Words & Expressions:
a comedian – актер-комик
gift – дар
the silent film era – эпоха немого кино
skilled – искусный
to breathe a new life – вдохнуть новую жизнь
versatility - разносторонность
a script writer – сценарист
“The Gold Rush” – «Золотая лихорадка»
the sound age – эпоха звукового кино
Questions:
How did Chaplin influence the work of contemporary comedians?
What was Chaplin’s specific comedy technique?
Is it difficult to imitate his comedy technique?
What are Chaplin’s masterpieces?
Do you like comedies?
Have you seen Chaplin’s films?
Who is your favourite comedian?
M ovies, movies, movies
American movie-makers make about 570 movies each year. 850 new movies are made every year in India. Many people watch American movies around the world.
Today the name Hollywood means movies. Before 1910, Hollywood was only a small town near Los Angeles. Movie-makers moved there from New York because they wanted the Californian sun. In 1920, Hollywood was the centre for American movies. In early movies there was no sound. Everything changed in 1927 with ‘The Jazz Singer’. In that movie Al Jolson sang and also spoke, but much of the movie had no sound. After that, people wanted movies with sound.
Movies
changed in other ways, too. They got bigger and better. Six years
after ‘The Jazz Singer’ King Kong fought airplanes in New York
City in one of the most famous movies of 1933 ‘King Kong’.
For years, almost every star in Hollywood worked for only one movie company. Today, stars can work for different movie companies.
In ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘Titanic’ movie-makers used computers.