Charlie Chaplin during Great Depression: Life of a lover, tramp, worker, actor

INTRODUCTION

CHARLES SPENCER CHAPLIN was born on 16th April 1889 in London into the “poorest class in England” with nothing to inherit. His Vaudeville father abandoned him as an infant. The failure of his mother as a musical comedy artist forced him into acting to support family and the rest is history.

With a career spanning nearly 75 years, his life is a series of all-time highs to controversies which eventually caused him to fade out until he passed away in 1977 from a stroke.

Chaplin knew what it was to be born into poverty and barely had “any chances”. His respect for the poor is epitomized by his portrayal as the “Tramp” (admiration for the ordinary man with unfaltering energy to survive, resilience, integrity, and humanity), which became the most recognizable character in the world. Chaplin’s films were moving biographies with overlaps of social cognizance and he used great skills of pantomime to highlight these emotions.

By working with Keystone Studios in America to becoming a worldwide icon, and being considered an integral part of the film industry, Chaplin became wealthy and lived a life of luxury and fame in his later years. He was financially independent and a perfectionist.

Despite being the richest man in Hollywood, Charlie Chaplin cared about the welfare of the poor during the Great Depression by exploring the patronizing divisions of the inherently illogical class systems through his films and dynamic characters like the Tramp.

BODY

During the era of the Great Depression, things were very bleak as people had lost all their fortunes, some below poverty who were finding it hard even to survive. Full-time workers were reduced to part-time. On a “Black Thursday” in October 1929, the stock market crashed due to failure of big banks[1]. At such grave times, Charlie Chaplin came to prominence as a source of relief. Chaplin’s character: The Tramp was a classic figure. A bumbling yet good-natured man, he wore a pair of baggy pants, a tight coat, a bowler hat, shoes torn and too big, small wooden cane and the trapezoid mustache. Chaplin tailor-made these opposites in appearance. He lived from place to place, not thriving but just surviving and was a living testament to the “hobos” created during the Depression as people lost their homes, their money and some even their family.

He was created during the Progressive Era (1900-1920), a time when many middle-class Americans called for socio-political reforms and activism against the corruption by big-city machines and busting of large corporation which eventually lead to the Depression. This era focused on improving the social lives of the unprivileged which were affected by urbanization and immigration. Chaplin became especially famous when there was gloom post WW1.

Chaplin's Tramp emanates a pathos, thereby synthesizing the comedian’s desire to make audiences laugh and to help forget their social responsibilities/troubles due to conditions during the Depression era. The tramp’s perspective is that work and exploitation are merely synonyms for one another. Tramp courts disaster only to transcend, expresses inherent beauty, talent, dignity for people outside the privileged social order. He essentially has no malice for inflicted pain/oppression, and somehow by the end he receives a spiritual victory. Chaplin wanted to instill goodness in people during the dark times of the Depression.

A prime example of this is Modern Times (1936) – a satirical slapstick comedy to criticize the factory system portraying the realistic image of America in economic crisis. Shumyatsky argued that Chaplin’s made films with the common theme of “the tragedy of a bourgeoisie in capitalist society”[2]. This film would go on to become the very last film to feature the Little Tramp character. Chaplin wanted to subtly remind the banks and the people about the chaos caused by the economic systematic failure, resulting in rebelling/revolts, protests, strikes, starvation. Chaplin heavily criticized unemployment and American capitalism replacing manual labor[3]. He has even expressed his grievance of India’s rapid industrialization after meeting Gandhi, saying that machinery must free men from bondage of slavery by improving their life and help them enjoy life[4]. Following these principles, Modern Times was made free of the studio system, bankers/industrialists or any external sources. In the 30s, many films feature socialites with jewels, furs and extravagant riches, and as such Modern Times was an unprecedented act of political defiance against a failed economic system.  

Chaplin’s films like Work (1915), City Lights (1931), and Modern Times were silent films with only machine sounds. This was done to dehumanizing workers - thereby suggesting that workers had no say in their destinies. Most of his films call for compassion by having an absence of it, particularly Modern Times, thereby reinstating pathos for audiences. As Motion Picture magazine had rightly said: “Chaplantis” had arrived. Chaplin believed crime is a consequence of poverty[5]. In Modern Times, he discusses substance abuse that was rampant after the Depression by people who lost everything and eventually overdosed and died. He does this by pantomiming the effects of cocaine through facial expressions, eye-movements, nose reddening and parched lips to indicate an alert sense, hence making the shy, timid tramp to a bold masculine making foolish decisions of bravery, eventually self-harming himself.

The “Tramp” perhaps is one of Chaplin’s most successful characters that helped influence the masses. During the Depression, many people were displaced from jobs and a general sense of questionable masculinity plagued. For audiences at the time, a modest attainment meant more than a punchline - it provided them with a resolution since the most of them underwent similar problems, which would strike a chord and help find solace. Focusing the Tramp for the movie Modern Lights, Chaplin specifically made this film in response to the Depression. In it, Chaplin wanted to dramatize how workers can descend into joblessness and homelessness. The Tramp is portrayed to be an unskilled, ubiquitous and illiterate. He represents the average American who was ill-suited for an Industrialized America. He believes in the equality of all men irrespective of where one comes from. The Tramp lives nowhere and everywhere simultaneously as work is portrayed negatively as Chaplin was largely critical of poor working conditions that troubled common-man at the time. This is meant to be “Chaplin Everyman”[6] who rather than being a leader or social reformer, is a simple man looking to survive and preserve himself with the basic necessities in life, no greed is present. Irrespective of what role Chaplin plays: inmate, dictator, singing waiter, the central personality of a Tramp exists. Critics like Charmion Von Wiegand praised Modern Times to be expressionism of social upheaval at its finest[7].

For Chaplin’s Tramp, there is a general lack of nostalgia as he depicts the life of a worker facing problems via capitalism in a Depression. The Tramp lacks the mandatory skills and qualities needed to fit into a dominant masculine society, and stereotypes included working man, organization man and empire builder. Chaplin balanced both light and darker themes to educate audiences about the happenings. The humor is created by the Tramp being clueless by experimenting and being experimented on by machines (a dark theme that was prevalent in the 1930s as conspiracies spread of the government conducting unsolicited human tests)[8]. The Tramp’s comical acts blurs the social conventions involving gender norms and corporate productivity. During the depression, the masculinity and femininity were considered distinct and independent of one another due to introduction of machinery and any man incapable of participating in industrialization loses himself as a person and needs to be cured to gain back his masculinity[9]. These gender gaps created massive conflicts and opened doors to violence and sexism. However, it has also seen that if the Tramp wants it, he is quite capable as seen in The Police (1916), when he cracks an icebox like a safe.

Chaplin wanted to help people find their place in the modern world of industrial progress in the 30s and he does this through Modern Times via his interwoven depiction of technology-as-boon and technology-as-curse and contrasting views satisfied multiple perspectives and informed people of new ideas. Chaplin’s Tramp is an ordinary man who is neither pro or anti-technology He is simply a personality who is bored of a life of regimentation. While in most of his films, all other characters are shown to be robotic, he is the one who embodies the emotions of a human being. The Tramp wants to be useful, has exhilarating energy, enjoys childish play and lethargy, thereby reminding the audiences on how technology can become our eventual master and the chaotic consequences through the actions one considers inconsequential[10]. Chaplin highlights the massive divide between the rich and poor in City Lights through the portrayal of a Tramp failing to get a woman who seeks rich men.  Chaplin had essentially created pantomime as a global language as emotions, quirks, actions and comical theatrics were universally comprehended. Soon, as the Tramp figure became famous, many small artists started imitating this in vaudevilles and films. Chaplin’s Progressive-era themed films can be divided into five primary sub-genres: Urban corruption, Plight of urban poor, the Rich, Elitism and Alcoholism[11]. He had turned more of a philosopher than an actor in the 1930s. Chaplin had voyaged around the world as a part of his City Lights tour, wherein being exposed to the Global Depression, Chaplin began to formulate his own economic theories. Einstein even complimented him saying that he wasn’t a comedian but actually an economist[12].

Charlie Chaplin’s creation of United Artist with other high-profile stars like Mary Pickford, DW Griffith and Douglas Fairbanks in 1919 meant greater autonomy and control over the studio system rather than commercial studios influencing them. The Great Depression had caused a slow-down in numerous industries, which mean by 1931 nearly thirty million people had lost their jobs, devastating middle-class and working-class people[13]. As this chaotic drama ensued in America, only the film industry was perhaps resilient to the sluggish economy. Nearly sixty to eighty million Americans went to the films once or more than once a week as a source of distraction from the bleak reality. At such times, United Artists created jobs for people as they had employed thousands of people for their films. In addition, Chaplin also created a subgenre of comedy called “dramedy”[14] which was a mixture of comedy and drama, thereby creating more opportunities for himself and fellow artists to make more films and break down social distinctions by inviting people from all classes to enjoy his film.     

CONCLUSION

The use of Depression themes and posing dilemmas that American workers suffered, films like Modern Times, The Great Dictator and City Lights inspired backlash. Chaplin was sued for plagiarism by Tobis Films and investigated by the FBI for pro-communist links and possible funding. The situation worsened so much so that he was exiled from the US and spent his remaining years in Switzerland. However, experts believe that this was just an attempt to tarnish his reputation without just cause.

A self-described “Citizen of the World”, Charlie Chaplin through all this inspired a generation of people by acting as a source of entertainment which prevented suicides. He educated the masses through his films and set new precedents in film acting and direction. Indirectly, he is also responsible for the growth of the film industry during the stagnant Great Depression as people, irrespective of class and social system, bought a ticket to watch the “Tramp” perform.

Revered by respectable artists themselves, he created thousands of jobs through his films, did extensive philanthropy and is such an influence that no one can truly say they are unfamiliar with the man in baggy pants, oversized jacket, and with the trapezoid mustache.

He wanted to improve the world and his performance were not fabled simply by the costumes or the pantomimes, but it was the story and the inherent social message that he wished to promote to the world. His story of pauper-to-emperor has and will continue to inspire generations of people and his films will always act as a source of distraction on the gloomiest days like those of the Great Depression.          

[1] Amadeo, Kimberly. “What Happened During the Great Depression?” The Balance, The Balance, 11 Aug. 2017, www.thebalance.com/the-great-depression-of-1929-3306033.

[2] Mellen, Joan. “Toward Modern Times.” Modern Times, BFI, 2006, p. 33.

[3] Mellen, Joan. “Toward Modern Times.” Modern Times, BFI, 2006, p. 22.

[4] Mellen, Joan. “Towards Modern Times.” Modern Times, BFI, 2006, p. 24.

[5] Mellen, Joan. “The Film.” Modern Times, BFI, 2006, p. 56.

[6] Mellen, Joan. “The Film.” Modern Times, BFI, 2006, p. 46.

[7] Mellen, Joan. “The Film.” Modern Times, BFI, 2006, p. 59.

[8] Frater, Jamie. “Top 10 Evil Human Experiments.” Listverse, Listverse, 14 Mar. 2008, listverse.com/2008/03/14/top-10-evil-human-experiments/.

[9] Howe, Lawrence, et al. “American Masculinity and the Gendered Humor of Chaplin's Little Tramp.” Refocusing Chaplin: a Screen Icon through Critical Lenses, Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2013, p. 70.

[10] Howe, Lawrence, et al. “In The Shadow of Machines .” Refocusing Chaplin: a Screen Icon through Critical Lenses, Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2013, p. 96.

[11] Gehring, Wes D. “Chaplintis.” Charlie Chaplin, a Bio-Bibliography, Greenwood Press, 1983, p. 67.

[12] Robinson, David. “Opinion of the Thirties.” Chaplin, the Mirror of Opinion, Secker & Warburg, 1984, p. 98.

[13] “Everyday Life during the Depression.” Everyday Life, University of Washington, depts.washington.edu/depress/everyday_life.shtml.

[14] George, Susan. “What Is a Dramedy? - Times of India.” The Times of India, Home, 26 Dec. 2010, timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-times/What-is-a-dramedy/articleshow/7165525.cms.