James Agee once wrote in Life Magazine of Charlie Chaplin's career saying, "The finest pantomime, the deepest emotion, and the richest, most touching poetry were in his work" . One thing that personally inspires me about Charlie Chaplin was his charisma. In every film he has been a part of, he always manages to make everyone in the room laugh, whether by using slapstick comedy or the use of simple gags. In this project I will explore Chaplin's upbringing, his great film career, and why Chaplin was not welcome in the United States during the Red Scare of the 1950s. Charles Spencer Chaplin was born on April 16, 1889 in London, England. His father, Charles Chaplin Sr., was a singer and actor. His mother, Hannah Chaplin, was a singer and comedian in London's music halls. Chaplin also had a half-brother named Sydney from Hannah's (Lynn) previous marriage. When Charlie was five years old, he sang for his mother on stage after she became ill and was unable to speak let alone sing (Lynn). Everyone in the audience loved Charlie's performance so much, they threw coins on stage in appreciation for the young actor. At the age of 10, Chaplin's childhood was characterized by extreme poverty, working in London workhouses, and seeing his mother's mental health deteriorate so much that she had to be institutionalized. Charlie and his brother Sydney were sent to an orphanage shortly after his mother was admitted to the asylum. Their father remarried, giving them the opportunity to live with their father once again. The Chaplin brothers were often locked out of their father's house because his new wife did not want to take care of his children. They were often left in search of food and shelter... middle of paper......, he swore never to return to America: "Whether I returned to that unhappy country or not was of little importance" I would have I wanted to tell them that the sooner I got rid of that hate-ridden atmosphere the better, that I was fed up with the insults and moral pomposity of America" ​​(Chaplin 455). Although these communist accusations were never proven to it is true, today Chaplin is considered a pioneer of cinema and one of the most identifiable actors of the twentieth century. Works cited Brinkley, Alan. London: Simon & Schuster, 2012Lynn, Kenneth S. Charlie Chaplin and His Times. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1997. Print.Maland, Charles J. Chaplin and American Culture 1989. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.