The VERY Scary Voice of Charlie Chaplin

Because of the following speech, from his movie "The Great Dictator, Charlie Chaplin was sentenced by his own art community and exiled from his home of 40 years, in Los Angeles, California. His crime? He "violated the Artist Code & departed from his mission of comedy." That's not funny Charlie!
gmagoldie.hubpages.com...



His speech was considered political, and he had to be silenced. He was accused of being a member of the Communist party, and was subsequently "blacklisted" by the film industry, during the McCarthy Era. He was denied a return visa, disallowing him to re-enter the USA, in 1952.
en.wikipedia.org...

Twenty years after his humiliating eviction from the United States, Chaplin is awarded an honorary Oscar. The film industry may have felt remorse for what had happened, but not the government it seems: in this video we learn that Chaplin was in fact granted a special 10-day visa... Chaplin's daughter Geraldine discusses her father's acceptance of the honorary Oscar.

I wonder what George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and Gwyneth Paltrow would do if they couldn't be actors and be political activists!

Chaplin's "mission of comedy" was violated, because he made us feel pain, cry and think deeply about our fellow humans, and he wanted for all of us to be kind to one another. All he really wanted to do was to make us smile.

That speech was beautiful, I get chills every time I hear it

Thanks for posting this thread, I wasn't aware of his banishment from the U.S or the speech which caused it.
He was truly a genius of his craft, his physical comedy is timeless.

I've never heard him talk before and he sounds a lot different from what I had imagined, I half expected him to have a higher tone of voice but he has quite a deep and commanding voice.

Thanks again for sharing this, my thread of the day so far.

Originally posted by illuminatislave
That speech was beautiful, I get chills every time I hear it

An absolutely stunning speech indeed!

We need more people like him to help inform the masses of these injustices being played out everyday!

It is disgusting how ignorant this world has become!

reply to post by mclarenmp4


I didn't know about this either. I was watching "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" last night, and he had Candice Bergman on. She was the one who was chosen to escort Chaplin to the Oscar Awards, for his honorary award. She also had previously done a photo shoot with him, as a student.

I was curious about how this happened, his exile and all, so I did some research today. I was stunned and moved by his plight and his speech.

I shared a video to my social networking profiles during the height of the arab spring last year, I had found it here at ATS and it was the great dictator speech set to images of the arab spring. Pretty damn touching I find myself reposting it every now and then just to first off not forget about it. And secondly because it was so touching and moving. Rings so true today as the military machine continues to rule the world of machine people.

SaneThinking

On September 13, 1957, Chaplin reliesed a movie called "A King In New York." that lampooned the Congressional Investigation into Communism and was critical of the banking system and their cronies. Critics came to the conclusion that Chaplin had poured his personal resentments into the movie and panned it as it "had only flashes of humor."

Stop being not funny Charlie!

Due to a revolution in his country, King Shahdov comes to New York - almost broke. To get some money he goes to TV, making commercials and meets the child from communist parents. Due to this he is suddenly a suspected as a communist himself and has to face one of McCarthy's hearings.

HAHA! This kid would scare any authority figure!


I can see why this movie would have the PTB up in arms.

Good speech.

Not going to happen.

In this world the mouth that refuses to close on it's own, gets a little extra help.

Thank you, I learned more important things about Charlie Chaplin
from your excellent thread than I did in my past 40+ years of living .

it's hard to feel bad for someone who was a multi millionaire at a time when burgers cost 5 cent, a gallon of milk 15 cents and who had a list of women he bedded 20 pages long, each one more beautiful than the other.

he started united artists, produced, owned and filmed everything he made, had his own studio, lived in a rothschild style mansion, and was the biggest star in the world.

but his story just goes to show you, if they can make you they can break you. money and wealth is lent to you, it was never your's to begin with.

By far my favorite speech from any movie. It is so moving and it is as relevant now as it was during WW2. I post the video on my Facebook every month whether people watch it or not I believe it is an amazing message that everyone should hear. I watched the entire movie the other day, it was pretty good, I'm glad I watched The Great Dictator.

reply to post by windword


The "commies vs. democracies" is just another Hegelian dialectic in action.

Congratulations to you'all still falling for it (no matter whose "side" you are on--Chaplin, McCarthy--you lose).

The wicked PTB salute you and laugh at you.

While you puff yourselves up with how "good" you are ("ohhh, I never knew this about Charlie Chaplin--look at me, I am a moonbat do-gooder and soon to be a god, just like the movies and evolution tell me"), the satanic new world order moves forward.....pathetic and sad.

Be a man. Grow up. Get yourself a King James 1611 bible, repent, believe on Jesus, and start reading in the book of John. Read 7 chapters out loud every day.....redeem the time. The day is at hand.

Originally posted by DissentFromDayOne
reply to post by windword

 

The "commies vs. democracies" is just another Hegelian dialectic in action.

Congratulations to you'all still falling for it (no matter whose "side" you are on--Chaplin, McCarthy--you lose).

The wicked PTB salute you and laugh at you.

While you puff yourselves up with how "good" you are ("ohhh, I never knew this about Charlie Chaplin--look at me, I am a moonbat do-gooder and soon to be a god, just like the movies and evolution tell me"), the satanic new world order moves forward.....pathetic and sad.

Be a man. Grow up. Get yourself a King James 1611 bible, repent, believe on Jesus, and start reading in the book of John. Read 7 chapters out loud every day.....redeem the time. The day is at hand.

Are you serious? Are you telling me that your "bible" doesn't lie? That reading John will help me get to heaven? That in order to be a man I have to believe in a fictional book that you call bible? Talk about being brainwashed!


Forgot to add that this is one of my favorites speeches of all times, thanks OP!

reply to post by DissentFromDayOne




Chaplin was well aware of the manipulative and circular logic of both sides of the argument.

Charlie Chaplin's son Charles Chaplin, Jr. describes how his father was haunted by the similar backgrounds of Hitler and himself. He writes,

Their destinies were poles apart. One was to make millions weep, while the other was to set the whole world laughing. Dad could never think of Hitler without a shudder, half of horror, half of fascination. “Just think,” he would say uneasily, “he’s the madman, I’m the comic. But it could have been the other way around."[22]
en.wikipedia.org...

Chaplin found a way to think outside the box as an independent thinker, using satire and sarcasm of popular opinion. He used deeply instilled archetypes.



Chaplin's character, The Little Tramp, is nothing more that an interpretation and personification of The Fool, the innocent soul beginning his journey into the great mysteries. The Fool still possesses the naivety of a child that has not yet been presented with the dilemma of right or wrong, left or right. This is where Chaplin captures our heart and speaks to our souls, outside of the "Hegalian Dialectic."

In the movie "The Great Dictator," Chaplin ridicules Hitler and poses the question, "What if Hitler was moved by his own humanity, and used his authority, charisma and power to free people instead of enslave them?" Freedom, is not in the Hegalian Dialectic.

Originally posted by SaneThinking
I shared a video to my social networking profiles during the height of the arab spring last year, I had found it here at ATS and it was the great dictator speech set to images of the arab spring. Pretty damn touching I find myself reposting it every now and then just to first off not forget about it. And secondly because it was so touching and moving. Rings so true today as the military machine continues to rule the world of machine people.

SaneThinking

Thanks. Would love it if you could embed or link that video for us, sounds like one to re-memorialize.

Here's some rare and fun, behind the scenes, candid shots of Charlie Chaplin.

reply to post by windword


IF all mankind were to live by this speech....

then lets just say it would be a much more fair and free society!

That speech actually makes me cry every time I watch it, more relevant now than ever before!

Let us all UNITE!

reply to post by windword


I've seen this video many times before, and love it. But I've never heard that his speech actually caused such a backlash, or that he was exiled, much less because of this very speech. So thanks for sharing that history with us, it actually increases the meaning of the speech to me.

Great thread....and some great videos

Thanks all. I really learned a lot putting this thread together too. Gained a much greater respect for Chaplin and an awareness of political activism among celebrities.