Discoveries: Charlie Chaplin

by David Robinson

This book chronicles Chaplin's brilliant career as an actor, writer, and director, as well as his often-controversial and much-publicized personal life--his love affairs, his pursuit by the FBI, and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0810928841
• ISBN13: 9780810928848
• Release Date: March 1996
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
• Length: 143 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.0" x 7.0"

Customer Reviews

COOL BOOK

I really love Charlie Chaplin, he is a great actor. I got this book because it was small and I wanted to see more pictures of Chaplin and this book has just that. If your a big Chaplin fan like I am get this book.

Compact, but a pleasure to own; nicely presented

Often books written about popular film celebrities are thinlydisguised means of making a buck by publisherswho contract people to write a story about asubject they so obviously care little about.But this title is a wonderful appreciation of Chaplin by someonewho appears to at least be a fan.The small but attractive book is packed with b/wphotos and anecdotes that span Chaplin's entirecareer; printed on thick glossy paper and beautifullydesigned, it is not the usual slapdash mass marketpulp cheapo that will crumble to dustin six months. This is a permanent little gemthat will sit very well on the shelf next to a moretext-heavy volume such as Chaplin's autobiography.There is enough story here though to give anyonewith an interest a basic outline of Charlie's whole life.Highly recommended.

Invaluable small book on Chaplin

David Robinson is an historian and film critic who produced a massive definitive biographical study on Chaplin. A short time afterward Robinson did this small volume for the Abrams Discoveries series, a line known for its smooth paper, compactness, and illustrations.The book is as excellent an overview of Chaplin's career as anything published. While only 143 pages, it is packed with information. Robinson was given access to the Chaplin archives by Charlie's family for the production of his earlier study, and his wealth of knowledge is on full display here. The book follows Charlie from his very rough childhood and early success in vaudeville through to his rise as a star in the Karno and Keystone comedy groups. Robinson details Chaplin's ethic of hard work and inventiveness, which lead him to eventually take full control of his projects and propel his fame to an international level. The story of the comic genius' life is never far away, and we are given facts about Chaplin's first love, his marriages, the creation of his famous "Little Tramp" character, and his friendships with other actors and directors. Robinson successfully communicates to the reader Chaplin's inestimable influence on the motion picture. Chaplin is shown to be a perfectionist and artist at a time when films were not considered for anything other than pure entertainment value. Chaplin's unique sensibilities, his creativity, and the combination of comedy and pathos deepened the overall lure and texture of early 20th Century cinema. Along the way we also learn about behind-the-scenes toils undergone by Chaplin during shoots, his participation in forming United Artists, even his pursuit by the F.B.I. and eventual self-exile from the United States.The information here is communicated in a lively, lucid style, and there are included throughout significant quotations from Chaplin's autobiography as well as some of his other writings to emphasize important points. There is a documents section which adds perspectives on Chaplin and his work by some of his contemporaries and followers, as well as an indispensable filmography, listing Chaplin's work from his first picture, 1914's _Making a Living_, to his final, 1967's _A Countess from Hong Kong._ Despite all these useful features, the book's greatest asset are the illustrations. From full color to black and white, there is a photograph, drawing, or film still on almost every page, bringing to life Chaplin and his era beautifully and respectfully.I recommend this book highly to Chaplin aficionados new and old, as well as to someone who is curious what the fuss is all about. For those who would like to see the major events of Chaplin's life portrayed onscreen, I recommend the 1990's biopic _Chaplin_ starring Robert Downey Jr.