For more than 30 years, wherever movies have been shown, Charlie Chaplin has been the top ringmaster of the best-loved human sound—laughter. Millions have known him as the funny tramp—Charlie or Charlot or Carlitos or Carlino—the creation of the unequaled comic artist. But almost no one has know the artist at work. Distracted by exploitation, resentful of imitation, consumed with possessive interest in every facet of production, Chaplin has produced his films in uncommon secrecy, shunned the intrusions of press and public. Few except his crew and coworkers have ever seen a Chaplin film being made. Now, for Life, this secrecy has been lifted.
From “Chaplin at Work” in Life, 1952 on the set of Limelight; Photo by Eugene Smith
