Charlie Chaplin, British comedian, producer, writer, director and composer, is widely regarded as the greatest comic artist of the screen and one of the most important figures in the film history.
Chaplin was named after his father, a British entertainer. He spent his early childhood with his mother, the singer Hannah Hall, after she and his father separated, and took the place of his mentally unstable mother to appear on the stage. However, he and his mother soon separated from each other because the sick Hall was sent to a hospital. Then, Charlie was sent to a series of boarding schools.
Using his mother’s show-business contacts, Charlie became a professional entertainer in 1897 when he joined the Eight Lancashire Lads, a dancing act. His following stage characters include a small role in William Gillette^ Sherlock Holmes (1899). While touring America with the Karno company in 1913, Chaplin was signed to appear in Mack Sennett’s Keystone comedy films. Though Making a Living (1914) was not the failure that historians have claimed , Chaplin’s first screen character did not show him to best advantage. To come up with a more-workable screen image, Chaplin created an outfit consisting of a too-small coat, too-large pants and a walking stick. As a finishing touch, he put on a mustache(胡子).It was in his second Keystone film, Kid Auto Races at Venice (1914), that Chaplin’s classic screen character, “the Little Tramp(流浪汉)“,was born.
In truth, Chaplin did not always portray a tramp; in many of his films his character was employed as a waiter, store clerk? stagehand, fireman, and the like. But the Tramp’s attraction was universal: audiences loved his cheekiness(厚脸皮),unexpected bravery and especially his recovery in the face of difficulties which moved the audience most. Some historians have traced the Tramp’s origins to Chaplin’s Dickensian childhood, while others have suggested that the character had its roots in the motto (座右铭)of Chaplin’s teacher, Fred Karno: ”Keep it eager, gentlemen, keep it eager. “ Whatever the case, within months after his movie was on, Chaplin was the screen’s biggest star.
4. Which word best describes Chaplin’s early life?
A.Carefree. | B.Struggling. | C.Simple. | D.Boring. |
5. What made Chaplin separate from his mother?
A.His further study in an art school. | B.His performances in another country. |
C.His mother’s serious health problem. | D.His father disapproval of their meeting. |
6. What does paragraph 3 mainly tell us about Chaplin?
A.His early performances. | B.His main characters. |
C.The reason for his success. | D.His relationship with others. |
7. Which aspect of the Tramp moved the audience most?
A.His action with a walking stick. | B.His unique and serious appearance, |
C.His special learning experience. | D.His ability to recover from difficulties. |