He made you smile, laugh, cry. That was comic actor and filmmaker Charlie Chaplin who died aged 88 on December 25, 1977. An icon of the silent era of films, he is still widely remembered for his screen persona as “The Tramp”, and boasts an expansive film lineup that includes “The Gold Rush”, “City Lights”, “Modern Times”, “The Great Dictator”, “Monsieur Verdoux” and “Limelight”. The films are still regarded as among the greatest in film history.
The early decades of the 20th century saw Chaplin create the character of “The Tramp”, a humorous and sometimes tragic figure who became immortal. His brand of humour was unique. Chaplin veered away from more conventional slapstick comedies in favour of developing the viewers' relationship to the characters. David Robinson, British film critic and Chaplin's official biographer was quoted as saying, “The shabby little figure with derby hat, too-tight jacket, oversized boots and pants, dandified bow ties and swagger cane seemed to symbolise the hopes and fears, defeats and optimism of all humanity.”
Chaplin received his first Academy Award -- now known as the Oscar -- for “The Circus”, a 1928 silent film. Written and directed by Chaplin himself with Joseph Plunkett as an uncredited writer, the film stars Chaplin along with a host of other luminaries. Chaplin's “Little Tramp” is hired as a clown by the ringmaster of an impoverished circus who discovers that he can only be funny unintentionally, not on purpose.
In 1972, Chaplin received an Honorary Academy Award for “The incalculable effect he has had in making motion pictures the art form of this century.”
Chaplin was not afraid of taking challenges. Seven years after the coming of sound, Chaplin made a silent film, “Modern Times”. In “Monsieur Verdoux”, Chaplin successfully lent the film a universal appeal though it was made by him, an Englishman , about a Frenchman in an American studio.
In his book “Deep Focus: Reflections on Cinema”, auteur Satyajit Ray sums up Chaplin's genius by saying, “I am sure Chaplin's name will survive even if cinema ceases to exist as a medium of artistic expression.”

Compiled by Correspondent