Charlie Chaplin is widely regarded as the greatest comedian of the screen and one of the most important figures in motion-picture history.
His career spanned more than 75 years, from childhood in the Victorian era until the year before his death in 1977, and included both acclaim and controversy.
Chaplin's childhood in London was spent in poverty and hardship. His father was absent and his mother struggled financially – he was twice sent to work before the age of nine.