Film Snail

7.4

Chaplin

PG-13·1992·143m

Drama

Summary

An aged Charlie Chaplin narrates his life to his autobiography's editor, including his rise to wealth and comedic fame from poverty, his turbulent personal life and his run-ins with the FBI.

Cast

Robert Downey Jr.

Charles Spencer Chaplin

Geraldine Chaplin

Hannah Chaplin

Paul Rhys

Sydney Chaplin

John Thaw

Fred Karno

Moira Kelly

Hetty Kelly / Oona O'Neill

Anthony Hopkins

George Hayden

Dan Aykroyd

Mack Sennett

Marisa Tomei

Mabel Normand

Penelope Ann Miller

Edna Purviance

Kevin Kline

Douglas Fairbanks

Maria Pitillo

Mary Pickford

Milla Jovovich

Mildred Harris

Kevin Dunn

J. Edgar Hoover

Deborah Moore

Lita Grey

Diane Lane

Paulette Goddard

Nancy Travis

Joan Barry

James Woods

Joseph Scott

Hugh Downer

Charlie Age 5

Nicholas Gatt

Sydney Age 9

Bill Paterson

Stage Manager

Anthony Bowles

Conductor

Bryan Coleman

Drunk

Howard Lew Lewis

Workhouse Official

P.H. Moriarty

Workhouse Official

Brian Lipson

Warder

Alan Ford

Warder

Thomas Bradford

Charlie Age 14

Liz Porter

Matchgirl

Ultan Ely-O'Carroll

Rummy Binks

Marcus Eyre

Policeman

Anwar Adaoui

Lambeth Kid

Ben Bilson

Lambeth Kid

Matthew Cartwright

Lambeth Kid

Ian Covington

Lambeth Kid

Adam Goodwin

Lambeth Kid

Milly Gregory

Lambeth Kid

Sam Holland

Lambeth Kid

Josh Maguire

Lambeth Kid

Daniel Sherman

Lambeth Kid

Luke Strain

Lambeth Kid

Frankie Sullivan

Lambeth Kid

Karen Salt

Little Girl

Gerald Sim

Doctor

Una Brandon-Jones

Inmate

Audrey Leybourne

Inmate

Graham Sinclair

Master of Ceremonies

Karen Lewis

Yankee Doodle Dancer

Andrée Bernard

Yankee Doodle Dancer

Carole Jahme

Yankee Doodle Dancer

Jacqueline Leonard

Yankee Doodle Dancer

Claire Perriam

Yankee Doodle Dancer

Theresa Petts

Yankee Doodle Dancer

David Gant

London Maitre d'

Mary Healey

Mrs. Karno

Malcolm Terris

Stallholder

Phil Brown

Projectionist

Matthew Cottle

Stan Laurel

Ena Baga

Pianist

David Duchovny

Rollie Totheroh

Mario Govoni

Swiss Butler

David Mooney

Wedding Photographer

C.J. Golden

Bride's Mother

Raymond Lynch

Bride's Father

Peter Georges

Groom

Mike Randleman

Groom's Mother

Mike Peluso

Groom's Father

Caroline Cornell

Wedding Guest

Ann Fairlie

Wedding Guest

Paul Hayes

Wedding Guest

Dennis Vero

Wedding Guest

Francesca Buller

Minnie Chaplin

Nick Corello

Masseur

Richard Fast

Bronco Billy Anderson

Brad Blumenthal

Party Photographer

Yoshio Be

Chauffeur

Peter Crook

Frank Hooper

David Totheroh

Cameraman

Jack Totheroh

Cameraman

Jack Ritschel

William Randolph Hearst

Heather McNair

Marion Davies

Laura Bastianelli

Dinner Guest

Joy Claussen

Dinner Guest

Paul Bruno Grenier

Dinner Guest

Marykate Harris

Dinner Guest

Charles Howerton

Dinner Guest

Jason Logan

Dinner Guest

Renata Scott

Dinner Guest

Michael Villani

Dinner Guest

Jerry Jensen

Hotel Porter

Larry Randolph

Waiter

Alan Charof

Federal Marshal

Dana Craig

Federal Marshal

Kennedy Grant

Federal Marshal

Ken Magee

Federal Marshal

Benjamin Whitrow

Station Master

Edward Crangle

Young Autograph Hunter

Stuart Richman

Barman

Mark Vegh

Barman

Caroline Guthrie

Courting Couple

Lawrence Lambert

Courting Couple

Robert Stephens

Ted the Drunk

Tim Chaplin

Working Man

Nick Edmett

Working Man

David Finch

Working Man

Mark Long

Working Man

Tommy Wright

Working Man

Leonard Kirby

Young Fan

Sean O'Bryan

Lewis Seeley

Donald Elson

Prop Man

Donnie Kehr

Sound Engineer

Sky Rumph

Charles Chaplin jr. Age 7

Bradley Pierce

Sydney Chaplin jr. Age 8

Richard James

Pianist

William Dennis Hunt

US Maitre D'

Michael Blevins

David Raksin

Norbert Weisser

German Diplomat

Vicki Frederick

Party Guest

Gene Wolande

Party Guest

Michael Adler

Party Guest

Iris Bath

Party Guest

Thomas Belgrey

Party Guest

Tom Preston

Party Guest

Mary Stark

Party Guest

Annie Waterman

Party Guest

Noah Lee Margetts

Clapper Boy

Rhett Smith

Tennis Party Guest

John Standing

Butler

Michael A. Goorjian

Charles Chaplin Jr

Michael Cade

Sydney Chaplin Jr

Todd Mason Covert

Reporter

Phil Forman

Reporter

Charley J. Garrett

Reporter

Jerry Giles

Reporter

Howard Hughes

Reporter

Jayson Kane

Reporter

Michael Miller

Reporter

John Otrin

Reporter

J. Michael Patterson

Reporter

Paul Sinclair

Reporter

Terrence Stone

Reporter

Ralph Votrian

Reporter

Emma Lewis

Production Assistant

Crew

Director

Richard Attenborough

Book

Charlie Chaplin

Book

David Robinson

Screenplay

William Goldman

Screenplay

Bryan Forbes

Screenplay

William Boyd

Story

Diana Hawkins

Reviews

Geronimo1967

October 24, 2022

Told by way of a retrospective, this is a stylish and informative - if not always very entertaining - biopic on the legendary film star. He is discussing his autobiography and as he meanders down memory lane, we accompany him from his life in Edwardian London through his journey to the USA where he found fame with Keystone Studios and developed the legendary "Tramp" persona that resonated so well with an increasingly poverty-stricken populace. Robert Downey Jnr is effective in the title role, conveying much of the quirkiness - and selfishness - of this character. Geraldine Chaplin (his real life daughter) delivers a poignantly strong, if sparing, contribution and the attention to detail with costumes and sets is special. Thing is, although it must have been hard for Richard Attenborough to condense eighty-eight years of this man's hugely interesting life into one film, those moments he has selected tend a little towards the more salacious; those less demonstrative of his creative genius. The scenes at the start when an opportunity was there to illustrate to us how his workhouse upbringing instilled the ethic that was to drive him all his life - we skip through them all too superficially (though maybe that's because there was no role for Downey?). The political emphasis on the McCarthy witch-hunts is interesting, and the general FBI conspiracy elements are developed well, but for me this is much less about the man than it is about the myth and that's a shame. The supporting cast deliver well enough - John Thaw as his discoverer "Karno" and Dan Aykroyd strong amongst them, and to be fair it does rather fly by for almost 2½ hours. I can't help but admire the director's intention to encapsulate such a lot into such a little amount of screen time, but perhaps it was just never really possible in the first place - if justice were ever to be done to this flawed, enigmatic, charming, ruthless and funny man.