Ocean State Libraries

"The story of Charlie Chaplin's years of self-imposed exile from the United States, when he had become a pariah during the 1950s Red Scare. While living abroad he made his last, and by general agreement, worst films, only to return home years later to a triumphant reception"--

Distinguished biographer Kenneth S. Lynn debunks the Chaplin myths passed on by film critics, biographers, and Chaplin himself. Lynn documents Chaplin's meteoric rise as a film actor, his failed early marriages and love affairs with glamorous stars, the infamous Joan Barry case, his voluntary exile in Switzerland, and his triumphant return to America in 1972.

A concise portrait of the iconic film star traces his humble theatrical beginnings through his honorary Academy Award win, sharing anecdotes about his lesser-known antics and associations.