Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE, was a British actor, comedian, director, composer, screenwriter, producer, and editor during the silent film era. He appeared in a Mickey Mouse short and has been impersonated by many Disney characters. He and Walt Disney were good friends.
Appearances in Disney films[]
In Mickey's Gala Premier, Charlie Chaplin appears alongside many other film stars with Mickey Mouse.
Portrayals in Disney films[]
Charlie Chaplin is a character in the Touchstone Pictures film Shanghai Knights, played by a then unknown Aaron Taylor-Johnson. He is depicted as a crafty street urchin that causes trouble for the film's protagonists before aiding them in their mission.
He first runs into Chon Wang and Roy O'Bannon when they arrive in London, England. While he offers to give them direction, they turn him down and he responds by stealing Roy's pocket watch. Chon ends up rescuing him afterwards from a street gang and the watch is returned. Later, he approaches them again after having been impressed with Chon's fighting skills, and takes them to his hideout. He acts as a footman by helping them sneak into the royal gala, but quickly turns on them by stealing the Royal Chinese Seal. With Arthur Conan Doyle's help, they find that Charlie lives inside the Madame Tussauds wax museum and get the seal, but are forced to give it up when Charlie's life is threatened. As thanks, Charlie breaks them out of a prison carriage when they are wrongfully arrested. He isn't seen again until the very end of the film when Roy gets Chon to agree to go to Los Angeles so that they can break into motion pictures. Just as Roy bemoans the fact that Charlie was cramping their style, Charlie is revealed to have snuck into their luggage and gets a small smear of grease under his nose, prophetically making him resemble his older famous self.
Ironically, the film is set in 1887, two years before Chaplin was ever born. His inclusion was primarily that on Jackie Chan's part, as Chan considered Chaplin an influence on his career. While the film accurately portrays him as a destitute homeless child, in real life, Chaplin had an older half-brother and younger biological brother whom he would see infrequently. His father died when he was a teenager while his mother died very early in his film career. He had already entered the entertainment industry in theater by the time he was five.
Disney relationship[]
Mickey Mouse has dressed up as Charlie Chaplin many times. On a Disney pin, Stitch is also dressed up as Charlie Chaplin. A photo drawn by Walt Disney shows Mickey pointing a gun a Charlie Chaplin with Charlie saying that his next film will be silent with Mickey saying "So you won't talk, eh?" He also appeared on a poster with Mickey.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Walt Disney was influenced by Chaplin, adding a lot of his personality to Mickey Mouse.
- Robert Downey Jr. who played Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe also portrayed Chaplin in the 1992 biographical film Chaplin, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.
- A Chaplin toy is seen in Santa's Workshop.
- United Artists, which Chaplin co-founded with Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and D. W. Griffith, distributed Disney cartoons from 1932-1937, as well as 1943's war film Victory Through Air Power.
- A Mickey Mouse doll is seen in the Chaplin film Modern Times.
