Want to know the best Charlie Chaplin movies? How about the worst Charlie Chaplin movies? Curious about Charlie Chaplin’s box office grosses or which Charlie Chaplin movie picked up the most Oscar® nominations? Need to know which Charlie Chaplin movie got the best reviews from critics and audiences and which got the worst reviews? Well you have come to the right place….because we have all of that information.
One of our goals here at Ultimate Movie Rankings is do a career movie page on every member of the American Film Institute’s Top 50 Greatest Screen Legends list. Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977) is ranked as the 10th greatest actor on that list. This Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977) page is the 34th completed page…..so we are now 68% done with our goal.
Charles “Charlie” Chaplin, was an English comic actor and filmmaker who rose to fame in movie shorts from Mack Sennett’s Keystone Studios. Chaplin and his screen persona “the Tramp” became a worldwide icon. From his start in shorts, he turned his attention to full length movies. Between 1921 and 1940, Chaplin would star, write, produce, direct and compose the music for some of the greatest movies ever made!
His IMDb page shows 86 acting credits from 1914-1967. This page will rank 12 Charlie Chaplin full length movies from Best to Worst in six different sortable columns of information. Television shows, his many shorts and cameos were not included in the rankings.
Charlie Chaplin Movies Ranked In Chronological Order With Ultimate Movie Rankings Score (1 to 5 UMR Tickets) *Best combo of box office, reviews and awards.
Charlie Chaplin Movies Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In This Table
The really cool thing about this table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies anyway you want.
- Sort Charlie Chaplin movies by co-stars of his movies.
- Sort Charlie Chaplin movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
- Sort Charlie Chaplin movies by yearly domestic box office rank
- Sort Charlie Chaplin movies how they were received by critics and audiences. 60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
- Sort by how many Oscar® nominations each Charlie Chaplin movie received and how many Oscar® wins each Charlie Chaplin movie won.
- Sort Charlie Chaplin movies by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score. UMR Score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.
Check out Charlie Chaplin’s career compared to current and classic actors. Most 100 Million Dollar Movies of All-Time. A fun Charlie Chaplin website to check out is Steve Lensman’s Charlie Chaplin Movie Posters. Lots of hard to find Chaplin posters including many of his shorts.
Academy Award® and Oscar® are the registered trademarks of the Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences.
AFI’s Top 25 Screen Legend Actors….with links to my movie pages on the Screen Legend
For comments….all you need is a name and a comment….please ignore the rest.
1 When I was growing up the old silent movies were part of the ‘Dark Ages’ and were rarely shown.*** However historians and journalists would regularly talk about the great silent stars and the 4 most mentioned were Chaplin, Mary Pickford. Rudolph Valentino and Douglas Fairbanks Sr. Of these ‘Big Four’ Bruce has pages on Charlie and “Bank of America’s Sweetheart” and you have just done a profile of Chaplin.
2 John recently mentioned TCM’s list of all-time great male stars and when I checked it out I saw that it contained all the “usual suspects” (with yet again Chuck and Tyrone Power excluded) and also honoured Valentino and Doug Fairbanks Sr, Keaton and other prominent silent stars.
3 Had I been about in the silent movies era I think Doug would have been my hero as although he made various kinds of movies he was renowned for those swashbuckling adventure yarns that his athleticism made him ideal for: Robin Hood, Thief of Bagdad, The Black Pirate, The Iron Mask and The Three Musketeers. It therefore struck me that these sweeping epics would have made Doug’s career ideal fodder for a pictorial site like yours. Even in miniature form posters I have seen for The Black Pirate and Thief of Bagdad are stunning. Hint! Hint!
*** In 1952 Ray Milland made a movie called The Thief and its gimmick was that barely a word of dialogue was spoken in its 85 minutes in much the same way as the renowned long 32 minute silent sequence in the French heist classic Rififi (1955) was conducted. Needless to say The Thief ended up on the second half of a double bill with a routine pirate yarn, John Payne’s Raiders of the Seven Seas released some 6 months later.
Bob
The “moral pomposity” statement came after Chaplin’s visa was revoked. It was his reaction, not the cause. He was banned because he was accused of being a “leftist” and “communist,” with the AG, as is usual in politics, dragging in Chaplin’s sex life with attacks on the supposed liaisons with underage girls.
Chaplin was far from unique. Paul Robeson had his passport pulled by the State Department in 1950. He was an entertainer, but not a Hollywood figure.
My point is that Hollywood, whatever their cowardice or moral culpability, was not really the main culprit in this case. It was the government.
I guess the question is what could Hollywood do to Chaplin? He produced his own films and was a wealthy man. I guess if they still controlled theatres after the divestiture decision the studios could order them not to show a Chaplin film. Or perhaps they could threaten to withhold their own films from independent theatres which showed a Chaplin film, but that one could backfire financially. Probably what would have the most impact is private groups threatening to boycott theatres which booked a Chaplin film. I imagine a lot of theatre owners would simply buckle. Putting myself in their shoes, they were in a precarious position with declining ticket sales, and I can hardly blame a man for putting keeping food on the table for his family above what might seem rather abstract political considerations.
Still I am much more interested in the nuts and bolts of movie production than dwelling on the blacklist era. As for Germany in the 1930’s, no surprise that Hollywood put profits before principle. They did, led finally by MGM with The Mortal Storm, put out anti-German films, once WWII started in Europe, with a clear message but still a certain obliqueness (not mentioning the country by name or that the professor was Jewish). Doesn’t prove courage. The British market was probably more important than the German market. Still, it is important to remember that the US was still neutral and the general public wanted to stay out of a slaughter like WWI had been.
Anyway, I hope this is my last “political” post.
HI JOHN
1 I think it’s too simplistic to say it was the government and not Hollywood. Governments tend to react to general pressures such as those coming from the politicians on the Hill and Hollywood was caught up in those pressures and caved in to them and was even proactive at times in the matters concerned.
2 I didn’t say that the “moral pomposity” was the cause of his banishment. What I said was that people been penalised for saying less and I was implying that if Charlie had got back into the States and kept making remarks like that the system that existed at that time would have gone after him. How far they would have gone and what they would have done would have depended on how far he went because until McCarthyism was ultimately destroyed by complex dynamics nobody openly and continually flouted it with perceived “anti American” statements and got away with it. In the end things like his popularity, movie grosses, citizenship etc would not have saved him had he not kept his head down sufficiently. No doubt the government feared that and in part was taking steps to avoid a showdown between the forces at work in the US at that time and a world celebrity
3 If think that perhaps you also disregard the chicken and egg aspect of the situation. Whilst there were those in Hollywood who bent the knee because of fear of the politicians there were many others who belonged to the pressure groups who were supporting and even fuelling the politicians and government. Many leading Hollywood celebrities were in committees set up to go to war with the perceived threat and those committees no doubt many of them acting in good faith helped create problems for many of their fellow artists whom they regarded as being wrongdoers. So it is too simplistic to say that the Chaplin business was primarily the government’s fault as the latter was to a large extent responding to pressures from other forces that included Hollywood insiders.
4 I should add that I see these exchanges as historical and not political for the Chaplin case is no longer a political issue. You asked a question and as this is an open site anyone who feels he/she can answer it is I presume entitled to speak up. I have been trying to help but I do not see how anyone can do that if the convoluted history of the Chaplin issue is to be airbrushed out.
Hey John….I agree taking politics is no where near as much fun as talking movies. My Hollywood comment deals with entire decade before his Visa and red scare problems. I think Mel Gibson’s meltdown and the reaction by Hollywood is a good way to think about Chaplin’s situation. Eventually Mel bounced back as did Chaplin….though neither returned to their glory days.
CHAPLIN
1 Very astute observation to begin with and good follow-up research. You’re kind of turning on its head the old advice to up and coming lawyers about courtroom tactics -“Never ask a question that you don’t know the answer to.”
CRAWFORD
2 As usual with your painstaking research you have provided additional interesting stats and you have also reminded us of another valid way of measuring box office success. Of course we recognise that there is insufficient information in the public domain about profit/cost ratios so Bruce is still the only show in town for comprehensive comparisons of classic era stars’ box office achievements and we’re lucky that that show keeps running to continuous performances!
3 Whilst we cannot blame stars like Crawford for the escalating general production costs of their times your final paragraph makes again a very astute point and indeed before he died Chuck Heston said in an interview that matters had reached the stage where the types of “ordinary” movies that were made in his day – such as his Dark City and Naked Jungle – would be too expensive to finance for the contemporary cinema and if they were to be produced at all would have to be as TV movies. However it’s an all new ballgame these days with endless sci-fi/superhero franchises and their worldwide billion dollar grosses- “We have out grossed Old Hollywood.” [George Lucas]
COMMENTS ON CHAPLIN VIDEO
(1) Super opening colour still of Brando/Loren in A Countess from Hong Kong. Brando was a silent comedy buff so he greatly admired Chaplin’s work but claimed to detest him as a person because Marlon alleged that in front of cast and crew Charlie took pleasure in repeatedly humiliating his son Sidney Chaplin who had a supporting role in Countess.
(2) You have a great wealth of old world black and white stills as well.
(3) We have been given a range of iconic poster reproductions that I feel surpass many modern ones with my favourites being The Circus, King in New York and especially Limelight
(4) Your accompanying music was highly appropriate. Charlie personally wrote some fine music and I always loved his theme from Limelight and Love this is My Song from Countess from Hong Kong. I remember a movie critic writing at the time of Countess from Hong Kong’s release in 1967 “Awful film in itself but Chaplin’s music is as always enchanting.”
(5) It would be a brave person who would disagree with your Top 5 though Bruce just to be awkward has for critic/audience placed the 5 in a different order from yours
(6) You’ve demonstrated that you don’t need a great numbers of entries to create an appealing 9/10 video. BOB
PS Chaplin was of course reportedly born in England and I see Granger powering ahead in views. You definitely must be giving the Brits the hard sell!
! Further to my previous post about Charlie I like to keep off politics except in the most general of terms when commenting on movie matters but I couldn’t help noticing Spencer’s comment about Chaplin losing out on awards for political considerations.
2 When Countess was released it was suggested that Chaplin chose Loren and Brando for the leads because among big stars both were the nearest to him in political ideology. If that is so it perhaps explained why “Yankee Doodle Dandy” Cagney hated Mr Mumbles. [And to think you bought into all those put down “mumbling” red herrings !]
3 Democratic politicians of different persuasions can agree to differ and actually socialise with each other. For example it was reported thatwhen she was Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher would invite the two Opposition leaders to privately dine with her. Conversely in the 1930s and 1940s at least Democrats and Republicans refused to sit with each other in studio canteens, and Bruce has mentioned that even two staunch friends Hank Fonda and Jimmy Stewart came so bitterly to blows over politics that they vowed never to discuss politics again. Wise men!
4 However it is worth pointing out in fairness to the Duke is that although he took his politics seriously he could live and let live for he was a great friend of staunch Democrat Kirk Douglas; and whatever Cagney though of Mr M’s politics Marlon and Republican Chuck Heston were on a very friendly basis with each praising the other in public.
5 As I say I don’t mind generalities such as the foregoing but if anyone ever asks me about my politics I always answer “That’s for only the ballot box to know.”
Thanks for the added info Bob, talking briefly of politics I tried linking my Chaplin video to Reddit.com, a ‘social news and discussion file linking’ site and a warning popped up saying I can only link that video to their ‘political videos’ section. Wow. Seems the mere name Charles Chaplin sends out a warning signal at some sites.
Elvis and the Beatles – oh and Joan Crawford !
…and don’t forget Myrna Loy!
Hey Bob..I am shocked you did not mention Loy….shocked I tell ya.
1 No doubt whatever your own political views you can admire someone like Charlie who apparently had the courage of his convictions to the point where he was prepared to be ostracised whereas say Bob Hope had so much of a yearning for popularity that to again quote Mr Mumbles “If he saw three people standing outside a telephone booth he’d be over looking applause.”
2 It’s just a pity that like Tracy, W.C Fields, Redford and Willis, Charlie annoyed so many people in other ways away from politics – for example publicly calling Mary Pickford “Bank of America’s Sweetheart” and gatecrashing parties to chase after very young girls.
Tracy and W.C seemed to growl at everything that moved. For example WC complained about his neighbour Deanna Durbin practising her singing in the mornings and in front of other cast members Tracy told Marlon Brando’s wife Anna Kashfi that her husband was an idiot. Bruce Willis and Robert Redford were criticised by ‘small town America’ for rip off behaviour in leaving in turmoil places where Redford had filmed and Willis had behaved in a predatory manner over property rights and job security of the locals.
Funny line about Hope and applause.
Hello Bob, thanks for taking a look at my Chaplin video, I thought I’d do a short series of videos on the great Hollywood clowns and comedy teams. I’m only really familiar with the top 5 Chaplin films here, the top two Modern Times and City Lights were virtually tied and there’s only a quarter of a point between the top 4.
I was telling Bruce on my channel that we have the same first place and last place films on our two lists, the films inbetween are all in a different order. I thought City Lights was a bit too sentimental, as I assume is nearly all of Chaplins feature length movies, but I was glad Modern Times pipped it to the top.
For a few decades Chaplin was the most recognisable person on the planet. You could show his photo to a tribe of Zulus and they would know who he was. [wink] How many other celebrities can make that claim over the years? John Wayne? Mickey Mouse? Michael Jackson? (especially at the height of Jacksonmania in the 1980s) Harrison Ford? Princess Di?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LN5eBsOYm6A
Hey Steve….thanks for sharing your link to your new Chaplin video. Well. If we have the same top and bottom movies……that means we have 16% the same. I think many film historians have Modern Times and City Lights ranked as Chaplin’s best two movies. I agree Chaplin was the most famous person in the world for a very long time.
Hey Bob and Steve….I agree 100%…..the music and the video are top drawer for sure.
DISGUSTINGLY, this film was the only competitive *Oscar *Charlie ever would win? & that was 20yrs after it was made in ’52.-(due to his politics)
It was for Best Score-(“l’ll Remember You Eternally”) from “Limelight” (***1/2) & many are not aware that he composed the score for 1 of the all-time greats “Modern Times” (l936) & “Smile”
*Orson starred, directed, produced & wrote, but *Chaplin did all that & the music
Hey Spencer….yep it was a shame how Hollywood turned their back on him. Doing this page was more than confusing when doing his later movies. As you say….it took 20 years for Limelight to eligible to win that Oscar. I think Limelight is one of his masterpieces. I agree Charlie did it all. Thanks for checking out my Chaplin page.
Cogerson
“how Hollywood turned their back on him.”
Did they exactly? I don’t know the facts about Hollywood, but I thought Chaplin was denied a visa by the State Department and so exiled from the US. So it seems it was the government in his case.
Cogerson
I looked up the above (I should have before posting)
and US Attorney General James P. McGranery revoked Chaplin’s re-entry permit on September 19, 1952. This was during the Truman Administration. Chaplin never challenged this act, saying that he was sick of America’s “moral pomposity,” and didn’t return until invited for a special Oscar twenty years later.
Anyway, whatever Hollywood’s role, the United States government must bear the main blame for this action.
Good information. I can see both Hollywood and the US government had huge parts in his exile. My ““how Hollywood turned their back on him.” comes from some books I read years ago….I no longer have specific incidents…..but after all he had done…and all the money he had made for lots of people….they stopped returning his calls…made it difficult for him to work…..basically treated him as poison….granted he was nowhere near an innocent bystander….as he gave them lots of reasons to act that way.
By the time 1952 came around he was a Hollywood has been who had only made 1 movie in 12 years….and the Red Scare was in full force….so I think Hollywood deal all the body blows….while the government got an easy knock out punch. Sorry I slipped into sports talk…lol.
Thanks for researching this information….it is greatly appreciated.
1 Very astute observation to begin with and good follow-up research. With your follow up you kind of turned on its head the old advice to up and coming lawyers about courtroom tactics -“Never ask a question that you don’t know the answer to.”
2 As is usual Bruce brings us a useful oversight of the matter. If you haven’t already seen them and can get your hands on DVDs you should watch DeNiro’s Guilty by Suspicion (1991) Clooney’s Good Night and Good Luck (2003) and the recent Trumbo which demonstrate how at the behest of the politicians Hollywood put through the ringer and/or banished performers who made more harmless comments than Charlie’s “moral pomposity” one. The irony was that apparently half the politicians who applied that pressure ended up in jail for fraud and in Trumbo he bumps into one of the in the clink.
3 Most of the si-fi movies that Hollywood churned out at that time were designed covertly play to on subconscious Cold War fears with titles like It Conquered the World, Invasion of the Body Snatchers and almost overtly Red Planet Mars. They went along with EVERYTHING that suited their interests even to preserve their German film market earnings during the 2nd World War allowing the 3rd Reich an office in Hollywood to vet movies about the war and Hitler. As one historian said “They were a feather for every wind that blew!” In short even if McGranery hadn’t revoked his visa Charlie would have had no chance.and only his great fame might have spared him even being jailed.
Hey Bob…I agree John found some good information on Chaplin and his issues. Not thinking I knew that information. Luckily, Hollywood, opened up their arms again when they gave him that Honorary Oscar…which is one of the great Oscar moments of all-time.