On Charlie Chaplin's 131st birth anniversary, revisiting actor's top five films, from The Great Dictator to Limelight

“A day without laughter is a day wasted,” said Sir Charles Spencer ‘Charlie’ Chaplin. Taking our current situation into account, we all should work harder to realize this saying. Hailed as one of the greatest comedians of all times, Charlie Chaplin started his career with the silent movies in Hollywood. His attention to detail and dedication made it possible for the silent movies to speak loud enough for generations to remember. Born in London on 16 April, 1889, Charlie had the genes of a performer. His father was an actor and vocalist, while his mother was a popular singer and actor. But Charlie and his brother Sydney had to join the stage at an early age because of the sudden demise of their father and the deteriorating health of their mother. After having worked in filmmaking, production, cinematography and even song-making for a span of 75 years, Charlie Chaplin breathed his last on 25 December, 1977, in Switzerland. On the comedian’s birth anniversary, here is a look at his five memorable films. The Circus (1928) [caption id=“attachment_8265641” align=“alignnone” width=“1024”] A still from The Circus | Twitter[/caption] Chaplin received three Academy Awards in his career, first of which was for The Circus in 1929. Chaplin’s Tramp persona gets involved with a circus troupe and becomes the star of the show in this film. City Lights (1931)

Chaplin composed the entire score for the movie and kept his famous persona of The Tramp silent. The movie was well-appreciated by critics. The premiere in Los Angeles saw attended by Albert Einstein, while the London premiere had George Bernard Shaw as the chief guest. Modern Times (1936)

This is a movie that remains contemporary in every age. The issues of class disparity, unemployment, poverty, machines replacing humans are always relevant. The character of Little Tramp working in a factory has remained etched in cinema lovers’ hearts. The Great Dictator (1940)

Chaplin brought his Tramp character to the screens again with The Great Dictator. The Tramp character sported a moustache similar to Adolf Hitler and he took on the German dictator with his wit and humour. The movie has a memorable speech reflecting Chaplin’s own ideas on dictatorship. Limelight (1952) [caption id=“attachment_8265761” align=“alignnone” width=“792”] Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton in a still from Limelight | Twitter[/caption] Said to be a biographical, Limelight narrated the story of a star past his glory days who fails to hold the attention of the world like he once used to. The story also focused on London’s music halls that were a part of Chaplin’s beginnings.