Gaining independence

When his contract with Mutual expired in 1917, Chaplin decided to become an independent producer in a desire for more freedom and greater leisure in making his movies. To that end, he busied himself with the construction of his own studios. This plant was situated in the heart of the residential section of Hollywood at La Brea Avenue. Early in 1918, Chaplin entered into an agreement with First National Exhibitors’ Circuit, a new organization specially formed to exploit his pictures. His first film under this new deal was “A Dog’s Life”. After this production, he turned his attention to a national tour on behalf of the war effort, following which he made a film the US government used to popularize the Liberty Loan drive: “The Bond”. His next commercial venture was the production of a comedy dealing with the war. “Shoulder Arms”, released in 1918 at a most opportune time, proved a veritable mirth quake at the box office and added enormously to Chaplin’s popularity. This he followed with “Sunnyside” and “A Day’s Pleasure”, both released in 1919.In April of that year, Chaplin joined with Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith to found the United Artists Corporation. B.B. Hampton, in his “History of the Movies” says: “The Corporation was organized as a distributor, each of the artists retaining entire control of his or her respective producing activities, delivering to United Artists the completed pictures for distribution on the same general plan they would have followed with a distributing organization which they did not own. The stock of United Artists was divided equally among the founders. This arrangement introduced a new method into the industry. Heretofore, producers and distributors had been the employers, paying salaries and sometimes a share of the profits to the stars. Under the United Artists system, the stars became their own employers. They had to do their own financing, but they received the producer profits that had formerly gone to their employers and each received his share of the profits of the distributing organization.”


However, before he could assume his responsibilities with United Artists, Chaplin had to complete his contract with First National. So early in 1921, he came out with a six-reel masterpiece, The kids in which he introduced to the screen one of the greatest child actors the world has ever known – Jackie Coogan. The next year, he produced “The Idle Class”, in which he portrayed a dual character.Then, feeling the need of a complete rest from his motion picture activities, Chaplin sailed for Europe in September 1921. London, Paris, Berlin and other capitals on the continent gave him tumultuous receptions. After an extended vacation, Chaplin returned to Hollywood to resume his picture work and start his active association with United Artists.Under his arrangement with U.A., Chaplin made eight pictures, each of feature length, in the following order:

BIOGRAPHY OF CHARLIE CHAPLIN

Childhood

Charles Spencer Chaplin was born in London, England, on April 16th 1889. His father was a versatile vocalist and actor; and his mother, known under the stage name of Lily Harley, was an attractive actress and singer, who gained a reputation for her work in the light opera field. Charlie was thrown on his own resources before he reached the age of ten as the early death of his father and the subsequent illness of his mother made it necessary for Charlie and his brother, Sydney, to fend for themselves.
Having inherited natural talents from their parents, the youngsters took to the stage as the best opportunity for a career. Charlie made his professional debut as a member of a juvenile group called “The Eight Lancashire Lads” and rapidly won popular favour as an outstanding tap dancer.

Beginning of his career

When he was about fourteen, he got his first chance to act in a legitimate stage show, and appeared as “Billy” the page boy, in support of William Gillette in “Sherlock Holmes”. At the close of this engagement, Charlie started a career as a comedian in vaudeville, which eventually took him to the United States in 1910 as a featured player with the Fred Karno Repertoire Company.
He scored an immediate hit with American audiences, particularly with his characterization in a sketch entitled “A Night in an English Music Hall”. When the Fred Karno troupe returned to the United States in the fall of 1912 for a repeat tour, Chaplin was offered a motion picture contract.
He finally agreed to appear before the cameras at the expiration of his vaudeville commitments in November 1913; and his entrance in the cinema world took place that month when he joined Mack Sennett and the Keystone Film Company. His initial salary was $150 a week, but his overnight success on the screen spurred other producers to start negotiations for his services.
At the completion of his Sennett contract, Chaplin moved on to the Essanay Company (1915) at a large increase. Sydney Chaplin had then arrived from England, and took his brother’s place with Keystone as their leading comedian.
The following year Charlie was even more in demand and signed with the Mutual Film Corporation for a much larger sum to make 12 two-reel comedies. These include “The Floorwalker”, “The Fireman”, “The Vagabond”, “One A.M.” (a production in which he was the only character for the entire two reels with the exception of the entrance of a cab driver in the opening scene), “The Count”, “The Pawnshop”, “Behind the Screen”, “The Rink”, “Easy Street”

Tiger Woods on right track at Augusta

After 41/2 months in the world's doghouse, which seemed altogether appropriate, Tiger Woods needed less than a week to regain his previously unchallenged status.

He is, once again, The Most Watchable Competitor on earth.

From his 35-minute news conference last Monday to his passive absorption of Billy Payne's sanctimonious admonishment to actual hitting of balls on the hallowed ground of this nation's most fabled course, Woods has made substantial progress toward refacing his tattered image.

Though Tiger's decision to return at this weekend's Masters was the subject of wide and furious debate, he and his advisers made a brilliant call.

They knew Tiger didn't have to win, that it might be best if he doesn't. It's barely relevant that the 2-under 70 he shot in the third round Saturday has him third on the leader board, for Tiger's people realized, this being a major tournament, their guy would be the heart of the story but not the whole story. For once, victory is, for them if not for Woods, completely secondary.

The first priority for Tiger, as he attempts to project a newfound humility, was to rejoin the human race.

That meant presenting himself before friends and strangers. For Tiger, there is no better backdrop than Augusta National, where 13 years ago, at age 21, he introduced his radiant greatness by conquering the course and vaporizing the field to win by an astounding — and unprecedented

Tiger has captured three more forest green jackets symbolic of winning the Masters. He doesn't own the course, but he plays it as if it were his backyard. He plays Augusta National better than anyone ever has, including Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.

So the week was about shepherding a man from the most shamefully uncomfortable position he has known to one of the most comfortable places he has ever been. Tiger squirmed while owning up to the one-car crash, squirmed as mistress after mistress after mistress cashed out by pulling back the covers of their trysts, squirmed as sponsors fled, squirmed his way through a wooden attempt at apologizing.

He's squirming even now as his wife, Elin, contemplates the future for her and their two children.

With all this squirming, Woods needed a place not only where the ground beneath his feet was firm but also felt familiar.

Though some members of the media continue to beat him up and some fans have ditched Tiger, the gallery has been mostly supportive. This tends to be the human response to epic disaster moving into the cleanup stage.

How long, after all, are folks going to cling to hatred and disgust? The philandering celebrity is an old tale, all too common from music to movies to athletics and politics. Tiger's disrespect for his family is a private matter that ranks much lower on the disturbance scale than, say, threats to politicians or the pedophilia controversy raging within the priesthood.

That Tiger is not being showered with love from everyone is to be expected. That's always been the case. There are hundreds of high-profile athletes, and none is universally beloved. Not Peyton Manning or Brett Favre, not LeBron James or Dirk Nowitzki, not Derek Jeter or Albert Pujols. Not even Manny Pacquiao.

So, yes, there have been cheers for Tiger. Thank goodness Elin is not on the premises, with every shot of her in the gallery reminding one and all of her husband's sin. She doesn't need the aggravation.

Let the focus be on Tiger. Let him face what he has done, who he has been and whatever response he gets from the public. Let him walk alone through these flames.

Yet we should not be surprised he has been so competitive. He is the very best golfer in the world and an unsurpassed competitor. The very best — the Muhammad Alis and Michael Jordans and Kobe Bryants — respond to adversity with incredible focus. They have a narrow, coldhearted approach, like a shark chasing its prey.

So Woods is back within the vicinity of our adulation, if not admiration. That he has lost a sizable portion of women matters little, for golf has a history of being utterly dismissive toward females.

Tiger's comeback has advanced from the embryonic to the crawling stage. If he goes out today and loses in memorable fashion, especially to Phil Mickelson, Woods will be on his feet.

From there, the top of the world is but a long walk and a few wise decisions away.