Charles Chaplin Jr.
Chaplin c. 1960
Born
Charles Spencer Chaplin III

(1925-05-05)May 5, 1925
Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
DiedMarch 20, 1968(1968-03-20) (aged 42)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Burial placeHollywood Forever Cemetery
Alma materBlack-Foxe Military Institute
Lawrenceville School
OccupationActor
Spouses
Susan Magness
​
​
(m. 1958; div. 1959)​
    Marta Brown
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1962, divorced)​
    Children1
    Parent(s)Charlie Chaplin
    Lita Grey
    RelativesSee Chaplin family

    Charles Spencer Chaplin III (May 5, 1925 – March 20, 1968), known professionally as Charles Chaplin Jr., was an American actor. He was the eldest son of Charlie Chaplin and Lita Grey, and is known for appearing in 1950s films such as The Beat Generation and Fangs of the Wild.

    Early life

    Chaplin was born in Beverly Hills, California. He was the elder son of actors Charlie Chaplin and Lita Grey. His half-siblings from his father's last marriage to Oona O'Neill are Geraldine, Michael, Josephine, Victoria, Eugene, Jane, Annette, and Christopher. His elder half-brother, Norman, died as an infant.

    As young children, he and his younger brother, Sydney, were used as pawns in their mother's bitter divorce from Charlie Chaplin, during which a lot of the couple's "dirty linen" was aired in public, sensational divorce hearings.[1] Following the divorce, the brothers were raised by their mother and maternal grandmother until the mid-1930s, when they began to make frequent visits to their father.

    Chaplin attended the Black-Foxe Military Institute in Hollywood and the Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. He served in the U.S. Army in Europe during World War II.

    Career

    Chaplin acted in 13 films, appearing with his father in Limelight (1952). In 1959, he had a role in the film Girls Town which featured the son of another famous silent movie comedian, Harold Lloyd Jr. He appeared with his brother Sydney in the play Ethan Frome at the Circle Theatre, now named El Centro Theatre. In 1960, he wrote a book about his family life titled My Father, Charlie Chaplin.

    Death

    Grave of Charles Chaplin III

    Chaplin died of a pulmonary embolism on March 20, 1968, in Santa Monica, California, aged 42. He is buried in the Abbey of the Psalms mausoleum at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery with his maternal grandmother Lillian Carrillo Curry Grey.

    In the 2022 Netflix film Blonde, Chaplin was portrayed by Xavier Samuel.[2]

    Selected filmography

    References

    1. ↑ "Charlie Chaplin Jr". Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Retrieved 23 February 2022. Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (5 May 1925 – 20 March 1968) was an American actor and the son of Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin was born in Beverly Hills, California. His mother was Charlie Chaplin's second wife, Mexican-American Lita Grey, and he was the elder brother of actor Sydney Chaplin.
    2. ↑ "'Blonde': 10 of the Marilyn Monroe Biopic's Stars and Their Real-Life Inspirations". The Hollywood Reporter. 28 September 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
    3. ↑ Girls Town (1959) - Turner Classic Movies

    Further reading

    • Grey, Lita. My Life With Chaplin, Grove Press. 1966.
    • Grey, Lita; Vance, Jeffrey. Wife of the Life of the Party: A Memoir. Scarecrow Press. 1998.
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