When Charlie Chaplin Was Banned From America For Communist Rumors

By | September 15, 2020

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(United Artists/Wikimedia Commons)

British-born Charlie Chaplin was one of America's best-loved silent film stars and one of the few who made a smooth transition into "talkies." He enjoyed a prolific career in Hollywood well into the '50s until the Red Scare got Charlie Chaplin banned from America.

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(United Artists/Wikimedia Commons)

Charlie Chaplin In Politics

The 1940s were a rocky time for Charlie Chaplin. He went through a high-profile divorce from his second wife, and the film industry was transitioning from silent movies to talkies, a move that intimidated Chaplin. He took several months off to travel the world, first to his homeland of England and then across Europe and into Japan, where he met with politicians and social leaders who stoked his interest in the plight of the working class.

Upon his return, he wrote, filmed, and starred in Modern Times, which had a clear anti-capitalist message that made a splash with the public, particularly those in the U.S. government. In Chaplin's next film, The Dictator, the actor portrayed a Hitler-like character. The film was highly regarded, and its anti-war and anti-fascist themes made it a favorite of President Franklin Roosevelt, but not everybody was on board. The film drew the attention of J. Edgar Hoover, the director of the F.B.I., who was concerned that Chaplin's political views were drifting too far into the red.