The Charlie Chaplin Archives

Brilliance in a bowler hat. Delving into the archives of slapstick genius

Three years in the making, and leaving no document unturned in the vast Chaplin archives, this XL tome follows the making of every one of Chaplin’s films. Featuring personal letters and memos, sketches, storyboards, posters, on-set photos, and oral history from Chaplin and some of his closest collaborators, it reveals the impromptu invention as well as the meticulous planning that together made Chaplin the first international film star. A precious 12 frame strip from City Lights (1931), cut from a 35 mm print in Chaplin’s archives, is included in the first print run.

Within a year of arriving in Hollywood in 1914, British-born Charlie Chaplin had become the slapstick king of America. By the end of his second year on the silver screen, Chaplin’s fame had spread worldwide. He was the first international film star and rapidly one of the richest men in the world, with a million-dollar contract, his own studio and his stock company of close collaborators. From Alaska to Zimbabwe, the bowler hat, cane, baggy trousers and outsized shoes of the Tramp became, and remains an instantly recognizable silhouette.

With unrestricted access to the Chaplin archives, TASCHEN presents the ultimate book on the making of every one of his films. With 900 images, including stills, memos, storyboards and on-set photos, as well as interviews with Chaplin and his closest collaborators, it reveals the process behind the Chaplin genius, from the impromptu invention of early shots to the meticulous retakes and reworking of scenes and gags in his classic movies: The Kid (1921), The Gold Rush (1925), The Circus (1928), City Lights (1931), Modern Times (1936), and the provocative Hitler parody The Great Dictator (1940).

The book includes:

- The Chaplin life history in words and pictures
- 900 images including many previously unseen stills, on-set photos, memos, documents, storyboards, posters, and designs, plus scripts and images for unmade films
- An oral history, told from the point of view of Chaplin himself, drawing upon his extensive writings, many of which have never been reprinted before.
- Supplementary interviews with some of his closest collaborators.
- Material from over 150 books of press clippings in Chaplin’s archives, which range from his early days in music halls to his death
- Chaplin’s short films, from Making a Living (1914) to The Pilgrim (1923), as well as all of his feature-length movies, from The Kid (1921) to A Countess from Hong Kong (1967)
- The first print run of 10,000 copies includes a precious 12 frame strip from City Lights (1931), cut from a 35 mm print in Chaplin’s archives.

Documents from the Chaplin Archives Property and Copyright of Roy Export Company Establishment, scanned by Cineteca di Bologna

The editor:

Paul Duncan is a film historian whose TASCHEN books include The James Bond Archives, The Charlie Chaplin Archives, The Godfather Family Album, Taxi Driver, Film Noir, and Horror Cinema, as well as publications on film directors, film genres, movie stars, and film posters.