Three books. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two obvious choices, but I’m going with them anyway:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His own “My Autobiography” (what a genius title! haha), and David Robinson’s “Chaplin: His Life and Art”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Robinson’s book was the first Chaplin book I bought. It was around the beginning of my fanhood days. I had seen it in my favorite used book store, but was hesitant to get it because “what if it was no good?” The internet wasn’t a big thing yet, so I couldn’t Google it or check Amazon to find out other reviews. Then one day I was sitting in one of my college classes and out of nowhere I had an urge to go down to the store and get it after class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So I drive down there and I stop and think I better skim through it, and right away there were some interesting images. One was of the Chaplin family tree (up to date as of book publishing, circa 1985), a newspaper clipping announcing his birth, and a picture of a child age Charlie for the Sherlock Holmes play. All three of these (especially the last one) sold me. And I have loved the book ever since!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A few years later I bought another edition of it that was published around the time of the “Chaplin” had more updated information about his family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Below is a recent interview with David (during the coronavirus ordeal) by Dan Kamin for the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum<\/a> YouTube channel:<\/p>\n\n\n\n