Background
During the silent era, Charlie Chaplin was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Unfortunately for Chaplin though, he fell victim to McCarthyism and in the 1950s, he lived in exile in Switzerland with his wife Oona O'Neill. He latest three films, Monsieur Verdoux, Limelight, and A King in New York, were not universally acclaimed and his star power was fading. The idea of reviving his role as The Tramp for modern audiences was entertained. Chaplin had often used scenes featuring The Tramp, such as The Tramp's final appearance in Modern Times, as a vehicle for expressing his ideas. Critic and friend James Agee wrote a script placing Chaplin's trademark character, the Tramp, in apocalyptic New York.
Chaplin decided the best way to bring the tramp into the new era was by re-releasing three silent films he made with First National as a feature length film. Released in 1959, The Chaplin Revue consisted of A Dog's Life, Shoulder Arms and The Pilgrim – each of which was introduced by Chaplin and juxtaposed with behind the scenes footage and clips from World War I.
Read more about this topic: The Chaplin Revue
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