ABSTRACT
Early Life Charles Spencer Chaplin was born April 16, 1889, in London, England, into a theatrical family. His father, Charles Chaplin, Sr., was an alcoholic music-hall performer who soon abandoned his family; his mother, nee Hannah Hill, was an unsuccessful music-hall performer who suffered from mental illness most of her adult life. As a result of the unstable family life, Charles, Jr., and his older brother Sydney spent much of their youth in charity institutions, though Hannah, whom Chaplin revered, did what she could for her sons. In fact, Chaplin remained devoted to his mother, one of the most influential people in his life, until her death in 1928.
