ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book describes the aspects of the political Charlie Chaplin, and this can be best done through a thematic approach. It explores how his political reach was already coming under fire due to his controversial relationships with several very young women. The book shows that Chaplin was having his world view shaped by interactions with several left-wing thinkers – not least the radical pamphleteer Max Eastman and Chaplin's own employee, Rob Wagner. It focuses on Chaplin on the world stage and also explores Chaplin's complicated and changing relationship to fascism. The book deals with how Chaplin viewed Stalin and the Red Army, and how this stance was received in America. It considers how Chaplin's sex life and his politics intertwined once more.
