Chaplin's War Trilogy

Wes D. Gehring is a distinguished professor of film at Ball State University and associate media editor for USA Today magazine, for which he also writes the column “Reel World.” He is the author of 40 film books, including biographies of James Dean, Carole Lombard, Steve McQueen, Robert Wise, Red Skelton and Charlie Chaplin.

“this tribute to Chaplin is both a brilliant textual analysis and a cultural history...Gehring remains supreme in film comedy scholarship...recommended”—Choice; “Just about anything with film historian and media writer Wes D. Gehring’s name on it will be of quality.”—Cinema Retro; “fascinating...After reading Gehring’s fine book, you’ll be eager to return to Chaplin’s films, to reexamine them with a new understanding and appreciation. He makes us aware of the timelessness of both the inventive humor and profound messages in Chaplin’s masterfully made works”—Pop Culture Classics; “a comprehensive and fascinating study...goes deep into the man’s career and his large cinematic contributions...highly recommended”—Taste of Cinema; “offers a stimulating insight into a century of cinema through the lens of Charlie Chaplin’s filmmaking”—Cercles; “an intelligent look at one aspect of Chaplin’s enormous contribution to cinema. Recommended”—Examiner.com; “a brilliant researcher”—Killer Reviews.

• Table of ContentsForeword by Conrad LanePreface and AcknowledgmentsPrologue1. Chaplin and the Basic Parameters of Dark Comedy2. Chaplin’s Life and Career to 19183. The War Bond Rallies of 1918: A Neglected Patriot4. Shoulder Arms and War as a Film Topic in 19185. Moving to the ­Post-War 1920s6. The 1930s and Gathering War Clouds7. Napoleon, Hitler and The Great Dictator8. After The Great Dictator; Before Monsieur Verdoux9. Monsieur Verdoux, Without His “Talisman” Charlie10. Monsieur Verdoux to Limelight: From “The Little Tramp” to “The Little Red”11. Two Bitter Kings, Dark Comedy Reality, and a Lesson from Monsieur Verdoux12. Coming Full Circle: Chaplin’s Last Years, an Unrealized Darkly Comic Project, and a Final Macabre TwistEpilogueFilmographyChapter NotesBibliographyIndex