19 September 1952



Charlie Chaplin barred from the US

The London-born actor was one of the first superstars of film. But all the fame in the world could not stop him from being branded a Communist during the McCarthyite “reds under the beds” witch-hunt.

In fact, his fame was the reason he was picked out. Though British, Chaplin had been living in America for nearly 40 years when Senator Joseph McCarthy’s House Un-American Activities Committee took aim at him. He was put on an FBI black list in 1948, which prevented him from working in Hollywood.

He defiantly told McCarthy’s committee: “I do not want to create any revolution. All I want to create is a few more films. I might amuse people. I hope so.”

In the autumn of 1952, he set sail on the Queen Elizabeth with his wife and four children. He was heading for Britain, for a holiday. On 19 September, word came through that if he were to return to America, he would be arrested.

He got the message and stayed away. He never lived there again. “I would not go back there even if Jesus Christ were the president,” he announced.

Many years after McCarthy had safely left the scene, Chaplin did visit the US one more time, in 1972 - to pick up an honorary Oscar.

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