Charlie Chaplin Music

Have written about his many talents before, but keep finding more interesting info about him. Charlie Chaplin composed the music for almost all of his films. In fact, he was the only person to write, produce, direct, compose, conduct, and act in his movies. Charlie was never classically trained in music, but played a number of instruments. He even sang LINK.

Customarily in scoring silent pictures the Wagnerian Leitmotiv system, a distinctive musical theme associated with a character and idea. He wrote the ninety five musical cues in "City Lights" and the passages where the music follows or mimics the action in what is generally known as “mickey-mousing” from its use in the scoring of animated cartoons.

Here are a few of his songs: "Smile", "Eternally", "Terry's Theme", "Limelight", "This is My Song", "Oh that Cello", "There’s Always Someone You Can’t Forget", "Sing a Song”, “With you, Dear, in Bombay”, "Falling Star",  “A Paris Boulevard”, “Tango Bitterness”, and “Rumba”.

A few of his songs have become classics, top ten hits, and endure long after his death on Christmas Day, 1977 (He was born in 1899). Have included a few links below for a brief musical interlude.

"Smile" was made famous by Nat King Cole  LINK and was also covered by Michael Jackson, Timi Yuro, and Tony Bennett.

"Eternally" was covered by many, including Placido Domingo, Englebert Humperdink, Jerry Vale, Vic Damone, and Sarah Vaughn LINK.

"This is My Song" covered, among others by Petula Clark LINK and Judith Durham LINK.