Funny Girls Photos

Funny Girls Photos Biography

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Sydney was the oldest surviving Chaplin child at the time of his death following a stroke on March 3, 2009. While in no way could he match his father's ambitious nature and incredible genius, Sydney managed to do things his way. Fortunately, he wasn't weighed down by his father's all-encompassing obsession for recognition. Easygoing to a fault, Sydney was both charming and charismatic - a winning combination on the stage. A wonderful mimic, he also possessed a fun and witty idle-rich mentality that tended to reflect his stage and film persona.

Sydney Earle Chaplin, who bore a similar, slightly forlorn facial resemblance to his famous dad, was born in Beverly Hills, California, on March 31, 1926, and was the second son born to Charlie and his second wife, Lita Grey. Lita was an aspiring actress who married the 35-year-old legend when she was 16. Sydney was named after his half-uncle, actor Sydney Chaplin (1885-1965). His parents' marriage was doomed from the start and indeed was over before Sydney was even a year old. Charlie created just as many headlines off camera as he did on, and this breakup was no exception. The acrimonious divorce proceedings was a feast for the tabloids in 1927. Sydney was thereafter raised by his maternal grandmother and saw almost nothing of his father during his most irregular upbringing.

Growing up, the boy suffered from extreme restlessness and a lack of discipline, and his education was erratic as a result. He was expelled from three boarding schools by the time he was 16. Things changed for him, however, with his country's participation in World War II. Drafted into the infantry at age 18, a new sense of purpose took over him when he was sent to Europe to serve as a bazooka man in the Third Army commanded by Gen. George S. Patton.

Sydney had avoided his father's profession up until this point. After his discharge from the army, however, he was asked by a friend to try acting and he found out that he liked it. In 1946 he became the co-founder (with George Englund) of the Circle Theatre in Los Angeles. Father Charlie actually directed Sydney in a couple of the company's endeavors, including a production of "Rain". Impressed by Sydney's new-found seriousness, Charlie gave him his first movie role as the composer in the classic Limelight (1952). Despite a fine introduction into films, Sydney's later output would be largely overlooked.

Despite his inbred elegance, he was not the leading man type on film and was often cast in ethnic support roles (Indian, Egyptian). His credits included such foreign films as Act of Love (1953) [aka "Act of Love"] starring Kirk Douglas; Columbus Discovers Kraehwinkel (1954) [aka "Columbus Discovers Kraehwinkel"], which co-starred brother Charlie Jr., the British entry Land of the Pharaohs (1955), which starred one-time paramour Joan Collins, the English/Egyptian co-production Abdullah's Harem (1955) starring Kay Kendall, and another British programmer, Follow That Man (1961) with Dawn Addams. He did not have any better luck with the American films he made--Pillars of the Sky (1956)--a actionful western in which he played an Indian scout working for the army--Four Girls in Town (1957) and Quantez (1957). Sydney did star in one above-average picture, the British thriller The Deadliest Sin (1955) co-starring Audrey Dalton, but the second-string film came and went without much fanfare.

Stardom finally occurred for the actor on the New York stage -- not in a chic comedy, for which he was known, but in a musical. He opened on Broadway in November of 1956 in the hit Betty Comden and Adolph Green effort "Bells Are Ringing" after femme star Judy Holliday encouraged him to audition. Having never sung before, it took 15 rounds before the director gave him the part of Jeff Moss, the gent who falls for Holliday's switchboard operator. Both Sydney and Judy wound up winning Tony trophies in 1957 for their performances (Sydney in the "featured" category) and he also earned a 1957 Theatre World Award as a new "promising personality". He and Holliday became involved at one point, which did not work out, and the uncomfortable situation led to his agreed replacement (by Hal Linden). Sydney would not return to perform with Holliday when the show made its London debut. Nevertheless, he continued on Broadway in both musicals and comedies, including "Goodbye, Charlie" (1959), "Subways Are for Sleeping" (1961) and "In the Counting House" (1962). His modest baritone was utilized on TV as well in the musical version of Wonderful Town (1958) (TV) starring Rosalind Russell.