Charlie Chaplin vs. America : When Art, Sex, and Politics Collided

Eyman takes a close look at the political turmoil and events that led to Chaplin’s exile out of his adopted country. In the aftermath of World War II, Chaplin lost the American public’s sympathy. He was criticized for being politically liberal and internationalist in outlook. He had never become a US citizen, something that would be held against him as xenophobia set in when the postwar Red Scare took hold. Eyman also discusses the intimate details of Chaplin’s life, many of which made front page news and scandalized the American public. He delves into the Joan Barry affair in detail, as well as the roles that Hedda Hopper, J. Edgar Hoover and several others played during this time. Research included the Chaplin Archive, the Library of Congress, the Nixon Library and many other sources.