Charlie on the Ocean

A visibly excited Charles Chaplin embarks on his first journey home since his meteoric rise to fame

The world's biggest film star gamely entertains fellow passengers during his Atlantic crossing in this 1921 newsreel. Charlie Chaplin's return to England was headline news. This was his first visit to the land of his birth in nearly a decade, during which time he had risen from obscurity to become Hollywood's biggest star. The Topical Budget newsreel is understandably pleased with its exclusive arrangement to film his journey.

On board the RMS Olympic, an obviously excited Chaplin gets a taste of the rapturous welcome he can expect when he reaches London. But this is nothing compared to the frenzied throng waiting for him outside the Ritz in Piccadilly. Small wonder that he later slipped out of a back door for a more private tour of old haunts.