Chaplin was a man plagued by loneliness and driven by the search for artistic perfection. His life was an extraordinarily dramatic one, and David Robinson explores the often tragic story of Chaplin's alcoholic father; his mentally disturbed mother; his marriages to very young women, including the legendary film star Paulette Goddard; the 'white slavery' case against him; and his persecution by anti-Communist forces during the McCarthy era, including the FBI, which ultimately forced Chaplin to leave America. 'Chaplin' contains many provocative revelations and previously unknown and unpublished information about Chaplin's private life, romances and business dealings - and about the making of his magical films.