Charlie Chaplin was a skilled comedian, filmmaker and composer, and the mission of this book is to educate readers on the wide variety of Chaplin’s artistry: the subtlety of his mimetic satire, the sophistication of his film direction, his prodigious musical skill that resulted in some of film’s greatest orchestral arrangements. The encyclopedia also emphasizes the singular nature of Chaplin’s biography: his unprecedented renown, the wide list of notables in art and culture with whom he fraternized, the controversies that seemed to dog each stage of his life, perhaps most notably his run-ins with the FBI and the House Unamerican Activities committee, both of whom suspected him of communist leanings.

Charlie Chaplin: A Reference Guide to His Life and Works captures his life, and legacy. It features a chronology, an introduction offers a brief account of his life, a dictionary section lists entries on Chaplin’s childhood, career, family, and associates. The bibliography is one of the largest available bibliographies of works concerning Chaplin.