Charlie Chaplin’s career and political engagement during World War II highlight the intersection of artistic satire and government surveillance. Chaplin, a self-described pacifist and humanist, utilized his iconic Little Tramp persona to challenge the rise of Adolf Hitler in *The Great Dictator*, a film that defied industry pressure and studio caution. While the movie became a massive commercial success and a powerful political statement against totalitarianism, it simultaneously intensified the scrutiny of J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI. This hostility, coupled with Chaplin’s controversial personal life and legal battles—most notably the paternity suit involving Joan Barry—eroded his public standing. Ultimately, his commitment to anti-fascist activism and his perceived subversive left-leaning politics made him a primary target for state-orchestrated scandals, marking a pivotal transition from his status as a beloved Hollywood pioneer to a figure under constant political siege.
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