Charlie Chaplin, having long established himself as a silent film star, and having successfully made the transition to “talkies,” took some time off before World War II to travel around, and during that time, he became concerned about the plight of the poor, according to History Daily. His film, “Modern Times,” contained a strong anti-capitalist message, and his next film, “The Dictator,” featured a Hitler-like character and strong anti-fascist themes. That got him on the radar of the director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover.
After World War II, things in the United States took a dark turn. Though victorious in their quest against the Nazis in Europe and the Japanese in the Pacific, the U.S. faced a new enemy: communism. So keen was the U.S. to identify and deal with — imprison, deport, etc. — any suspected communists that the era became known as the “Red Scare,” and many found themselves on the wrong side of U.S. authorities. Chaplin, already having caught the eye of the feds, was one of them.
In 1952, Chaplin was out of the country when he was declared persona non grata in the U.S., according to the Hollywood Reporter and, not being a citizen, he wasn’t allowed to return.
