‘Films that are applauded all over the world’: Questioning Chaplin's popularity in Weimar Germany

Abstract

Statements on Chaplin's popularity in Weimar Germany are usually based on textual sources, such as articles by intellectuals or promotional materials. This article questions Chaplin's popularity with audiences in Weimar Germany using contemporary film revenues and surveys on the popularity of films and stars. These primary sources demonstrate a group‐specific preference for Chaplin films. The social groups that formed Chaplin's core audience in Germany were urban workers and intellectuals, but not the audience at large.