8. The Circus
Despite its now classic status, The Circus endured an agonizing production that led to its release being delayed eight months. Chaplin overcame the death of his mother, a bitter divorce from his second wife, a scratched film negative, and a major studio in the process of delivering one of the highest grossing films of the silent era. In The Circus, Chaplin's Tramp unwittingly becomes the star of a struggling circus after stumbling into the middle of one of the shows. Unfortunately, the Tramp can only be funny when he is not trying to be and he soon falls out of favor with the ringmaster and the audience. Released in 1928, one year after The Jazz Singer became the first sound film, many critics have since interpreted the ending, which showed the Tramp walking away into the distance as the Circus leaves him behind, as showing Chaplin's fear that he too will soon be left behind by the sound age. Fortunately for everyone, Chaplin was not even close to finishing his remarkable run of classics. An enormous success upon its release, The Circus garnered Chaplin a special Academy Award and it has remained one of the most adored of all silent films.