# When Charlie Met Joan: The Tragedy of the Chaplin Trials and the Failings of American Law - Hardcover

by **Diane Kiesel** (Author)

Charlie Chaplin, the silent screen's "Little Tramp," was beloved by millions of movie fans until he starred in a series of salacious, real-life federal courtroom dramas. The 1944 trial was described by ace _New York Daily News_ reporter Florabel Muir as "the best show in town." The leading lady was a woman under contract to his studio--red-haired ing?nue Joan Barry, Chaplin's prot?g?e and former mistress. Although he beat the federal criminal trial, Chaplin lost a paternity case and had to pay child support despite blood type evidence that proved he was not the child's father.

A decade later during the Cold War, the U.S. government used the Barry trials as an excuse to bar the left-leaning, sexually adventurous, British-born comic from the country he had called home for forty years. Not only did these trials have a lasting impact on law; they also raise concerns about the power of celebrity, Cold War politics, the media frenzy surrounding high-profile court proceedings, and the sorry history of the casting couch. _When Charlie Met Joan_ examines these trials from the perspective of both parties, asking whether Chaplin was unfairly persecuted by the government because of his left-leaning political beliefs, or if he should have been held more accountable for his cavalier treatment of Barry and other women in his life.

### Author Biography

**Diane Kiesel** is a retired judge of the New York Supreme Court. Her other books include _She Can Bring Us Home: Dr. Dorothy Boulding Ferebee, Civil Rights Pioneer_, and _Domestic Violence: Law, Policy, and Practice_.

**Number of Pages:** 408

**Dimensions:** 1.4 x 9.1 x 6.1 IN

**Publication Date:** February 11, 2025

## Details

- **Price:** 30.0 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 30.00 USD | In stock |

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- When Charlie Met Joan: The Tragedy of the Chaplin Trials and the Failings of American Law - Hardcover

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