LA is well known for being the movie capital of the world, and while some of the greatest film makers and film companies have their studios and offices based in this beautiful coastal city, it is also true that many of the early great film makers and actors had their studios in Los Angeles and based their careers there. And it is important to remember that greats like Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, who also happened to be the founders of United Artists , paved the way for the film industry to become the great tradition it is today and play such a prominent role in contemporary culture and society.

Charlie Chaplin Studios was built by Chaplin in 1917 and it is located just south of the southeast corner of Sunset Boulevard and La Brea. At the time of its construction, the studio was located in a residential area and Chaplin purchased the property from R.S. McClellan who had previously lived on the property and maintained a grove of orange trees. Construction of the studios was finally complete, after much red tape and more than a few troubles and resistance by some of the neighbors, in 1919. This and other early studios are some of the popular tourist destinations for many of the guests in hotel rooms LA .

While at the studios Chaplin shot many of his classic films including The Kid, The Gold Rush, Modern Times and Limelight, as well as The Great Dictator. Each of these movies featured the tramp character that Chaplin had developed and the world fell in love with. During the construction of the studios Chaplin retained a livable residence that was located in the back of the property and intended to live there, though he himself never did. Various other studio personal lived in the house at various times, including Chaplin’s brother Sydney. Chaplin sold the studios in 1953 and it has seen different owners since that time. In 1969 it was designated as a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument.