A King In New York (1957)

Deposed by a revolution in his own country, a King (Charles Chaplin) arrives in New York almost penniless. He reluctantly becomes a celebrity after appearing on television and uses his fame to earn money and support himself. Written and directed by Chaplin, this was his first film after he was exiled from the United States by the notorious House Of Un-American Activities. His last movie LIMELIGHT (1952) had been a modest success in the American cities where it had been released but this film (taking place in New York but filmed in England) was not released in the United States. A comedy about U.S. life in the fifties and most notably, the HUAC hearings. As a comedy, it's hit and miss much of the time but it's a better film than it's reputation would suggest. But then again, I would say that about his much maligned swan song A COUNTESS FROM HONG KONG too. Chaplin's satire of American TV commercials and movie coming attractions are amusing but some of the slapstick like the fire hose in the elevator are dim. Chaplin casts his own son Michael as a young boy whose parents are targeted by the HUAC for their communist past. With Dawn Addams, Maxine Audley, Sid James and Oliver Johnston.