On this day, March 21, in 1944, Charles Chaplin went on trial in Los Angeles, accused of transporting former protege Joan Barry across state lines for immoral purposes.
Chaplin, then 52 and the most recognized star on the silver screen, hired and trained the auburn-haired Barry for a starring role in 1941. Two weeks after the contract, 21-year-old Barry became his mistress.
Chaplin was charged with violating the 1910 White Slave Traffic Act, or the Mann Act, aimed at combatting forced prostitution and “debauchery.”
Barry testified that she visited Chaplin about five times a week. By summer of 1942, Chaplin had decided that Barry was unsuited for his movie. The contract ended.
Chaplin was acquitted, but the affair damaged his reputation with the public.
