Charlie Chaplin, who was born in Britain but spent most of his life in the United States, is one of the pivotal figures in film history. He is especially remembered for his work in the silent movies. Chaplin knew that a successful scene was not simply about the starring actor, but about everything else. The only way to achieve that unity was to get personally involved in every stage of the film; from starring in his films to producing, directing, editing them, and even to composing the music for them. It was not uncommon for him to decide half-way through a film that an actor wasn’t suitable for a certain role, and start over with someone new. This constant attention to detail ran many features over- time and over-budget, but the public reaction assured him and the studios that what he was doing worked. Chaplin typically improvised his story in front of the camera with only a basic framework of a script. But on consideration, his art turned out to be firmly rooted, and could be seen, for example, to draw much of its strength from his successful fusion of English and American cultures and traditions.