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Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks draws a crowd of 20,000 to the Wall Street and the foot of the United States Sub Treasury building (i.e today's Federal Hall) in order to drum up support for liberty bonds to support the American War effort in World War I.
The United States had entered the war just the prior year, on April 6, 1917, while most of the Americans were caught in patriotic fervor, most of the had never bought a bond in their life or even knew what it was, so they began selling bonds to raise funds for the war effort, initially war bond sales were quite weak.
In order to promote sales, the government began hiring famous celebrities and movie stars from different field of entertainment, most notably motion pictures. Since during this time, New York City was filled with movie stars and celebrities but Hollywood was not yet the center of the business.
On April, 1918, The New York Tribune made a front page headline with, " 20,000 Throng Wall Street To Hear Movie Stars To Tell How To Win War. "
Charlie Chaplin threw himself into the war effort, beginning a nationwide tour to promote the sale of bonds, he also made a propaganda film called "The Bond" that year. But there may have been a bit of self promotion in his appearance at the United States Sub Treasury. His film " A Dog's Life " would conveniently open in movie theaters five days later.
People weren't used to hearing their movie stars speak in public in 1918. " I never made a speech before in my life, " he proclaimed through a megaphone that noon, standing in front of the George Washington Statue. " But I believe I can make one now. " Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks selling Liberty loans during the third loan campaign at the Sub Treasury building on Wall Street, New York City, 1918.
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