According to documents released Friday, the real name and birthplace of legendary silent-film star Charlie Chaplin is shrouded in mystery, Reuters reported.

In 1952, British MI5 agents were asked by the FBI to investigate Chaplin's background, as the bureau believed he was using an alias and that his real name was Israel Thornstein.

Chaplin, one of Hollywood's first and greatest stars, famed for his "Little Tramp" character, believed he was born on April 16, 1889, in south London.

But, an exhaustive search by MI5 found no record of his birth anywhere.

(China.org.cn, CNTV February 22, 2012)

據路透社報道，一份文件周五解密稱，默片傳奇影星查理·卓別林的真實姓名和出生地一直隱藏在迷霧中。

1952年，美國聯邦調查局曾經向英國軍情五處的特工詢問并調查卓別林的背景，因為當局認為卓別林一直在用化名，而他的真實姓名是以色列·索爾斯坦。

卓別林因為電影《小流浪漢》而名聲大噪，是好萊塢第一代也是最偉大的明星之一。人們一直認為他于1889年4月16日在倫敦南部出生。

但是，根據英國軍情五處全面的調查發現，沒有資料顯示他出生于何方。