London to auction rare Chaplin film

Charlie Chaplin in Zepped was bought by collector Morace Park for £3.20 on eBay in 2009, the state-funded BBC reported.

Classified by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) in 1917, the film is the only known surviving copy and shows Chaplin bringing down a German Zeppelin aircraft. The footage lasts nearly seven minutes featuring a Zeppelin raid over London.

Charlie Chaplin in Zepped is believed to have been made as a morale-boosting propaganda film for British troops featuring some of the earliest-known animations.

According to Park, some experts said the film was an experimental movie, while others believed it was made without Chaplin's knowledge.

"This film is an enigma," said Park. "It leaves so many unanswered questions."

The Zeppelin has also turned into a controversial issue as some academics say it is real while others argue that it is an early example of animation puppetry.

Zeppelins were called "terrors of the sky" during World War I when they were used for bombing raids over England and France.

According to a footnote in the records, the film had an export license, and its beginning has censorship frames suggesting it might have been sent over to British troops based in Egypt.

"It will no doubt become a significant contribution to the history of early film," said Stephanie Connell, head of entertainment memorabilia at Bonham's where Charlie Chaplin in Zepped will be auctioned on June 29, 2011.