Written, scored, edited, directed, and co-starring Charles Chaplin, Pay Day is the story of a laborer who tries to use his wages to get a drink as he deals with his wife taking some of the wages he makes. The 28-minute silent comedy has Chaplin play the role of the Tramp as he tries to cope with his job and life at home. Also starring Edna Purviance, Mack Swain, Syd Chaplin, and Phyllis Allen. Pay Day is a wondrous and entertaining film from Charles Chaplin.
The film follows the day in the life of a laborer in the Tramp as he is late for work as he does what he can to get his daily wages in the hopes of not having to give any to his cruel wife (Phyllis Allen). It’s a film with a simple premise as the Tramp would do his job while he fawns over the foreman’s daughter (Edna Purviance) who eats lunch with her father Mack Swain). Still, Chaplin does play into the Tramp’s attempt to find some joy in his dreary life as it’s the wages that allows him the chance to be happy for a brief moment despite the fact that his wife would take much of it. Yet, the Tramp would get the chance to drink with his co-workers but would have trouble trying to get home.
Chaplin’s direction not only has him creating some unique gags and compositions that help play into the humor. Much of the compositions are straightforward with a lot of usage of medium shots to get coverage of the location as well as a gag one of which involves an elevator where the Tramp tries to a bit of lunch. Another gag has Chaplin looking over his wages and hiding them unaware that his wife is behind him as it play into the dynamic of his relationship with his wife. Chaplin would get some camera movement for a sequence of the Tramp trying to catch a street car as it showcased some of the obstacles his character would go through. Also serving as editor and music composer, Chaplin keeps the cutting straightforward while the score (that he created in the 1970s) has this playful tone that help add to the humor with its usage of woodwinds and strings. Overall, Chaplin creates an engaging and joyful film about a tramp trying to make an honest day’s work despite the drawbacks in his life.
Cinematographer Roland Totheroh does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white photography in capturing the richness of the exterior scenes at night as well as in the chase with its usage of available light. Art director Charles D. Hall does excellent work with the look of the construction site as well as the home the Tramp and his wife live in. The film’s marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Sydney Chaplin in a trio of roles as a mustached workman, a friend of the Tramp, and a lunch cart owner, Henry Bergman as a fat workman, Al Ernest Garcia in a dual role as a tall workman and a police officer, Edna Purviance as the foreman’s daughter whom the Tramp is smitten with, Mack Swain as the pushy foreman, and Phyllis Allen as the Tramp’s cruel wife. Finally, there’s Chaplin in an incredible performance as the Tramp as a laborer trying to make an honest day’s work yet arrives late and often creates chaos without meaning to as he also wants to find some joy endures trouble in his journey to return home.
Pay Day is a remarkable film from Charles Chaplin. Featuring some great visual gags, funny performances from its cast, and a simple yet effective story about the day in the life of a laborer. It’s a film that has Chaplin play into his approach to physical humor and gags while showcasing the struggles of a laborer through his famed Tramp character. In the end, Pay Day is an incredible film from Charles Chaplin.
Charles Chaplin Films: (Twenty Minutes of Love) - (Caught in the Rain) - (A Busy Day) - (Her Friend the Bandit) - (Mabel’s Married Life) - (Laughing Gas) - (The Face On the Bar Room Floor) - (Recreation) - (The Masquerader) - (His New Profession) – The Rounders (1914 film) - (The Property Man) - (The New Janitor) - (Those Love Pangs) - (Dough & Dynamite) - (Gentlemen of Nerve) - (His Musical Career) - (His Trysting Place) - (Getting Acquainted) - (His Prehistoric Past) - (His New Job) - (A Night Out) - (The Champion) - (In the Park) - (A Jitney Elopement) - (The Tramp) - (By the Sea (1915 film)) - (His Regeneration) - (Work (1915 film) - (A Woman) - (The Bank) - (Shanghaied) - (A Night in the Snow) - (Burlesque on Carmen) - (Police (1916 film)) - (Triple Trouble) - (The Floorwalker) - (The Fireman) - (The Vagabond) - (One A.M. (1916 film)) - (The Count) - (The Pawnshop) - (Behind the Screen) - (The Rink) - (Easy Street) - (The Cure (1917 film)) - (The Immigrant (1917 film)) - (The Adventurer) – A Dog's Life - (The Bond) – Shoulder Arms - Sunnyside - A Day's Pleasure - (The Professor) – The Kid (1921 film) - The Idle Class - The Pilgrim (1923 film) - A Woman of Paris - The Gold Rush - The Circus (1928 film) - City Lights - Modern Times - The Great Dictator
- Monsieur Verdoux - Limelight - A King in New York - (A Countess from Hong Kong)
© thevoid99 2020
Written, directed, scored, edited, and starring Charles Chaplin, The Pilgrim is the story of the Tramp who escapes from prison as he pretends to be a pastor. The film is another of Chaplin’s tale of misadventures as he would play the role of the Tramp. Also starring Edna Purviance, Henry Bergman, and Mack Swain. The Pilgrim is an extraordinary film from Charles Chaplin.
The film revolves around an escaped convict who is on the run as he pretends to be a pastor where he works for a congregation in Texas as he falls for a young woman and later deal with a man from his past. It all plays to a sense of misadventures where the Tramp tries to evade the authorities while being put into strange situations where he has to the new pastor at a Texan church. It’s not just a comedic film where Charles Chaplin plays this criminal who is trying to not go back to jail yet he would also gain redemption in helping a family when it involves an old cellmate.
Chaplin’s direction is quite simplistic at times in terms of his compositions and the way he sets up some of his gags. Yet, there’s also a sense of beauty in his direction in the way he presents the church service as well as some of the tender moments between the Tramp and the young woman he meets. Some of the gags are very creative which involves a visit from a mischievous little boy who is visiting the family that the Tramp is staying at as he causes trouble as it has this unique sense of rhythm and chaos that makes the entire sequence work. Through his rhythmic approach to the film’s editing and an exuberant film score that plays to the humor as well as featuring a song that Chaplin added for the 1959 reissue of the film sung by Matt Monroe. The film plays into this sense of a man’s misadventure as well as a chance to gain some redemption. Overall, Chaplin creates a very fun film about a convict who pretends to be a pastor.
Cinematographer Roland Totheroh does excellent work with the film‘s black-and-white photography as it‘s pretty simple in its look with the exception of a few shots that adds to the beauty of Chaplin‘s direction. Production designer Charles D. Hall does superb work with the set pieces from the look of the church to the home where the Tramp would live in. The film’s fantastic cast includes some notable small roles from Sydney Chaplin in a trio of roles from a man trying to elope with a woman, a train conductor, and a father of a troublesome little boy, Charles Reisner as a former cellmate of the Tramp, Dean Reisner as the mischievous little boy, Kitty Bradbury as the young woman’s mother, Henry Bergman as a sheriff on a train and a big man on the railroad station, Mack Swain as a large deacon, Tom Murray as a sympathetic sheriff, and Edna Purviance as the young woman the Tramp falls for. Finally, there’s Charles Chaplin in a remarkable performance as the Tramp where he brings in a lot of wit and energy to his performance as well as heart in doing what is right.
The Pilgrim is a marvelous film from Charles Chaplin as it’s one of his finest silent comedies in terms of its presentation and humor. It’s also a film that has Chaplin taking on some unique themes while finding ways to balance that with humor. In the end, The Pilgrim is a brilliant film from Charles Chaplin.
Charles Chaplin Films: (Twenty Minutes of Love) - (Caught in the Rain) - (A Busy Day) - (Her Friend the Bandit) - (Mabel’s Married Life) - (Laughing Gas) - (The Face On the Bar Room Floor) - (Recreation) - (The Masquerader) - (His New Profession) - The Rounders - (The Property Man) - (The New Janitor) - (Those Love Pangs) - (Dough & Dynamite) - (Gentlemen of Nerve) - (His Musical Career) - (His Trysting Place) - (Getting Acquainted) - (His Prehistoric Past) - (His New Job) - (A Night Out) - (The Champion) - (In the Park) - (A Jitney Elopement) - (The Tramp) - (By the Sea (1915 film)) - (His Regeneration) - (Work (1915 film) - (A Woman) - (The Bank) - (Shanghaied) - (A Night in the Snow) - (Burlesque on Carmen) - (Police (1916 film)) - (Triple Trouble) - (The Floorwalker) - (The Fireman) - (The Vagabond) - (One A.M. (1916 film)) - (The Count) - (The Pawnshop) - (Behind the Screen) - (The Rink) - (Easy Street) - (The Cure (1917 film)) - (The Immigrant (1917 film)) - (The Adventurer) - A Dog's Life - (The Bond) - Shoulder Arms - Sunnyside - A Day's Pleasure - (The Professor) - The Kid - The Idle Class - Pay Day - A Woman of Paris - The Gold Rush - The Circus - City Lights - Modern Times - The Great Dictator - Monsieur Verdoux - Limelight - A King in New York - (A Countess from Hong Kong)
© thevoid99 2014
Written, directed, edited, scored and starring Charles Chaplin, The Idle Class is the story of the Tramp who inadvertently causes trouble in the world of the rich as he is accused of doing wrong. The film is an exploration into the world of the rich as Chaplin plays dual roles as the Tramp and as a rich man. Also starring Edna Purviance, Mack Swain, and Henry Bergman. The Idle Class is a witty film from Charles Chaplin.
The film’s premise revolves around the idea of the Tramp at a posh golf course where he causes trouble and is later is mistaken to be the husband of a rich woman since they both look alike. It’s not just a film about mistaken identity but also in how someone like the Tramp manages to stumble into this world of the rich where he just wants to play golf and cause mayhem. Chaplin’s screenplay doesn’t just explore the misadventure that the Tramp creates but also in his doppelganger in this rich man who is an alcoholic as he alienated his wife who is thinking about leaving him. When the Tramp encounters her, he imagines what it would be like to be with her yet their own eventual encounter would also cause mayhem.
Chaplin’s direction is quite simple in terms of its compositions yet he does manage to create some unique ideas in the way the Tramp tries to play golf where he would anger a couple of golfers in the process. Much of it would involve Chaplin creating some scenes where he would create gags that would effective in the story along with a scene at a masquerade ball where the rich man is unable to take off his knight helmet. Through his fluid yet straightforward approach to editing as well as his exuberant music score that ranges from playful to more rhythmic-based music for the masquerade ball scene. Chaplin would maintain that sense of entertainment as well as some amazing trickery in the way he would play both the Tramp and the rich husband in one notable scene. Overall, Chaplin creates a very lively and fun film about the Tramp’s misadventures in a posh world.
Cinematographer Roland Totheroh does excellent work with the black-and-white photography from the look of the golf course including some of the trick photography to feature the Tramp and the rich husband in one notable sequence. Production designer Charles D. Hall does fantastic work with the look of the hotel and the masquerade ball as well as one notable set at the golf course for a creative gag.
The film’s cast includes notable small roles from Henry Bergman in a dual role as a homeless man and a man pretending to be a cop, John Rand as a golfer who would have an unfortunate encounter with the Tramp and the rich man’s father-in-law, and Mack Swain as the rich man’s father-in-law who would have one bad day. Edna Purviance is wonderful as the rich man’s wife who feels neglected by her husband and troubled by his alcoholism until her encounter with the Tramp makes her feel happy unaware that he’s not her husband. Finally, there’s Charles Chaplin in the dual role as the Tramp and as the rich husband as he brings that great sense of pantomime physicality to his humor as well as a mischievousness to the role of the Tramp in how he reacts to certain situations as it‘s one of Chaplin‘s finest performances.
The Idle Class is a remarkable film from Charles Chaplin as it makes fun of the world of the rich while showcasing some of the fun they have. The film isn’t just one of Chaplin’s quintessential shorts but also a key moment into his work as a director as he would create moments that would be considered innovative. In the end, The Idle Class is a fantastic film from Charles Chaplin.
Charles Chaplin Films: (Twenty Minutes of Love) - (Caught in the Rain) - (A Busy Day) - (Her Friend the Bandit) - (Mabel’s Married Life) - (Laughing Gas) - (The Face On the Bar Room Floor) - (Recreation) - (The Masquerader) - (His New Profession) - The Rounders - (The Property Man) - (The New Janitor) - (Those Love Pangs) - (Dough & Dynamite) - (Gentlemen of Nerve) - (His Musical Career) - (His Trysting Place) - (Getting Acquainted) - (His Prehistoric Past) - (His New Job) - (A Night Out) - (The Champion) - (In the Park) - (A Jitney Elopement) - (The Tramp) - (By the Sea (1915 film)) - (His Regeneration) - (Work (1915 film) - (A Woman) - (The Bank) - (Shanghaied) - (A Night in the Snow) - (Burlesque on Carmen) - (Police (1916 film)) - (Triple Trouble) - (The Floorwalker) - (The Fireman) - (The Vagabond) - (One A.M. (1916 film)) - (The Count) - (The Pawnshop) - (Behind the Screen) - (The Rink) - (Easy Street) - (The Cure (1917 film)) - (The Immigrant (1917 film)) - (The Adventurer) - A Dog's Life - (The Bond) - Shoulder Arms - Sunnyside - A Day's Pleasure - (The Professor) - The Kid - Pay Day - The Pilgrim - A Woman of Paris - The Gold Rush - The Circus - City Lights - Modern Times - The Great Dictator - Monsieur Verdoux - Limelight - A King in New York - (A Countess from Hong Kong)
© thevoid99 2014
Written, directed, and starring Charles Chaplin, The Gold Rush is the story of a prospector seeking gold in the Klondike as he also falls for a girl during his journey. The film is about the period during the Gold Rush about individuals seeking to find gold where Chaplin brings his beloved Tramp character into that world. Also starring Georgia Hale, Mack Swain, and Tom Murray. The Gold Rush is a whimsical comedy from Charles Chaplin.
Set in Alaskan gold rush of the late 1800s, the film explores the journey of a prospector seeking gold in the Klondike where he meets another prospector and a fugitive in a cabin. The three would try to survive the cold where the Tramp would later go into town as he falls for a young woman and hopes to get another chance to find gold in the Klondike so he can give her a good life. It’s a film that has a very simple premise yet Charles Chaplin adds a story of determination and ambition into the mix where the Tramp would meet some good people in his journey like the prospector in Big Jim McKay (Mack Swain) and the saloon girl Georgia (Georgia Hale). Yet, there would also be individuals like the fugitive Black Larsen (Tom Murray) and local ladies man Jack Cameron (Malcolm Waite) who would be a challenge to the Tramp. Yet, Chaplin would find ways for the Tramp to persevere while helping those who have been good to him.
Chaplin’s direction is truly mesmerizing for not just the way he presents the world of the Klondike but also in the way he creates a world that seems dangerous but also add humor to these scenes. With Chaplin also narrating the film (for its 1942 re-release) to display some dialogue and such. It is still a silent film in the way Chaplin creates some moments that are very lively and tender such as a fantasy scene where the Tramp entertains Georgia and her friends at a dinner. Yet, there’s also some sprawling set pieces such as the scenes at the cabin in the mountains that includes a famous scene of the Tramp and McKay in the cabin that is teetering on the edge of a cliff. The usage of special effects to create that moment along with some scenes in the snow with its mix of physical humor adds to the brilliance of the presentation along with Chaplin’s use of wide and medium shots. Overall, the film is a truly entertaining story about a prospector searching for riches in the Klondike.
Cinematographer Roland Totheroh does excellent work with the film‘s black-and-white photography from the look of the mountains and caves to the lighting in the saloon that the Tramp goes to where he meets Georgia. Editors Charles Chaplin and Harold E. McGhan do amazing work with the editing with its use of rhythmic cuts to play into the humor and romance. Production designer Charles D. Hall does fantastic work with the set pieces from the look of the saloon to the cabin at the mountains. Sound editors Harold E. McGhan and James L. Fields do nice work with some of the film‘s sound effects, that was added for its reissue, to play into the atmosphere of the locations. The film’s music by Charles Chaplin is brilliant for its very lively orchestral score that ranges from being playful to also serene in its somber moments.
The film’s terrific cast includes some notable small roles from Henry Bergman as a professional prospector the Tramp meets in the film’s second act, Malcolm Waite as the flirtatious Jack Cameron who tries to win Georgia’s heart, and Tom Murray as the very secretive and cunning fugitive Black Larsen. Georgia Hale is wonderful as Georgia as a saloon girl eager to get out of Alaska as she befriends the Tramp and is intrigued by his kindness as she also deals with some of her own issues. Mack Swain is great as Big Jim McKay as a prospector who has found gold as he befriends the Tramp while dealing with his hunger and the presence of Black Larsen. Finally, there’s Charles Chaplin in a remarkable performance as the Tramp where he brings in a lot of great physicality to his comedy while doing little things that add a sweetness to his character.
The Gold Rush is an incredible film from Charles Chaplin. Thanks to its fun premise and top-notch visual effects, the film is definitely one of Chaplin’s finest films. Even as it showcases the kind of ambition he would put into a silent film and make it so much more. In the end, The Gold Rush is a marvelous film from Charles Chaplin.
Charles Chaplin Films: (Twenty Minutes of Love) - (Caught in the Rain) - (A Busy Day) - (Her Friend the Bandit) - (Mabel’s Married Life) - (Laughing Gas) - (The Face On the Bar Room Floor) - (Recreation) - (The Masquerader) - (His New Profession) - The Rounders - (The Property Man) - (The New Janitor) - (Those Love Pangs) - (Dough & Dynamite) - (Gentlemen of Nerve) - (His Musical Career) - (His Trysting Place) - (Getting Acquainted) - (His Prehistoric Past) - (His New Job) - (A Night Out) - (The Champion) - (In the Park) - (A Jitney Elopement) - (The Tramp) - (By the Sea (1915 film)) - (His Regeneration) - (Work (1915 film) - (A Woman) - (The Bank) - (Shanghaied) - (A Night in the Snow) - (Burlesque on Carmen) - (Police (1916 film)) - (Triple Trouble) - (The Floorwalker) - (The Fireman) - (The Vagabond) - (One A.M. (1916 film)) - (The Count) - (The Pawnshop) - (Behind the Screen) - (The Rink) - (Easy Street) - (The Cure (1917 film)) - (The Immigrant (1917 film)) - (The Adventurer) - A Dog’s Life - (The Bond) - Shoulder Arms - Sunnyside - A Day’s Pleasure - (The Professor) - The Kid - The Idle Class - Pay Day - The Pilgrim - A Woman of Paris - The Circus - City Lights - Modern Times - The Great Dictator - Monsieur Verdoux - Limelight - A King in New York - (A Countess from Hong Kong)
© thevoid99 2014
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