Great point, John! How violent indeed, although ce...

2009-06-04T07:35:26.345-04:00

Great point, John! How violent indeed, although certainly not without the possibility of humor. (I must admit I laughed the hardest in Tillie's Punctured Romance when Chaplin is accidentally hit in the face with the brick, and then the brick begins to make the rounds on everyone's head; but, alas, not many other laughs to be had.)

And I wholeheartedly second your point about watching the Tramp mature. It may be the sole reason I find The New Janitor so compelling and why, outside of the Sennett-oriented films, that particular short might not stand out. When compared to how the comedy and narrative had gone in the previous shorts, that one is subtle and quasi-sophisticated. (He still had a while to go before he "became Chaplin" and everything that means.)

What amazed me after watching Chaplin's early ...

2009-06-03T09:15:48.448-04:00

What amazed me after watching Chaplin's early works was how violent the comedy was; then again, most comedy from that period leaned on violent behavior. The tramp character was also a bit on the malicious, cruel side. In later works Chaplin refined the tramp character toning down these traits and making him a more a three dimensional character. In watching the tramp develop and change from these primitive works to his most sophisticated late films is to watch the growth of one of the great artists of our time.

Terrific post T.S.

Comments on Screen Savour: Chaplin at Keystone (1914)

Great point, John! How violent indeed, although ce...

What amazed me after watching Chaplin's early ...