Post by solgroupie on Sept 26, 2009 21:17:59 GMT -5
the end of the road
chaplin finishes his contract with first national with
the pilgrim, 1923
the pilgrim represents more than one final chapter in chaplin's life. not only was it his final obligation to first national, it was his very last short, after a career that began in 1914 with making a living to the pilgrim in 1923 - sixty-nine shorts. it was also the last time we would ever see chaplin and edna purviance working together on screen, which i find sad. edna was a loyal and more than capable actress and partner to chaplin, but she was getting past the age where she could continue playing the young love the tramp was always becoming lovesick over. edna's career wasn't over yet, however.
it would also be the last time chaplin would work on screen with his brother, sydney, who showed his versatility for the last time with his brother by playing three different roles in the pilgrim.
the story begins with a shot of a wanted poster - it is the tramp, wanted for his escape from prison. next, we see a man who has just emerged from swimming in a lake discover that someone has taken his clothes and replaced them with the black and white striped convict clothes instead.
chaplin in the pilgrim
the tramp waits anxiously at a train station, nervously avoiding a policeman who seems a little bewildered at the parson's odd behavior. meanwhile, a couple who is bound to elope are also anxious to be on their way, as the girl's father is speeding towards the train station to collect his daughter.
the groom-to-be (sydney) sees the parson and tells his bride that they can get him to marry them. he runs toward the tramp, who mistakes his exuberance and begins to flee. just then, the father arrives and the tramp turns as another man begins to chase him - which makes sydney turn and run from the father.
the tramp picks his next destination and takes his ticket to the waiting train, only to climb beneath it since that is the only way he has ever known how to travel by train. the conductor (syd again), escorts him to a car.
getting located in the pilgrim
meanwhile, a group from a small church are waiting for their new parson to arrive at the tramp's destination. when the tramp steps from the train, he is first greeted by the town's sheriff, played by tom murray. the tramp realizes he is not about to be captured, but is confused by the people who begin to surround him, shaking his hand and welcoming their new parson to the town.
chaplin and mack swain in the pilgrim
the tramp pretends he is who they all seem to think he is, and walks with the church deacon, played by mack swain, to church. just before they leave the station, a man hands the deacon a telegram. he tells he tramp that he doesn't have his glasses and asks him to read it for him. the tramp reads the telegram from the real parson, who says he will be delayed by a week. the deacon asks what the telegram says and this title card always makes me laugh -
"feeling much better - lizzie."
the deacon shrugs and they continue to the church. they arrive and the tramp is desperate to escape, but can't get away from the deacon, who pushes him in front of the congregation, expecting him to lead the services. the tramp glances at the grumpiest looking choir ever assembled with bad memories.
it's fun watching the tramp fake his way through the service. i especially loved how intent he looked as the collection was taken - urging the parishioners to give more. as he waits, he absentmindedly begins to light a cigarette in front of the stunned choir, but soon remembers where he is.
then, one of chaplin's greatest acts in pantomime begins - the tramp's sermon of david and goliath. the tramp acts out both parts with passion, which surprises the deacon and most of the congregation. the exception is a little boy who wildly applauds the tramp's performance when he is done.
the tramp takes several bows and curtain calls, looking very proud of himself until he realizes this is not proper church behavior. the service ends and the tramp again tries to make his escape from these kind but clingy people, but again fails.
he is told he will board with mrs. brown and her daughter, edna. as they all walk to their boarding house, they pass chuck riesner, who plays an ex-convict that used to share a cell with the tramp. they recognize one another in passing, but the tramp is quick to move along before the crook can say anything.
chaplin and chuck riesner in the pilgrim
at the boarding house, the tramp gets to know mrs. brown in a scene i always find charming - the tramp looking at family photos with her as edna prepares tea in the kitchen. you can see how the tramp is losing his desire to escape and is beginning to be won over by the charm of this strange new life.
guests arrive - a man (syd in his funniest role) his wife and their pretentious child who is wildly irritating. he slaps and climbs all over his mother, who pushes him towards the tramp and the boy's father as she tries to talk to mrs. brown. the tramp tries to remember he is a kind and forgiving parson as the child brutally slaps and beats on him and his father. the look on the tramp's face is classic as his restraint begins to wear thin.
the brothers chaplin in the pilgrim
the tramp finally excuses himself before he loses his patience and tries to help edna in the kitchen, who has just brought a cake out of the oven. it is a small round cake, and as they are occupied with other tasks, the little boy comes in and innocently places his father's hat on top of it. the tramp doesn't realize what has happened and pours icing all over the hat, along with whipped cream and cherries.
as they sit for tea, the couple decide to leave. but the father cannot find his hat. they look all over while the tramp tries to slice the "cake." he wipes some of the icing off and finally realizes where the man's hat is. the indignant father grabs it and when his wife returns to the room and asks where he found it, he says incredulously, "they were eating it." i love how the little boy just pushes his face into the icing covered cake, getting as much in his mouth as he can.
the missing hat in the pilgrim
as the tramp and edna get to know each other better by the house's picket fence, the crook approaches them and pretends that the tramp is his old college buddy. the tramp reluctantly allows the man to enter the house with he and edna. the crook tells mrs. brown he missed his train, so she insists he spend the night with them.
the tramp jumps through hoop after hoop to prevent the crook from stealing the deacon's wallet, but not without embarrassing himself. mrs. brown begins to give the deacon money for their mortgage, which lights up the eyes of the crook - especially when the deacon tells her to give it to him tomorrow since they cannot conduct business on the sabbath.
after edna and her mother to to their rooms to bed, the tramp does everything in his power to stop the crook from stealing the mortgage money. their fight scene is very funny and well choreographed. but the crook gets it anyway and after knocking out the tramp, runs. edna discovers the tramp lying on the floor and as he comes to, he does a similar pantomime of what happened to him - which is very similar to his sermon of david and goliath.
chaplin and edna purviance, together for the last time in the pilgrim
they discover the money is missing and the tramp reassures edna that he will reclaim the it before he rushes off. edna calls the sheriff, who comes over with a copy of the wanted poster of the tramp. he tells them they'll never see him again.
meanwhile, the crook joins some gambling at a local saloon. but then a couple of bandits come in and start shootin' up the joint. they line everyone up against the wall, but before they can rob anyone, the tramp comes in and quickly takes the money out of the crook's pocket and leaves. it's so funny to watch it - the way the bandits look at this little figure race in, grab money from one guy in their line up and take off. the crook, of course, thinks he was just robbed by the bandits.
the tramp returns the money to edna just before the sheriff returns. edna begs the sheriff to release him since he did return their money, but he tells her he must take him back to prison. the tramp waves goodbye to edna and accepts his fate, only glad that he was able to give edna and her mother the money that was stolen from them.
chaplin in the pilgrim
the sheriff is on his horse, pulling the tramp alongside. they arrive at the mexican border and the sheriff tells the tramp to go pick him some flowers. the tramp complies, but the sheriff tells him again to get more and points to some more on the other side of the border. the tramp sets off and the sheriff grins as he begins to ride off.
chaplin and tom murray in the pilgrim
but the trusting tramp gives chase when he sees the sheriff riding away, waving the flowers at him. exasperated, the sheriff drags him back to the border, gets off his horse and kicks the tramp into mexico. he rides away, leaving the tramp who realizes he is at last free, ready to begin a new life in mexico. just then, men in sombreros jump up from the brush and begin shooting at each other. the tramp runs towards his future with one leg in america, the other one in mexico.
the pilgrim somehow distances itself from the other shorts chaplin made. perhaps it is only because you know it is the last one he ever made. his hard work has finally paid off and he will now do nothing but feature films from now on. it's a charming little short and well made. it is the only short that was accompanied by something other than instrumental music. the beginning soundtrack features a cowboy tune that chaplin himself wrote for the pilgrim.
chuck riesner's son, "dinky" was the slap happy little boy, and in unknown chaplin, he tells of his memories of being cast as the bratty child. he said that he was a gentle kid and didn't want to slap anyone. so chaplin and sydney began to pretend to play a fun game of hitting each other. chaplin would slap sydney, who would laugh and say, "oh, this is great!" and hit charlie, who would respond in kind, finally getting dinky in the spirit. dinky grew up to be a director, who worked with chaplin's son, sydney jr.
chaplin and dinky riesner
i cherish every single short chaplin ever made. think of it - some of them are only a few years away from being 100 years old! to have that - not to just hear stories that would soon be forgotten about chaplin's rise to fame - but to witness it yourself. i have a book called the films of charlie chaplin, which gives a synopsis of each film he ever made, beginning with making a living. one of the most interesting parts are the reviews - even those short little films he did with keystone had reviews. and they were positive from the beginning. it's funny to think of reading a review for a short, chaotic keystone film. but they are interesting to read as they evolve from short to short.
next up is a film chaplin (other than a short cameo where his virtually unrecognizable) did not appear in. it was his first attempt at directing a film starring edna purviance in the drama a woman of paris.
but we'll always have the shorts!
chaplin finishes his contract with first national with
the pilgrim, 1923
the pilgrim represents more than one final chapter in chaplin's life. not only was it his final obligation to first national, it was his very last short, after a career that began in 1914 with making a living to the pilgrim in 1923 - sixty-nine shorts. it was also the last time we would ever see chaplin and edna purviance working together on screen, which i find sad. edna was a loyal and more than capable actress and partner to chaplin, but she was getting past the age where she could continue playing the young love the tramp was always becoming lovesick over. edna's career wasn't over yet, however.
it would also be the last time chaplin would work on screen with his brother, sydney, who showed his versatility for the last time with his brother by playing three different roles in the pilgrim.
the story begins with a shot of a wanted poster - it is the tramp, wanted for his escape from prison. next, we see a man who has just emerged from swimming in a lake discover that someone has taken his clothes and replaced them with the black and white striped convict clothes instead.
chaplin in the pilgrim
the tramp waits anxiously at a train station, nervously avoiding a policeman who seems a little bewildered at the parson's odd behavior. meanwhile, a couple who is bound to elope are also anxious to be on their way, as the girl's father is speeding towards the train station to collect his daughter.
the groom-to-be (sydney) sees the parson and tells his bride that they can get him to marry them. he runs toward the tramp, who mistakes his exuberance and begins to flee. just then, the father arrives and the tramp turns as another man begins to chase him - which makes sydney turn and run from the father.
the tramp picks his next destination and takes his ticket to the waiting train, only to climb beneath it since that is the only way he has ever known how to travel by train. the conductor (syd again), escorts him to a car.
getting located in the pilgrim
meanwhile, a group from a small church are waiting for their new parson to arrive at the tramp's destination. when the tramp steps from the train, he is first greeted by the town's sheriff, played by tom murray. the tramp realizes he is not about to be captured, but is confused by the people who begin to surround him, shaking his hand and welcoming their new parson to the town.
chaplin and mack swain in the pilgrim
the tramp pretends he is who they all seem to think he is, and walks with the church deacon, played by mack swain, to church. just before they leave the station, a man hands the deacon a telegram. he tells he tramp that he doesn't have his glasses and asks him to read it for him. the tramp reads the telegram from the real parson, who says he will be delayed by a week. the deacon asks what the telegram says and this title card always makes me laugh -
"feeling much better - lizzie."
the deacon shrugs and they continue to the church. they arrive and the tramp is desperate to escape, but can't get away from the deacon, who pushes him in front of the congregation, expecting him to lead the services. the tramp glances at the grumpiest looking choir ever assembled with bad memories.
it's fun watching the tramp fake his way through the service. i especially loved how intent he looked as the collection was taken - urging the parishioners to give more. as he waits, he absentmindedly begins to light a cigarette in front of the stunned choir, but soon remembers where he is.
then, one of chaplin's greatest acts in pantomime begins - the tramp's sermon of david and goliath. the tramp acts out both parts with passion, which surprises the deacon and most of the congregation. the exception is a little boy who wildly applauds the tramp's performance when he is done.
the tramp takes several bows and curtain calls, looking very proud of himself until he realizes this is not proper church behavior. the service ends and the tramp again tries to make his escape from these kind but clingy people, but again fails.
he is told he will board with mrs. brown and her daughter, edna. as they all walk to their boarding house, they pass chuck riesner, who plays an ex-convict that used to share a cell with the tramp. they recognize one another in passing, but the tramp is quick to move along before the crook can say anything.
chaplin and chuck riesner in the pilgrim
at the boarding house, the tramp gets to know mrs. brown in a scene i always find charming - the tramp looking at family photos with her as edna prepares tea in the kitchen. you can see how the tramp is losing his desire to escape and is beginning to be won over by the charm of this strange new life.
guests arrive - a man (syd in his funniest role) his wife and their pretentious child who is wildly irritating. he slaps and climbs all over his mother, who pushes him towards the tramp and the boy's father as she tries to talk to mrs. brown. the tramp tries to remember he is a kind and forgiving parson as the child brutally slaps and beats on him and his father. the look on the tramp's face is classic as his restraint begins to wear thin.
the brothers chaplin in the pilgrim
the tramp finally excuses himself before he loses his patience and tries to help edna in the kitchen, who has just brought a cake out of the oven. it is a small round cake, and as they are occupied with other tasks, the little boy comes in and innocently places his father's hat on top of it. the tramp doesn't realize what has happened and pours icing all over the hat, along with whipped cream and cherries.
as they sit for tea, the couple decide to leave. but the father cannot find his hat. they look all over while the tramp tries to slice the "cake." he wipes some of the icing off and finally realizes where the man's hat is. the indignant father grabs it and when his wife returns to the room and asks where he found it, he says incredulously, "they were eating it." i love how the little boy just pushes his face into the icing covered cake, getting as much in his mouth as he can.
the missing hat in the pilgrim
as the tramp and edna get to know each other better by the house's picket fence, the crook approaches them and pretends that the tramp is his old college buddy. the tramp reluctantly allows the man to enter the house with he and edna. the crook tells mrs. brown he missed his train, so she insists he spend the night with them.
the tramp jumps through hoop after hoop to prevent the crook from stealing the deacon's wallet, but not without embarrassing himself. mrs. brown begins to give the deacon money for their mortgage, which lights up the eyes of the crook - especially when the deacon tells her to give it to him tomorrow since they cannot conduct business on the sabbath.
after edna and her mother to to their rooms to bed, the tramp does everything in his power to stop the crook from stealing the mortgage money. their fight scene is very funny and well choreographed. but the crook gets it anyway and after knocking out the tramp, runs. edna discovers the tramp lying on the floor and as he comes to, he does a similar pantomime of what happened to him - which is very similar to his sermon of david and goliath.
chaplin and edna purviance, together for the last time in the pilgrim
they discover the money is missing and the tramp reassures edna that he will reclaim the it before he rushes off. edna calls the sheriff, who comes over with a copy of the wanted poster of the tramp. he tells them they'll never see him again.
meanwhile, the crook joins some gambling at a local saloon. but then a couple of bandits come in and start shootin' up the joint. they line everyone up against the wall, but before they can rob anyone, the tramp comes in and quickly takes the money out of the crook's pocket and leaves. it's so funny to watch it - the way the bandits look at this little figure race in, grab money from one guy in their line up and take off. the crook, of course, thinks he was just robbed by the bandits.
the tramp returns the money to edna just before the sheriff returns. edna begs the sheriff to release him since he did return their money, but he tells her he must take him back to prison. the tramp waves goodbye to edna and accepts his fate, only glad that he was able to give edna and her mother the money that was stolen from them.
chaplin in the pilgrim
the sheriff is on his horse, pulling the tramp alongside. they arrive at the mexican border and the sheriff tells the tramp to go pick him some flowers. the tramp complies, but the sheriff tells him again to get more and points to some more on the other side of the border. the tramp sets off and the sheriff grins as he begins to ride off.
chaplin and tom murray in the pilgrim
but the trusting tramp gives chase when he sees the sheriff riding away, waving the flowers at him. exasperated, the sheriff drags him back to the border, gets off his horse and kicks the tramp into mexico. he rides away, leaving the tramp who realizes he is at last free, ready to begin a new life in mexico. just then, men in sombreros jump up from the brush and begin shooting at each other. the tramp runs towards his future with one leg in america, the other one in mexico.
the pilgrim somehow distances itself from the other shorts chaplin made. perhaps it is only because you know it is the last one he ever made. his hard work has finally paid off and he will now do nothing but feature films from now on. it's a charming little short and well made. it is the only short that was accompanied by something other than instrumental music. the beginning soundtrack features a cowboy tune that chaplin himself wrote for the pilgrim.
chuck riesner's son, "dinky" was the slap happy little boy, and in unknown chaplin, he tells of his memories of being cast as the bratty child. he said that he was a gentle kid and didn't want to slap anyone. so chaplin and sydney began to pretend to play a fun game of hitting each other. chaplin would slap sydney, who would laugh and say, "oh, this is great!" and hit charlie, who would respond in kind, finally getting dinky in the spirit. dinky grew up to be a director, who worked with chaplin's son, sydney jr.
chaplin and dinky riesner
i cherish every single short chaplin ever made. think of it - some of them are only a few years away from being 100 years old! to have that - not to just hear stories that would soon be forgotten about chaplin's rise to fame - but to witness it yourself. i have a book called the films of charlie chaplin, which gives a synopsis of each film he ever made, beginning with making a living. one of the most interesting parts are the reviews - even those short little films he did with keystone had reviews. and they were positive from the beginning. it's funny to think of reading a review for a short, chaotic keystone film. but they are interesting to read as they evolve from short to short.
next up is a film chaplin (other than a short cameo where his virtually unrecognizable) did not appear in. it was his first attempt at directing a film starring edna purviance in the drama a woman of paris.
but we'll always have the shorts!