Comedy for All:
Chaplin at the Grand Stair
Free seating
Comedy for All:
Chaplin at the Grand Stair
Director, writer, composer, actor—Charlie Chaplain can do it all. His on-screen alter ego, the Little Tramp, is a true cultural icon. As a filmmaker, Chaplin is synonymous with clever physical gags and astute observations of everyday life. Chaplin’s comedy is so intuitive and universal, even a person who had never seen a movie could appreciate the genius of this master of cinema. This programme includes three classic Chaplin shorts from the 1910s that show how his comedic prowess lives on in these timeless classics.
The Rink
Charlie Chaplin | 1916 | United States | DCP | no dialogue | 24 min.
While the silent era had a great many acrobatic stars, only Chaplin possessed the kind of roller-skating skills that he showcased in The Rink.
The Immigrant
Charlie Chaplin | 1917 |United States | DCP | no dialogue | 22 min.
Inspired by his own experience of immigrating to the United States, Chaplin used humour to illustrate the gruelling journey to the land of opportunity . In his book My Life in Pictures, Chaplin wrote, ‘The Immigrant touched me more than any other film I made. I thought the end had quite a poetic feeling’.
A Dog’s Life
Charlie Chaplin | 1918 | United States | DCP | no dialogue | 33 min.
The Little Tramp is a celebration of the underdog. In A Dog’s Life, the character connects with a fellow outcast who is an actual dog. Together with a bar singer (Edna Purviance), the three fight back against the cruelty of city life.
Charlie Chaplin. A Dog's Life, 1918. Photo: Courtesy of MK2 Films.
Charlie Chaplin. A Dog's Life, 1918. Photo: Courtesy of MK2 Films.
Charlie Chaplin. A Dog's Life, 1918. Photo: Courtesy of MK2 Films.
Charlie Chaplin. A Dog's Life, 1918. Photo: Courtesy of MK2 Films.
Charlie Chaplin. A Dog's Life, 1918. Photo: Courtesy of MK2 Films.
Charlie Chaplin. A Dog's Life, 1918. Photo: Courtesy of MK2 Films.
Charlie Chaplin. A Dog's Life, 1918. Photo: Courtesy of MK2 Films.
Charlie Chaplin. A Dog's Life, 1918. Photo: Courtesy of MK2 Films.
Charlie Chaplin. A Dog's Life, 1918. Photo: Courtesy of MK2 Films.
Charlie Chaplin. A Dog's Life, 1918. Photo: Courtesy of MK2 Films.
Charlie Chaplin. A Dog's Life, 1918. Photo: Courtesy of MK2 Films.
Charlie Chaplin. A Dog's Life, 1918. Photo: Courtesy of MK2 Films.
About the Director
Charlie Chaplin (1889–1977, United Kingdom) was an actor, director, screenwriter, and composer. He was a popular vaudeville performer before he transitioned to film in the United States. After making a great number of comedic shorts in ‘The Little Tramp’ persona, Chaplin directed and starred in his first feature film, The Kid (1921). Box office and critical successes continued with films such as The Gold Rush (1925), City Lights (1931), and Modern Times (1936). His sound films—The Great Dictator (1940), Monsieur Verdoux (1947), among others—proved that the silent film giant was capable to evolve with the times.
Image at top: Charlie Chaplin. A Dog's Life, 1918. Photo: Courtesy of MK2 Films.