Behind the Screen

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Behind the Screen
Directed by	Charles Chaplin Edward Brewer (technical director)
Produced by	Henry P. Caulfield
Written by	Charles Chaplin (scenario) Vincent Bryan (scenario) Maverick Terrell (scenario)
Starring	Charles Chaplin Edna Purviance Eric Campbell
Cinematography	Roland H. Totheroh George C. Zalibra
Editing by	Charles Chaplin
Distributed by	Mutual Film Corporation
Release date(s)	November 13, 1916
Running time	15 minutes
Country	United States
Language	Silent film English intertitles
IMDb profile

Behind the Screen is a 1916 short film written and directed by Charlie Chaplin also starring Eric Campbell and Edna Purviance. In the film which takes place in a movie studio, Chaplin plays a stagehand named David while Campbell ("Goliath") plays his supervisor. Much of the film is slapstick comedy but other issues are also brought up such as a stagehand strike as well as a plotline in which Purviance, unable to become an actress, dresses as a man and becomes a stagehand. The film is silent.

The film is noted for having one of the first Hollywood gay jokes in it. After Chaplin learns that Purviance is really a woman, he kisses her while on the set. A male stagehand sees this and thinking that Chaplin has kissed a man, starts acting in an overtly effeminate way until Chaplin kicks him.

The documentary series Unknown Chaplin revealed previously unseen footage from this movie, including an alternate take where Purviance's character is shown playing a harp, an outtake in which Edna, playing the guitar, starts laughing (the documentary supports the belief that Purviance and Chaplin were romantically involved at the time), and several takes of a scene in which Chaplin's character narrowly misses having his feet chopped off by an axe (accomplished by filming the scene backwards) -- this scene was never used in the final film.

[edit] Cast

Charles Chaplin - David (Goliath's assistant)
Edna Purviance - The Girl
Eric Campbell - Goliath (a stagehand)

[edit] External links

Behind the Screen at the Internet Movie Database

v • d • e Charlie Chaplin filmography

Keystone Studios (1914)	Making a Living • Kid Auto Races at Venice • Mabel's Strange Predicament • Between Showers • A Film Johnnie • Tango Tangles • His Favourite Pastime • Cruel, Cruel Love • The Star Boarder • Mabel at the Wheel • Twenty Minutes of Love • Caught in a Cabaret • Caught in the Rain • A Busy Day • The Fatal Mallet • Her Friend the Bandit • Mabel's Busy Day • 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 and Dynamite • Gentlemen of Nerve • His Musical Career • His Trysting Place • Tillie's Punctured Romance • Getting Acquainted • His Prehistoric Past

Essanay Studios (1915-1918)	His New Job • A Night Out • The Champion • In the Park • A Jitney Elopement • The Tramp • By the Sea • His Regeneration (uncredited) • Work • A Woman • The Bank • Shanghaied • A Night in the Show • Burlesque on Carmen • Police • Triple Trouble

Mutual Film Corp (1916-1917)	The Floorwalker • The Fireman • The Vagabond • One A.M. • The Count • The Pawnshop • Behind the Screen • The Rink • Easy Street • The Cure • The Immigrant • The Adventurer

First National (1918-1923)	A Dog's Life • The Bond • Shoulder Arms • Sunnyside • A Day's Pleasure • The Professor • The Kid • The Idle Class • Pay Day • The Pilgrim

United Artists (1923-1952)	A Woman of Paris • The Gold Rush • The Circus • City Lights • Modern Times • The Great Dictator • Monsieur Verdoux • Limelight

Later productions	A King in New York • The Chaplin Revue • A Countess from Hong Kong • The Freak • The Nut • Souls For Sale • A Woman of the Sea • Show People • Chaplin

Stock company	Edna Purviance • Eric Campbell • Albert Austin • Henry Bergman

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Behind the Screen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[edit] Cast

[edit] External links

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