| The Property Man | |
|---|---|
Theatrical poster to The Property Man |
|
| Directed by | Charlie Chaplin |
| Produced by | Mack Sennett |
| Starring | Charles Chaplin Phyllis Allen Alice Davenport Charles Bennett Mack Sennett Norma Nichols Joe Bordeaux Harry McCoy Lee Morris |
| Cinematography | Frank D. Williams |
| Distributed by | Keystone Studios |
| Release date(s) | 1 August 1914 |
| Running time | 31 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent film English (Original titles) |
The Property Man is a short 1914 American comedy silent film made by Keystone Studios starring Charlie Chaplin.
Contents |
Charlie is in charge of stage "props" and has trouble with actors' luggage and conflicts over who gets the star's dressing room.
Small caricatures on the wall indicate both the stars and the head of what can only be Charlie Chaplin with the word "PROPS" below.
Once the dressing-room issue is resolved the next issue is getting everyone on stage with the correct backdrop.
The order of performance, all of which we see is:
The "Goo-Goo Sisters", billed as comediennes; two young girls dancing "Garlico" and his Feets of Strength (sic); a strong-man aided by his beautiful assistant who gets knocked out just before she goes on stage, allowing Charlie to step in. "Sorrow" a drama performed by a man and woman.
During the performances we see the audience reaction throughout, ranging from delight to booing.
Backstage Charlie and an old man fight, often distrupting the on-stage performances. The audience also break into a fight, and a hose brought out behind the scenes ends up squirted over them.
The first section contains one of the first continuity errors. Whilst early films often lack any logical progression and could be claimed to be riddled with such, there is a point intended to run smoothly from one room to another where Charlie is burdened with a very heavy chest on his back. We see him lose his hat on one side, and on the other his hat is instantly back on his head.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||