Making a Living
| Making A Living | |
|---|---|
 Charlie Chaplin on the right in Making a Living | |
| Directed by | Henry Lehrman |
| Produced by | Mack Sennett |
| Written by |
Reed Heustis Henry Lehrman |
| Starring |
Charlie Chaplin Chester Conklin Minta Durfee Virginia Kirtley |
| Cinematography |
Enrique Juan Vallejo Frank D. Williams |
| Distributed by | Mutual Film Corporation |
| Release dates | February 2, 1914 |
| Running time | 13 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language |
Silent film English (Original intertitles) |
Making a Living is the first film starring Charlie Chaplin. It premiered on February 2, 1914.[1] Chaplin plays Edgar English, a lady-charming swindler who runs afoul of the Keystone Kops. It was written and directed by Henry Lehrman.
Plot
Chaplin's character attempts to convince a passerby (director Henry Lehrman) to give him money. Chaplin is then shown flirting with a woman; Lehrman enters to present the woman with flowers and sees Chaplin. A slapstick fight between the two ensues. Later, Lehrman's character takes a photograph of an automobile accident; Chaplin's character steals the camera whilst the journalist is helping a trapped motorist and rushes back to the paper with it to claim the photograph as his own. A short pursuit with the Keystone Kops follows.[1]
Chaplin's performance
Chaplin wore a large moustache and a top hat in this film, he also carries a walking cane. Chaplin's famed screen persona of "The Little Tramp" did not appear until his next film, Kid Auto Races at Venice, but his character in this film is somewhat similar, having hat, cane, moustache and baggy trousers.[2] In later accounts Chaplin lamented that the best of his performance had been left out of the final cut. [3] Lehrman later admitted to deliberately mishandling the cutting of the film out of spite for Chaplin. [4] The Fremont Hotel, Los Angeles is shown briefly in the background of a fighting scene in the road.
Cast
- Charlie Chaplin - Swindler
- Virginia Kirtley - Daughter
- Alice Davenport - Mother
- Henry Lehrman - Reporter
- Minta Durfee - Woman
- Chester Conklin - Policeman / Bum
See also
External links
- The short film Making a Living is available for free download at the Internet Archive [more]
- Making a Living at the Internet Movie Database
- Making a Living on Youtube
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Neibaur, James (2012). Early Charlie Chaplin: The Artist As Apprentice at Keystone Studios. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0810882426.
- ↑ Maland, Charles (1991). Charlie Chaplin and American Culture - The Evolution of a Star Image. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0691028605.
- ↑ Okuda, Ted (2005). Charlie Chaplin at Keystone And Essanay: Dawn of the Tramp. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse, Inc. ISBN 0595365981.
- ↑ Weissman, Stephen (2005). CHAPLIN: A LIFE. New York, NY: Skyhorse Publishing Inc.