A King in New York
movie review of A King in New York (1957) starring Charlie Chaplin, Dawn Addams There are some people who consider A King in New York… Read More »A King in New York
The Great Dictator
The Great Dictator, starring Charlie Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Jack Oakie, Reginald Gardiner, Henry Daniell, Billy Gilbert
The Great Dictator, possibly the most well-known of Charlie Chaplin’s films, was a timely satire on Nazisim and fascism in general, and Adolph Hitler in particular. In it, Charlie Chaplin plays a double role — Adenoid Hynkel, autocratic dictator of Tomania who blames the Jewish people for all of society’s ills, and a Jewish Barber who happens to be the spitting image of Hynkel. Contrary to what some people believe, the Jewish Barber was not Chaplin’s world-famous tramp character, although they clearly share some of the same traits. The film is a true classic, with the famous “dance with the globe” where Hynkel dances with an oversized inflated image of the globe, fantasizing about his eventual conquests. The film ends with the famous “Look Up, Hannah” speech which is, perhaps, both verbose and even hokey, but it fits properly and plays well.
Read More »The Great Dictator
The Clown
Movie review of The Clown (1953) starring Red Skelton, Tim Consadine, Jane Greer
Having just watched Red Skelton in the serious drama, The Clown, my first reaction is simply, “wow”. Although it stars Red Skelton, and deals with a clown/comedian as the central character, The Clown is not a comedy. It is a very serious drama, which left me with a new respect for Red Skelton’s acting ability.
Read More »The Clown
The Gold Rush
The Gold Rush, produced & directed by Charlie Chaplin. Starring Charlie Chaplin, Georgia Hale, Mack Swain, Tom Murray
Synopsis of The Gold Rush
The Gold Rush is one of Charlie Chaplin’s greatest films. Like all of his films starring the Little Tramp, it is a silent, and demonstrates very well why the silent move is an art form in its’ own right. Modern clowns would do well to learn from a master of the art of pantomime by watching this film — it’s Chaplin at his finest. Chaplin and his crew do an excellent job of telling the story without dialog, and it moves from funny to poignant to sad to touching and back to funny again.
It details the Little Tramp, who has made his way to Alaska for the Gold Rush, trying to make his fortune. Along the way, he partners with a mad-from-hunger gold digger looking for his lost claim (played by Mack Swain, one of Chaplin’s regulars), falls in love with a young lady from a saloon (played by Georgia Hale), gets on the wrong side of a very dangerous outlaw, and finds his way to happily ever after by the end of the film.
The Circus (1928) starring Charlie Chaplin
The Circus, produced & directed by Charlie Chaplin. Starring Charlie Chaplin, Merna Kennedy, Al Garcia, Harry Crocker, Henry Bergman
Synopsis of Charlie Chaplin’s The Circus:
The Circus is one of the Little Tramp’s most poignant roles, as well as one of Charlie Chaplin’s funniest silent movies — for which he won a special Oscar. It begins with the Tramp attending a small circus that comes to town. He haphazardly bumps into a pickpocket, who hides his ill-gotten goods in the Tramp’s pocket. This soon leads to a marvelous chase, with the police chasing both the pickpocket and the Tramp. At one point the pickpocket and the Tramp are running in parallel …. And the Tramp politely tips his hat to the thief. After a chase through the hall of mirrors (which has to be seen). The Tramp accidentally runs into the circus’ center ring, where he is unintentionally hilarious. The circus owner/ringmaster auditions the Tramp as a new clown. Only to find out that he can’t be funny on purpose — only unintentionally.
Read More »The Circus (1928) starring Charlie Chaplin
City Lights
In City Lights, Charlie Chaplin plays the part of Charlie the little tramp, a homeless vagabond, who encounters a flower girl, only to discover that she’s blind. After Charlie rescues an inebriated rich man from committing suicide, the eccentric millionaire decides that Charlie is his best friend, and takes him out partying, gives him a car, etc. — only to totally forgot about him when he’s sober.
Read More »City Lights
Limelight
Limelight (1952) starring Charlie Chaplin, Claire Bloom, Sydney Chaplin, Nigel Bruce, Buster Keaton
Limelight is a truly wonderful film; it swiftly became one of my favorites. In a nutshell, it’s the story of a once-great stage comedian (Calvero, a formerly great tramp clown, played by Charlie Chaplin), who’s been failing in his career, and has become an alcoholic, who saves the life of Terry, a despondent ballerina (played by Claire Bloom) from a suicide attempt. The film is a juxtaposition of these two personalities, one who rallies & goes onward, the other who falls further.
Read More »Limelight
The Kid (1921) starring Charlie Chaplin, Jackie Coogan, Edna Purviance
The Kid, produced & directed by Charlie Chaplin. Starring Charlie Chaplin, Edna Purviance, Jackie Coogan
Synopsis of Charlie Chaplin’s The Kid:
The Kid was Charlie Chaplin’s first full-length movie. It, more than anything else to that date, made Chaplin a living legend. It took over a year to produce, and was an incredible success for Chaplin. The opening title reads: “A comedy with a smile — and perhaps a tear.” As a woman (Edna Purviance) leaves a charity hospital with a newborn. She passes a church wedding, leaving her baby with a pleading note in a limousine. Then she goes off to commit suicide. She turns from suicide at the last moment to return to her child, only to find him missing. The limo had been stolen by thieves who dumped the baby by a garbage can. Charlie the Tramp finds the baby. After failing to pass the child on to someone more suitable, raises the child himself.
Read More »The Kid (1921) starring Charlie Chaplin, Jackie Coogan, Edna Purviance
My Favorite Brunette
My Favorite Brunette – starring Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour, Peter Lorre, Lon Chaney Jr.
Movie review of one of Bob Hope‘s finest solo comedies, My Favorite Brunette. He plays a baby photographer who longs to be a private eye. And he’s inadvertently given the opportunity when a beautiful brunette (Dorothy Lamour) mistakes him for one. This leads him into a web of danger, deceit, and murder with spies (including Peter Lorre in a delicious performance). A very good, funny romantic movie, of that type that sadly isn’t made any more.
Read More »My Favorite BrunetteNacho Libre
Nacho Libre (Special Collector’s Edition) (2006)
Jack Black is at his comic best as Ignacio, a disrespected cook at a Mexican monastery that can barely afford to feed the orphans who live there. Inspired by a local wrestling hero, he decides to moonlight as the not-so-famous Luchador — Nacho Libre — to earn money for the monastery — not to mention the admiration of beautiful nun Sister Encarnacion.
Read More »Nacho Libre