Century Film Project

Celebrating the movies our ancestors loved
January 1, 2015

Film Johnny (1914)

A_Film_Johnnie_(1914)

I wanted to be sure and include this early Chaplin film, because it gives us a certain amount of insight into movies and moviemaking in the period of our subject. It begins with the “Little Tramp” attending a Nickelodeon and seeing a Keystone film which excites him greatly, to the point where he falls in love with the star (Virginia Kirtley, who we saw in “Making a Living” and “A Flirt’s Mistake”). The theater gives a wonderful sense of the squalid conditions of most movie-going at the time: folding chairs are set up in rows so that the patrons in the front block the view of those in the rear, the room is tiny and cramped. Next, Chaplin goes to the studio, which we see in a lovely panorama as he first walks in, showing the conditions in which he and his colleagues were working. Later shots follow the more standard “stagey” framing, pulled back just a bit so we can see the camera running as Chaplin inevitably blocks the shot in order to try to win the girl. They move to a location shoot, trying to capture the thrill of an actual fire as the fire dept puts it out. Fights break out and pretty much everyone gets sprayed with the hose. Charlie does not get the girl.

Director: George Nichols

Camera: Frank D. Williams

Starring: Charlie Chaplin, Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, Mable Normand, Virginia Kirtley, Ford Sterling, Edgar Kennedy

Run Time: 12 Min

You can watch it for free: here or here.

5 Comments
January 1, 2015

Between Showers (1914)

Between_Showers_FilmPoster

It’s a new year, and now I “get” to start talking about movies from 1915, but I’m not even done with 1914 yet! The next few days will be catch-up, as I prepare to post the nominations for the Century Awards. Expect some other new features as we move into the New Year. This movie is a simple farce about a stolen umbrella, a girl, and a policeman, which shows the comic abilities of several of Keystone’s stars, but is today mostly known for Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin and Ford Sterling (also in “Mabel’s Dramatic Career” and “Tango Tangles”) are rival “Mashers” after the same girl, Emma Bell Clifton (who was in “Making a Living” and “A Robust Romeo”), who is more interested in Chester Conklin (from “Mabel at the Wheel” “Mabel’s Strange Predicament”), the policeman. Ford tries to wow her by offering her the umbrella he stole off Chester earlier in the film, then demands it back when his affections are not returned, leading to a slapstick fight that ultimately draws in the whole cast. Much of the action takes place in a park near to Keystone Studios, which we see in many of these pictures. Chaplin is in his “Little Tramp” getup, now firmly established, and Ford and Chester are also in goofy and memorable makeup that adds to the sense of being in a silly sort of world. There’s an interesting “mirror bit” in which Chaplin and another policeman face off and the policeman mimics Charlie’s odd appearance with his fingers and hands.

Director: Henry Lehrman

Camera: Frank D. Williams

Starring: Charlie Chaplin, Ford Sterling, Emma Bell Clifton, Chester Conklin, Sadie Lampe

Run Time: 12 Min

You can watch it for free: here or here.

2 Comments