Synopsis
Charlie is released from prison and is immediately approached by a man who claims to be a church pastor (Billy Armstrong) who'll help him go straight. In reality, however, he's a scammer who frequently does disguises and swindles many other innocent people, including a drunk (James T. Kelley) who seems to be in little possession of his faculties.
At first Charlie remains nonchalant, not wanting to take any chances, especially not when he was just out of prison. However, the man, a skilled actor, goads him to cry. Charlie breaks out into tears stemming from regret for "doing it against Jesus". Of course, the man takes advantage of the situation and slips out the five dollar note Charlie has been given upon being discharged, leaving him penniless.
Now broke, Charlie goes to a fruit shop and starts biting into all the fruits there. He knows he has to pay for them all in the end, but, unaware that he has been swindled by the fake church pastor, eats more and more until the fruitseller (Leo White) becomes visibly angry. Charlie tells him to calm down, "I'll pay for it." He searches his pockets for the money, but, unfortunately, cannot find it. This angers the man, who by now has decided he'll get the money, even if it took him a month of Sundays. Charlie, realizing that he's not in a very good situation, runs away.
He is approached by the fake church pastor again, this time in a clean-shaven disguise. Charlie looks at him, and recognizes him right away. When this man starts suggesting that he help him go straight, Charlie realizes that this man is a fraud and fights him. In no mood for a fight, the man starts running, but Charlie follows suit, to scare this man a bit.
Unfortunately, a nearby constable (Fred Goodwins) sees Charlie chasing this seemingly well-wishing man, and joins the chase after thinking that Charlie means the man harm. Charlie stops a while after, obviously; however, he sees the policeman on his trail. Another chase begins, except this time Charlie is the chased.
After a long span of running, Charlie is tired. He decides to watch a film in the nearby cinema hall. A man (Paddy McGuire) stands in front of him, obstructing his way to the hall. Charlie tries to cut in front of him, however, the man shoves him back. "Get in line and wait for your turn."
A mild fight ensues. In the middle of it, guests start piling into the hall, cutting ahead in line. However, this seemingly righteous man does not seem aware of it, him fighting with Charlie and all that. When he does shift his attention back, everybody has gone in, and therefore, he is suspicious of nothing. Eventually, Charlie does cut ahead of him and walk in.
Unfortunately, upon entering, Charlie realizes that the fruitseller from earlier also was the ticket keeper of this cinema hall. He hopes to slip by; however, the shopkeeper recognizes him, and demands money for the ticket as well as the groceries. When Charlie fails to pay off either, he gets kicked out of the cinema hall in a hilarious slapstick way.
While walking back, Charlie meets his cell-mate (Wesley Ruggles), who's also been discharged. He convinces Charlie to help him burglarize a house. Broke, and vulnerable, Charlie agrees. Unbeknownst to them, however, a cop in his rounds (John Rand) is watching their every move, and has gotten to know of their burgling plans.
They decide to rob the house nearest. However, complications arise as they start having trouble breaking into the house. They can't seem to break in - it's just too difficult. Things get worse when the cop spying on them walks in on them, catching them red-handed, and their time seems to be up. Charlie, however, comes up with a plan. He asks him for a hammer, and when he's given the same, he knocks the policeman down unconscious.
Then, he proceeds to simply open the front door, as more of a last resort than anything. They enter with great caution. However, Charlie, clumsy as he is, bungles the entire operation up by collapsing the many glass plates and glasses, which shatter with deafening noise. Edna, who lives in the house that is being robbed, comes down to investigate. She is scared stiff, however, when she sees the duo robbing the place.
Once she regains full possession of her faculties, she steadily slithers up to the telephone and calls the police. Barely a few seconds after, however, Charlie's cell-mate finds her, and has been left with no choice but to hold her at gunpoint. She admonishes him with a fib that her mother is very ill and she'd die of the shock they might induce. Charlie and his companion believe her, and have lunch with her.
However, during lunch, Edna notices Charlie's behaviour and table manners. She's so taken with said manners that, by the time the police arrive to investigate the crime, she lies to them, stating that Charlie is her husband, and that Charlie's cellmate is the actual criminal. The police believe her, and laugh and joke with him. Once his former cellmate is arrested, she gives Charlie a dollar and sends him happily on his way.
Barely a few steps later, however, Charlie soon encounters the same nosy policeman from earlier, who recognizes him. Another chase begins.
The Immigrant is a 1917 American silent romantic comedy short. The film stars Charlie Chaplin's Tramp character as an immigrant coming to the United States who is accused of theft on the voyage across the Atlantic Ocean and falls in love with a beautiful young woman along the way. It also stars Edna Purviance and Eric Campbell.
Olga Edna Purviance was an American actress of the silent film era. She was the leading lady in many of Charlie Chaplin's early films and in a span of eight years, she appeared in over 30 films with him. Her name was pronounced "pur-VIE-unce" as verified by Chaplin in his spoken narration of one of his films.
Behind the Screen is a 1916 American silent short comedy film written by, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin, and also starring Eric Campbell and Edna Purviance. The film is in the public domain.
Wesley Ruggles was an American film director.
The Kid is a 1921 American silent comedy-drama film written, produced, directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin, and features Jackie Coogan as his foundling baby, adopted son and sidekick. This was Chaplin's first full-length film as a director. It was a huge success and was the second-highest-grossing film in 1921. Now considered one of the greatest films of the silent era, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2011.
A Night in the Show was Charlie Chaplin's 12th film for Essanay. It was made at Majestic Studio in Los Angeles in the fall of 1915. Chaplin played two roles: one as Mr. Pest and one as Mr. Rowdy. The film was created from Chaplin's stage work from a play called Mumming Birds with the Karno Company from London. Chaplin performed this play during his U.S. tours with Fred Karno company and decided to bring some of this play to his film work. Edna Purviance played a minor role as a lady in the audience.
The Pawnshop was Charlie Chaplin's sixth film for Mutual Film Corporation. Released on October 2, 1916, it stars Chaplin in the role of assistant to the pawnshop owner, played by Henry Bergman. Edna Purviance plays the owner's daughter, while Albert Austin appears as an alarm clock owner who watches Chaplin in dismay as he dismantles the clock; the massive Eric Campbell's character attempts to rob the shop.
The Floorwalker is a 1916 American silent comedy film, Charlie Chaplin's first Mutual Film Corporation film. The film stars Chaplin, in his traditional Tramp persona, as a customer who creates chaos in a department store and becomes inadvertently entangled in the nefarious scheme of the store manager, played by Eric Campbell, and the store's floorwalker, played by Lloyd Bacon, to embezzle money from the establishment.
A Woman was Charlie Chaplin's ninth film for Essanay Films. It was made in Los Angeles at the Majestic Studio and released in 1915.
By the Sea is a 1915 American silent comedy film Charlie Chaplin made while waiting for a studio to work in Los Angeles. He had just left Niles Essanay Studio after doing five films at that location. By the Sea was filmed all on location in Santa Monica on the beach near Ocean Park Pier and on Crystal Pier in April 1915. The story centers on Charlie's Little Tramp character and how he gets into trouble trying to grab the attention of women on the beach. Edna Purviance plays one of the wives in whom he shows interest. It is said to be the first film to incorporate the classic gag of a man slipping on a banana skin.
A Jitney Elopement was Charlie Chaplin's fifth film for Essanay Films. It starred Chaplin and Edna Purviance as lovers, with Purviance wanting Chaplin to take her away from an arranged marriage her father had planned for her. Chaplin does take her away in a jitney, a type of share taxi popular in the US between 1914 and 1916. Most of the film was made in San Francisco and includes scenes of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park and the large windmills still on the park's west side.
The Pilgrim is a 1923 American silent film made by Charlie Chaplin for the First National Film Company, starring Chaplin and Edna Purviance.
A Day's Pleasure (1919) is Charlie Chaplin's fourth film for First National Films. It was created at the Chaplin Studio. It was a quickly made two-reeler to help fill a gap while working on his first feature The Kid. It is about a day outing with his wife and the kids and things do not go smoothly. Edna Purviance plays Chaplin's wife and Jackie Coogan one of the kids. The first scene shows the Chaplin Studio corner office in the background while Chaplin tries to get his car started.
A Dog's Life is a 1918 American short silent film written, produced and directed by Charlie Chaplin. This was Chaplin's first film for First National Films. It was part of a then groundbreaking $1 million contract. It was for a total of eight 3 reel short silent films.
The Vagabond is a 1916 American silent romantic comedy film by Charlie Chaplin and his third film with Mutual Films. Released to theaters on July 10, 1916, it co-starred Edna Purviance, Eric Campbell, Leo White and Lloyd Bacon. This film echoed Chaplin's work on The Tramp, with more drama and pathos mixed in with the comedy.
The Bank is a silent slapstick comedy. It was Charlie Chaplin's tenth film for Essanay Films.
Triple Trouble is a two-reel American silent comedy film that was released in 1918. It stars Charlie Chaplin, Edna Purviance, and Leo White. This film was not an official Chaplin film, even though it has many Chaplin-directed scenes; after he left the studio, Essanay edited it together using outtakes and newly shot footage directed by Leo White. It had already been established in court that Chaplin had no legal control over the films made during his time with Essanay and could not prevent its release.
Easy Street is a 1917 short action-comedy film starring and directed by Charlie Chaplin.
The Adventurer is an American short comedy film made in 1917 written and directed by Charlie Chaplin, and is the last of the twelve films made under contract for the Mutual Film Corporation.
Shanghaied is a 1915 American comedy silent film made by Essanay Studios starring Charlie Chaplin.
