Kid, The (1921)//

posted Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011
by amy | Comments (2)

Release date: February 6, 1921
Director: Charles Chaplin
Screenplay by: Charles Chaplin
Cast: Charles Chaplin, Jackie Coogan, Edna Purviance

Opening the film with the title card of “A comedy with a smile–and perhaps a tear,” The Kid begins with The Woman (Purviance) leaving a hospital after she’d just given birth. Young, not-married, and not able to support herself, she decides to leave her baby with a wealthy family as she walks by a fancy neighborhood.

Bad luck strikes as The Woman leaves The Kid (Coogan) in the backseat of a fancy car, only to have the car get stolen by a couple of low-lives who don’t noticed the baby in the car until they’re in a lousy neighborhood. They immediately leave the defenseless baby in the street where he is found by The Tramp (Chaplin).

For a film that’s already 90 years old (almost exactly to the date), Chaplin’s The Kid is surprisingly fresh. It’s fast-paced, smart, and has a lot of heart. It’s definitely a good start for those not familiar with silent films, who will probably find it easy to get into just because of Chaplin’s comedy style.

The lives of The Kid and The Tramp are sassy, they live in misery but are not empty, they must do a lot to get by, and we laugh with them when they have to break some windows in order to fix them.

Rating:  

Watch it for free on YouTube | Like it? The Kid is part of the The Chaplin Collection, Vol. 2