Page 16 - pm_1952_10

• THE LUBE OF CJDAPLIN

by S. 11 Shr;tw

Some of the movie moguls in of the well-known blend of comedy
W ardour Street have recently and pathos became apparent. Thre
brought back memories of their own of the original thirteen Essan y films
childhood excursions to the cinema are available to Pathescop us rs :
for there are now several of Chap- "Charlie at Work (two reels), "Th
lin's early films being shown in the Perfect Lady", and "Charlie Shang-
commercial cinemas fitted with a haied", each of two reels.
sound track. These films were orig-
inally made in what is really another In the middle of 1916 he I ft
age, but it is quite plain to see that Essanay to join the Mutual Film Com-
those baggy trousers, big boots and pany to make twelve films which b •
silly cane can still bring gusty appro•t- came known as the "million doll r
al from youngsters brought up on a Chaplins" and which rank among th
very different screen diet. best pictures he ever made. Written
and directed by himself, they ar
But Chaplin films have been avail- superior to his earlier work-the plots
able for home showing to a:l owners were stronger, timing more exact, and
of Pathescope projectors ever since the cutting more effective. Nin of
the early days of 9.5 mm., and for these films are issued by Pathescope
years it has been possible to see and for your enjoyment, viz.:-
enjoy a lar<!Je number of the finest of
Chaplin's work. Some have been ','Freedom for ever", "The W ater
withdrawn by reason of the fact that Cure", "Easy Street", "A Gallant
the negative from which the prints Fireman", " Rolling Around", "Wait-
are made having become worn out; er!", and "The Count". Two films in
nevertheless a good selection still re- the series - ''Gipsy Life" and "Th
mains as a perusal of the new Pathe- New World" are more subdued than
scope catalogue will show. the others and the tendency to
drama in these has more affinity to
Early Chaplin films may be classed his later films.
into three periods; he first entered
films in 1913 with the Keystone Com- But for rollicking fun, well - re-
pany and made over thirty-five member the spaghetti and melon
comedies, only two of which are episode in "The Count"; the skating
available-" Between Showers" (200 in "Rolling Around", and the hydro
ft.) and "Charlie on the Boards" - scenes in "The Water Cure"? Of
but good examples of the comedian's all the films of the period, howev r,
work of that time. perhaps the best known is "Easy
Street" in which comedy, pathos and
In 1914 he joined the Essanay satire are all wonderfully intermingled.
Company, and by then thoroughly
established, he directed a number of In spite of the fact that the photo-
comedies in which he developed his graphic quality of these films cannot
unique style to the full. These films stand comparison with modern pro-
were more polished than those pre- ductions the work of this fine comed-
viously; the plots were better devel- ian must surely find a .place in your
oped and in them the first indication film programme.

Published by Pathescope Ltd., North Circular Road, N.W.2, and Printed by Albert Clark & Co., Ltd.,
Cricklewood, N.W.2.