The Silver Screen Oasis

Charles Chaplin was born 118 years ago tomorrow. TCM has a bouquet of films prepared in his honor, starting at dawn. After reading the comments about The Great Dictator (1940) as a somewhat dubious choice for one of The Essentials last Saturday, I wonder if one of the following might have been a better choice? (I think my choice for an "essential" Charlie movie would probably be Limelight). Though these aren't all silents, many of them are worth mentioning here. Here's the rundown for the birthday tribute:

6:00 AM ET
The Kid (1921)
In this silent comedy, an adoptive father schemes to keep his son. Cast: Charles Chaplin, Edna Purviance, Jackie Coogan. Dir: Charles Chaplin. BW-68 mins.

7:00 AM ET
The Gold Rush (1925)
In this silent film, a lost soul in the Yukon seeks love and wealth. Cast: Charles Chaplin, Georgia Hale, Mack Swain. Dir: Charles Chaplin. BW-69 mins.

8:15 AM
City Lights (1931)
In this silent film, the Little Tramp tries to help a blind flower seller to see again. Cast: Charles Chaplin, Virginia Cherrill, Harry Myers. Dir: Charles Chaplin. BW-87 mins.

9:45 AM ET
Limelight (1952)
A broken-down comic sacrifices everything to give a young dancer a shot at the big time. Cast: Charles Chaplin, Claire Bloom, Buster Keaton. Dir: Charles Chaplin. BW-141 mins, CC

12:00 PM ET
Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin (2003)
Documentary that takes a comprehensive look at the life and career of the greatest comic icon the world has ever known. BW-132 mins, TV-PG, CC, Letterbox Format

2:15 PM ET
A King in New York (1957)
A European king loses his money while stranded in the U.S. Cast: Charles Chaplin, Michael Chaplin, Dawn Addams. Dir: Charles Chaplin.

I watched The Kid for the first time, it had been recommended to me so many times I was happy to finally get a look at it. It did not have as many sight gags as Chaplin usually has, but it was very touching. The little (Jackie Coogan?) was very adorable. It had him listed as one of the top actors on my direcTV guide... It left me wondering if he became a more famous actor later on (?).

I'm glad I recorded Limelight, because I wanted to see Chaplin and Keaton together (but I haven't had the chance to watch it yet). A friend of mine who doesn't even watch silents caught a glimpse of it and told me she loved it.

*breaths in deep* This forum is a breath of fresh air!

bobhopefan1940 wrote:It had him listed as one of the top actors on my direcTV guide... It left me wondering if he became a more famous actor later on (?).

He was Uncle Fester in the original Addams Family.



And welcome! It's great to have you here.

A-ha! So that's it... Although (honestly) I would have never figured that out on my own. He changed alot through the years And thanks for the welcome, this is a marvelous site and I know I will love it here.

I saw a Chaplin short called "A Day's Pleasure" on HBO Max. One of the biggest laugh's for me was a title card - "Stupid ass." 1919 and the name calling was pretty modern. Still in use, lots, over 100 years later.

movieman1957 wrote: ↑March 7th, 2023, 8:29 am I saw a Chaplin short called "A Day's Pleasure" on HBO Max. One of the biggest laugh's for me was a title card - "Stupid ass." 1919 and the name calling was pretty modern. Still in use, lots, over 100 years later.

At that time though, I think the colloquialism only meant donkey. It didn’t get the connotation with rear end until much later.