I forget which ones I saw, except that he cross-dressed in one and mugged a lot for the camera while he was in drag. Very un-memorable. But "City Lights" blew me away.
Yep! That was DEFINITELY Chaplin, circa 1914-15! Many of his earliest works are as crude and "unmemorable" as all get-out to modern viewers (and the "men-in-drag" shtick was an old staple that, from time immemorial, virutally every comedian has dabbled in, only falling into virtually total dis-use in the last 50 years); however, there are occasional glimpses into the promise he showed as a comedian and artist, and into the greatness that was later to come. One must also bear in mind that Chaplin had little creative control during his earliest days onscreen. The same is true of the great Buster Keaton: neither his nor Chaplin's initial efforts are much to rave about because both men went on to do much better work, later in their careers, when they were free of studio constraints to write, produce and direct their own pictures.
One worthwhile thing in viewing both "early Chaplin" and "early Keaton," though, is to see how both artists began and evolved into the screen icons they would later become.
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Chrissie
15 years ago
I don't mind the men in drag per se. Arbuckle did it to good effect in Coney Island, Good Night Nurse, and The Butcher Boy. (I think Roscoe made a better looking woman than he did a man!) I also liked Buster's cross dressing in His Wedding Night. That whole scene, where Alice asks him to model the dress, and since he's drunk from the beer Roscoe gave him he starts stripping right in the middle of the room and Alice has to chase him behind the screen. I love that moment.
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pdndpm
13 years ago
and the "men-in-drag" shtick was an old staple that, from time immemorial, virutally every comedian has dabbled in, only falling into virtually total dis-use in the last 50 year
Obviously you've not heard of tyler perry? (lucky you!)
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