THE VAGABOND is the third of twelve Charlie Chaplin Mutual comedies. Wait, did I just say comedy? Long stretches of this short play out like a straight drama and because of that, THE VAGABOND is an extremely important film in the artistic development of Charlie Chaplin. For all of you folks familiar with his features, you will know Chaplin would throw in comedy and drama seamlessly. However, by the time THE VAGABOND was released, whatever drama Chaplin previously had was fleeting. Yes, there are moments of drama in THE TRAMP, THE BANK and POLICE, but the key word there is moments. THE VAGABOND also has moments - of comedy. It is, in essence a dramatic film. Perhaps Chaplin hasn’t quite found the right balance of the two yet, but I find the results fascinating all the same and really love this short.
The bulk of the comedy plays in the opening scene. Brilliant opening shot of Chaplin, only seeing his feet below the swinging doors walking and the door eventually opens to reveal his whole body. Just the feet alone and it’s obviously Chaplin, that’s how drawn his character was by this point. Chaplin plays violin and passes a cup around to restaurant patrons for change. There is a competing band trying to do the same and when they find Chaplin in on their territory, a comic brawl and chase is pursued. I love Chaplin hitting the one guy, who falls onto a bunch of patrons causing a huge domino effect. The chase is well timed and makes good use of corners and Chaplin avoiding his adversaries in various ways. This first few minutes makes up about half or more of the comedy in this film.
From there, Chaplin is in a gypsy camp and he runs into Edna Purviance, a clearly abused girl by the intimidating Eric Campbell. The abuse is shown, so whatever light comic bits there are in this part have bits of tension underneath. Some fun stuff with Chaplin playing violin for Edna - when he falls butt first into the bucket of water, legs in the air, it recalls the much later LIMELIGHT. He eventually gets Edna away from the gypsy camp in a well choreographed escape. Yes, bits of comedy with well timed hits on the head and a great carriage chase - yet again, with hints of tension. They get away.
It should be mentioned Edna was kidnapped as a child and has a shamrock birthmark on her arm. She meets a painter who paints her with the birthmark showing. They fall in love, leaving Chaplin as the third wheel. This would become very common with Chaplin in his features, he rarely gets the girl. The painting is seen at a party with the birthmark being shown. The girls long lost biological mother sees the painting and knows she found her daughter. The painter takes the mother to the camp site where Chaplin and Edna are. They’re about to take Edna away without Charlie when Edna realizes she wants Charlie with them. They drive back to Charlie, get him in the car, and drive off. The end.
The idea of a mother, estranged from her child only to reunite would be found in THE KID. Here, the birthmark on the painting was the signifier of the daughter. In THE KID, it was the note Jackie Coogan had on him that Edna wrote years ago, making her realize she was reunited with her abandoned son. The ending of both films leaves a lot of questions. In THE VAGABOND, Chaplin is driving off with both Edna and the painter. We have no clue how that will end up after Edna wanted Chaplin in the car. She seems confused. In THE KID, Chaplin is invited back into Jackie Coogan’s life, but now that Jackie is reunited with his biological mother, in what role? That doesn’t get answered so in both films, we’re left with more questions than answers. It’s an ending that invites thought and it’s obvious Chaplin had THE VAGABOND in mind when making THE KID.
Making such a dramatic film was artistically brave but it’s interesting that his next short, ONE A.M., is about as basic a comedy as can be. I think Chaplin momentarily purged his dramatic desires and may have felt the need to get his comic side back. The solo act he does is brilliant and I always say a great introduction to Chaplin would be watching THE VAGABOND and ONE A.M. back to back. It shows, in extreme examples, the dramatic and comic sides of Chaplin. Speaking of ONE A.M., I’ve already reviewed that one, so if you haven’t done so already, please watch and comment on it when you’re done with THE VAGABOND, linked below. In two weeks, I’ll be doing THE COUNT.
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