Film & Shorts Discussions > Random Comedy Reviews
The Floorwalker (1916) - Charlie Chaplin
metaldams:
--- Quote from: HomokHarcos on January 09, 2022, 08:28:56 PM ---Chaplin's films improved with each studio he moved on to. Keystone was the usual slapstick comedy of the era, Essanay gave him his first true classic, and Mutual he picked up the game even more. Even for the Mutuals I felt like they starting getting better as they went along. As for the Floorwalker, one big praise is the location. I love the store and the elevator was impressive as I didn't know they existed back then. Seeing a woman (Charlotte Mineau) play a detective was also pretty cool considering when this was made. Good gags here including the mirror routine: funny that a mirror wasn't even involved. Chaplin going back and forth hiding behind a box was hilarious. Chaplin smashing a drawer over Campbell's head was fun slapstick violence.
I will admit Edna Purviance never made much of an impression on me despite all of her appearances with Chaplin. Eric Campbell on the other hand is probably my favorite of Chaplin's supporting players, and was the heavy of Chaplin's.
--- End quote ---
Some films, like this one, Edna wasn’t given much to do. I think she’s very good in THE IMMIGRANT and THE KID and a few others, but by the time Chaplin’s on screen relationships with women were getting deeper, Edna was gone.
Allen Champion:
Very glad you're covering the Mutuals! IMHO the Mutuals are the greatest series of silent two reelers one artist ever turned out (yes, better than Keaton's). They will always be timeless, relevant, and wonderfully funny. My "desert island" two-reelers. [pie]
Paul Pain:
This was a fantastic short. Are we sure this wasn't a three-reeler as at 30 minutes that's more in 3-4 reel territory. This is a fantastic bit of artistry, and it took me a while to figure that this was not a double-role for Charlie Chaplin. I don't know if the title cards are original, but either way they are well-spaced throughout the short.
It's truly amazing how much action he gets out of such simple sets, and it's interesting to compare even the sets the silent stars used.
metaldams:
--- Quote from: Paul Pain on January 11, 2022, 10:14:24 AM ---This was a fantastic short. Are we sure this wasn't a three-reeler as at 30 minutes that's more in 3-4 reel territory. This is a fantastic bit of artistry, and it took me a while to figure that this was not a double-role for Charlie Chaplin. I don't know if the title cards are original, but either way they are well-spaced throughout the short.
It's truly amazing how much action he gets out of such simple sets, and it's interesting to compare even the sets the silent stars used.
--- End quote ---
It’s 2 reels of film. Silent 2 reelers can run a tad longer because unlike sound films, they’re not always run at 24 frames per second.
By the way, I’m finding prints from the Lobster restorations, which is what I recommend. If any of you want the blu ray/dvd combo, here’s the set.
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Chaplins-Mutual-Comedies-Blu-ray/101335/
Umbrella Sam:
--- Quote from: metaldams on January 11, 2022, 11:18:48 AM ---It’s 2 reels of film. Silent 2 reelers can run a tad longer because unlike sound films, they’re not always run at 24 frames per second.
By the way, I’m finding prints from the Lobster restorations, which is what I recommend. If any of you want the blu ray/dvd combo, here’s the set.
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Chaplins-Mutual-Comedies-Blu-ray/101335/
--- End quote ---
Interesting. I never knew there was a difference in classification when it came to silent films, but that makes sense because of the speed manipulation. I’m curious, was this tactic ever used in an attempt to classify something as a short instead of a feature, or vice versa?
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