Film & Shorts Discussions > Random Comedy Reviews
The Pawnshop (1916) - Charlie Chaplin
metaldams:
Short six of twelve which means this ends the first half of the Chaplin Mutual journey. What can I say? I love this short. End of review. What, you want me to say more? Alright, alright, I’ll speak, but be thankful I’m not charging per word. Anywho, THE PAWNSHOP, from a character perspective, really has Chaplin in Keystone mode. He’s really immature and loves to fight and one thing I notice here, as in a few other Chaplin shorts, is that he does all the dishing out. Does not take one single hit, minus running into the bass at the end. Even there, he uses that as an excuse to dish out some punishment on others! It’s all in good fun though, and if the characterization may be a bit early Chaplin, the pacing and film making certainly are not. The gags and situations, all very skit like, have a very casual and logical flow. Chaplin takes his time with each situation, making this short very easy and a joy to follow.
THE PAWNSHOP is most famous - and rightly so - for Chaplin’s masterful use of props. These props are what he takes time with and uses at a mesmerizing level. The short begins with a few virtuosic twirls of his famous cane and then he grabs a duster. After dusting the cane, he manages to dust the room and get the feathers stuck in the fan, going all over the place. This is all the opening act, as the real fun begins with that ladder! The way him and John Rand work together is incredible. Really funny the way Rand is stuck in the ladder and Chaplin just eggs him on with his ballet like shadow boxing bit. The way Chaplin uses the ladder to hit everyone in sight and bounce in and out of the building and the outdoor era like a pinball is another great sight to watch, but best of all is when he is sitting in top the ladder balancing it. Just about the most physically daring bit Chaplin has done. Keaton worthy in the sense that I wonder how Chaplin didn’t hurt himself.
What else? Oh yes, the clock scene where he’s oiling it up and acting like a doctor on the operating table. It’s genius and mesmerizing to watch. I’m not going to describe it further. Instead, I’ll use this as an opportunity to plug Walter Kerr’s book, THE SILENT CLOWNS. If you can find it for a good price, grab it, it’s a must read. Kerr’s dissection of this scene is fantastic and truly is the definitive say on this scene, so I will to the master and plug him. Reading metaldams for comedy is OK, but I’m merely Billy West to Kerr’s Chaplin. Check him out.
For a brief note, there is a scene where Chaplin pantomimes the size of different family members he cares for just like Shemp in FRIGHT NIGHT, which I just watched last week. THE PAWNSHOP is another winner in the Chaplin Mutual series, check it out.
Dr. Mabuse:
In terms of sustained inventiveness, The Pawnshop ranks among the best Chaplin comedies. As a pawnbroker’s assistant, Charlie makes creative use of objects ranging from stale doughnuts to an alarm clock that requires a surgical procedure. If there is a rope on the floor, he walks across it as though he were a high-wire artist. Chaplin’s performance has an effortless, balletic grace rarely seen in his later films.
Perhaps the most revealing moment in The Pawnshop is the final shot in which Charlie emerges from a trunk to capture a thief, then bows to the camera, hugs the pawnbroker’s daughter and delivers a swift back-kick to his rival — all in one remarkable take. Apart from the flawless timing and choreography, the sequence is an example of Chaplin’s playful detachment in a heroic situation. Unfortunately, Chaplin jettisoned much of this comic detachment after he left Mutual and gradually became a more self-conscious performer . . . as if he wanted to belong. Perhaps that is why the best of his post-Mutual films are The Pilgrim and Modern Times. In both instances, Chaplin eliminates some of his pathos and recaptures the exhilaration of playfulness.
Tony Bensley:
I did view this masterful short a little while back on a budget DVD that I picked up quite a few years back. It is basically as you describe; the best of both worlds with early Chaplin Keystone like knockabout comedy, combined with great choreography, fine camera work, and just enough logical story-line to hold it all together!
CHEERS! :)
metaldams:
--- Quote from: Dr. Mabuse on March 08, 2022, 07:11:55 PM ---In terms of sustained inventiveness, The Pawnshop ranks among the best Chaplin comedies. As a pawnbroker’s assistant, Charlie makes creative use of objects ranging from stale doughnuts to an alarm clock that requires a surgical procedure. If there is a rope on the floor, he walks across it as though he were a high-wire artist. Chaplin’s performance has an effortless, balletic grace rarely seen in his later films.
Perhaps the most revealing moment in The Pawnshop is the final shot in which Charlie emerges from a trunk to capture a thief, then bows to the camera, hugs the pawnbroker’s daughter and delivers a swift back-kick to his rival — all in one remarkable take. Apart from the flawless timing and choreography, the sequence is an example of Chaplin’s playful detachment in a heroic situation. Unfortunately, Chaplin jettisoned much of this comic detachment after he left Mutual and gradually became a more self-conscious performer, as if he wanted to belong. Perhaps that is why the best of his post-Mutual films are The Pilgrim and Modern Times. In both instances, Chaplin eliminates some of his pathos and recaptures the exhilaration of playfulness.
--- End quote ---
Great summary of the ending.
Paul Pain:
This was a comedic masterpiece. If you don't like this, then I don't like you. The end.
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