Topic: The Rink (1916) - Charlie Chaplin

[metaldams]

 


      THE RINK is simply a fun film.  Of course what I’m about to say is in the eye of the beholder, but THE RINK might just be the most fun film Chaplin ever made at Mutual - or maybe ever.  It’s just an excuse for Chaplin to show off and do some comic things really well, nothing too deep.  I emphasize this because the next short, by Chaplin Mutual standards, if not D.W. Griffith standards, is a relatively serious film.  It’s fascinating how Chaplin can switch moods on a whim during this period of his career.  But yeah, here?  All I can really do is marvel at a few of my favorite comic moments without any rhyme or reason and the virtuosity Chaplin shows with both the staging and performance aspect.

      Let’s see, moments to discuss.  Well, for a Three Stooges link, there is the bit where Chaplin, as a waiter, can tell what customer Eric Campbell ordered simply by what food is sloppily left on Campbell’s clothing.  Larry Fine does a similar gag with Jack “Tiny” Lipson in PLAYING THE PONIES.

      The flirting angle is really bizarre here if you use realism as your barometer, but in the world of silent comedy, quite funny.  Eric Campbell has this wonderful mating call when trying to woo a certain Edna by popping his finger in and out of his inner cheekbone.  I have no idea if it’s supposed to be symbolic of something or just silly, but it’s a pleasant, “What the Hell?” kind of moment I occasionally want out of these things.  Chaplin’s raised hat when flirting with the foot girl I think I may know what it is symbolic of.  All pleasantly silly stuff.

      Speaking of pleasantly silly, we get Henry Bergman dressed as a woman in this short, playing the Mrs. Stout character.  Now you regulars know by now the whole comic in drag thing usually weakens a comic’s character in my eyes, but here it works.  The reason is because Henry Bergman is supposed to be an actual woman, not a man dressed as one.  This really works well in that Mr. Bergman can take some slapstick that wouldn’t work as well with say, Edna Purviance or Charlotte Mineau.  Some wonderful falls on the skating rink, Chaplin bouncing off Bergman like a trampoline and my favorite Bergman part - taking that punch Chaplin ducks while he/she is sitting down and giving that big pratfall.  That got a huge laugh out of me.

      Finally, I just love the staging and virtuosity Chaplin shows in this short.  Chaplin’s skating really is a wonder.  He was only in his twenties at this point and it’s great seeing how graceful he is on those skates.  The scene where he and Edna grab the cane and skate together really is one of those iconic Chaplin moments in my eyes and I love the fact he kicks Albert Austin’s butt while doing this skating because, well, he can.  The skating alone with Edna is difficult enough, kicking a guy in the butt while doing it takes a ton of skill.  Chaplin was in his physical prime here, heck, even mixing a drink looks graceful when he does it at this point.  The staging in parts is also fantastic.  During the chase at the end, notice how all the men chasing Chaplin are perfectly symmetrical, as is their crash into the table in the next room.  I can’t begin to imagine how many takes that took to get right.

      Overall, THE RINK is a fun and delightful short, one of Chaplin’s very best.
 

[Umbrella Sam]

THE RINK is essentially Chaplin’s way of showing people he can skate...but that’s still a good thing. If this was done at Keystone, they probably would have just showed people piling over each other and falling without any real sense of rhythm. But Chaplin knows what he’s doing. When he’s ready to fall, he doesn’t just fall; he builds suspense, milks it for all its worth, and does it with such timing that you can tell this is someone who really knows what he’s doing. It’s more impressive watching him time his falls than it is watching him actually skating consistently.

The story is kind of oddly paced; the whole idea is all these characters who’ve met before end up getting invited to the same party and then recognize each other at the party. They all kind of freak out and try to get Chaplin to keep quiet about how they all met before...and I’m not entirely sure why. Is this restaurant they all went to some forbidden place? It kind of feels like they didn’t really put a whole lot of thought into this. But that’s OK. The pacing of the comedy definitely makes up for it. The gags in the restaurant are a bit more along the lines of THE PAWNSHOP and BEHIND THE SCREEN. I love that little moment where Chaplin and the other waiter are both trying to serve their plates and continually crash into each other while maintaining their posture. The supporting cast, as usual, is great: Henry Bergman and Eric Campbell are a lot of fun in their roles, and Albert Austin is a real trooper, taking two different roles, one of which he has dough thrown in his face and the other in which Chaplin consistently trips him.

Once again, a really fun short that shows a nice blend between the old Keystone style and Chaplin’s more evolved movements.

[HomokHarcos]

My favorite section in this movie is the part where Chaplin is working at the restaurant. I always like seeing comedians do a job only to make it a big mess of it, and you get that here. In real life it would be very annoying, but for a comedy it's a good setup.

Chaplin is very good at ice skating, something I'm not able to do myself. Sort of like hockey players he makes it look as natural as walking, and seeing how often he clumsily falls down you have to keep in mind he must have been pretty agile to do this type of stuff. I'm wondering how they got that ice there, from the way it was shot it looked like it was filmed on a set instead of an actual rink, but I could be wrong.

[metaldams]

The story is kind of oddly paced; the whole idea is all these characters who’ve met before end up getting invited to the same party and then recognize each other at the party. They all kind of freak out and try to get Chaplin to keep quiet about how they all met before...and I’m not entirely sure why. Is this restaurant they all went to some forbidden place? It kind of feels like they didn’t really put a whole lot of thought into this. But that’s OK.

It’s a romantic mix up.  If I got this right, Eric Campbell and Henry Bergman’s characters are married.  Edna’s Dad is flirting with Henry’s character.  Eric Campbell is flirting with Edna.  Charlie is dating Edna.  They were all supposed to meet at the same party.

But yeah, the plot is OK, but agreed the actual physical comedy is the real selling point here.

[metaldams]

Chaplin is very good at ice skating, something I'm not able to do myself. Sort of like hockey players he makes it look as natural as walking, and seeing how often he clumsily falls down you have to keep in mind he must have been pretty agile to do this type of stuff. I'm wondering how they got that ice there, from the way it was shot it looked like it was filmed on a set instead of an actual rink, but I could be wrong.

Ice skating - must be the Canadian in you.    They’re actually roller skating.  They’re on wheels, not blades and no ice involved.  Still physically very impressive, I stink at roller skating and never even dared try ice skating.

[Dr. Mabuse]

"The Rink" provides a bravura showcase for Chaplin’s versatility. Not only does the Little Fellow become a skater of remarkable agility, but he also mixes a cocktail with elaborate flourish. Charlie's engaging performance turns a serviceable farce into a hilarious ballet on wheels — nicely abetted by his colorful ensemble cast.

One of the best-known Mutual shorts, "The Rink" is a timeless slapstick gem. For uninitiated viewers, it remains the perfect introduction to Chaplin’s comic artistry. I should know, since "The Rink" was the first Chaplin film I ever watched.

[metaldams]

Agreed, THE RINK is a great Chaplin introduction.  You’re lucky.

My first Chaplin film was A JITNEY ELOPMENT, far from ideal.  It wasn’t until I saw the features where I got Chaplin.  I like the Keystone and Essanay stuff more now, but for someone not acclimated to silent film, it was a little too out there for me at the time.

[HomokHarcos]

Ice skating - must be the Canadian in you.    They’re actually roller skating.  They’re on wheels, not blades and no ice involved.  Still physically very impressive, I stink at roller skating and never even dared try ice skating.

Wow, I watched this twice and both times thought he was ice skating.

[Umbrella Sam]

It’s a romantic mix up.  If I got this right, Eric Campbell and Henry Bergman’s characters are married.  Edna’s Dad is flirting with Henry’s character.  Eric Campbell is flirting with Edna.  Charlie is dating Edna.  They were all supposed to meet at the same party.

But yeah, the plot is OK, but agreed the actual physical comedy is the real selling point here.

I understand that, but it still doesn’t make sense to me that everyone would freak out over Chaplin’s appearance. Eric and Henry’s characters have already found out about each other’s deceptions by this point, so what do they really have to lose by revealing they all know each other? If anything, Chaplin should be the only one freaking out since he’s lying about his identity to Edna.

[Umbrella Sam]

Wow, I watched this twice and both times thought he was ice skating.

Yeah, when I first saw it, I initially assumed they were ice skating as well before noticing the wheels. I don’t think I’ve ever been roller skating, but ice skating is pretty fun.

[metaldams]

I understand that, but it still doesn’t make sense to me that everyone would freak out over Chaplin’s appearance. Eric and Henry’s characters have already found out about each other’s deceptions by this point, so what do they really have to lose by revealing they all know each other? If anything, Chaplin should be the only one freaking out since he’s lying about his identity to Edna.

I’ll have to watch again, but I thought they were all freaking out over each other due to infidelity’s being found out, not necessarily freaked out by Chaplin - but I could’ve missed it.  A lot of good stuff to distract from the plot here.

[Paul Pain]

I'm with metaldams.  The shock is over the large-scale lie that all four characters are living.  Mr. and Mrs. Stout are cheating on each other; and Chaplin's lying about his identity.  Chaplin saw Mrs. Stout and Edna's father together in the restaurant; he also saved Edna from Mr. Stout earlier.  Likewise, all except Edna are aware that Chaplin is really just a poor waiter; thus, all four agree to keep quiet about these things.

This was another great short, and everything that needed to be said has been said.  I will note this though: it's amazing how, except until the final fight, in Chaplin's universe, it's perfectly natural to react to even slight offenses by beating the living $#¡+ out of someone with your bare fists, as seen in the fights in the restaurant.  In a rarity, Chaplin himself takes a pummeling in this one as well.

I think the reason for having Henry Bergman play Mrs. Stout was because of the abuse the character takes.  In these comedy shorts, you see women involved in the laughs, but until the female co-stars in Columbia shorts you don't often see female actors taking heavy physical abuse like the men do.