8/31/2023 0 Comments Ragtime movie firetruck scene![]() It's also one of the earliest and best examples of Chaplin using reverse motion in his films. This one has a developed story, multiple sets, location shooting, a nice love story, even a full-sized structure fire. So many of the Keystone and Essanay comedies are rough and simple comedies with a lot of comical punching and kicking and not much else. The Fireman soon strikes me as a perfect example of just how good Chaplin's earliest films could be. In summary, very good and one of the best from Chaplin's 1916 output. The supporting cast acquit themselves well, particularly a charming Edna Purviance. He also, as usual, gives an amusing and expressive performance and at clear ease with the physicality and substance of the role. Chaplin directs more than competently, if not quite cinematic genius standard yet. It moves quickly and there is no dullness in sight. While not one of his most hilarious or touching, 'The Fireman' is still very funny with some clever, entertaining and well-timed slapstick and has substance and pathos that generally were not there with Keystone. Appreciate the importance of his Keystone period and there is some good stuff he did there, but the more mature and careful quality seen here and later on is obvious. On the other hand, 'The Fireman' looks pretty good, not incredible but it was obvious that Chaplin was taking more time with his work and not churning out countless shorts in the same year of very variable success like he did with Keystone. The story is more discernible than usual and is never dull, but is sometimes a bit too busy and manic. Something that can be seen in the more than worthwhile 'The Fireman'. ![]() It shows a noticeable step up in quality though from his Keystone period, where he was still evolving and in the infancy of his long career, from 1914, The Essanay and Mutual periods were something of Chaplin's adolescence period where his style had been found and starting to settle. From his post-Essanay period after leaving Keystone, 'The Fireman' is not one of his very best but is one of his best early efforts and among the better short films of his. Many films and shorts of his are very good to masterpiece, and like many others consider him a comedy genius and one of film's most important and influential directors. And where would we be without our all-important statistic? – Number of kicks up the arse: 15 (1 for, 13 against, 1 other)Īm a big fan of Charlie Chaplin, have been for over a decade now. These are pretty funny, but Chaplin clearly did not consider himself a Melies and would not pursue the approach. It's also notable for a couple of camera trick gags, such as Charlie appearing to put the horses into reverse, or a jump cut which makes it look like the firemen got dressed in a split second. This is all in all a fairly good Chaplin short, typical of the smoothness he displayed at the Mutual studios. Charlie's languid, unconcerned response is hilarious, but only because White's exaggerated capering gives him such an excellent counterpoint. He is at his best here though, hopping frantically around trying to get the fire brigade round to his burning house. Finally there is Leo White, and I'm sad to say this really was finally for him because it was the last appearance of his recurring posh twit persona, and his penultimate appearance in any Chaplin picture. After seeing Campbell repeatedly kick Charlie up the arse, Austin gets in one kick of his own, only to have Charlie ceremoniously kick him back. ![]() Then we get the jumped-up, self-important boss's pet as played by Albert Austin. As the ultimate burly bully and a grim figure of authority, he provides us with the most satisfaction when Charlie gets the better of him. Campbell was a real find, having size coupled with sternness, meaning he was suitable play Chaplin's boss as well as antagonist. So who have we here? Most noticeable is of course Eric Campbell, in his second role for Chaplin. And yet it was that army of pratfallers who keep the supply of potential gags flowing and fresh. This even went to the point of Chaplin not always being the centre of attention, but still being the originator of the biggest laughs. You see, Charlie's appeal lay in his own lack of pomposity, and his knack of deflating it in others. Chaplin's supporting actors came in many shapes and sizes, but they all had one function in common – to be a puffed-up pompous twerp, who it was amusing to see brought down a peg. Since the Fireman does not show Charlie at his funniest, let's take this opportunity to tip our hats to the gentlemen who were the butts of so many of his jokes. One of the many advantages Charlie Chaplin had in the independence, confidence and familiarity of this point in his career was that he had a large crew of supporting players, each with their own slightly different character, whom the little tramp could play off of.
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