Dough and Dynamite (1914)

Charlie and another waiter must become bakers when the regular bakers go out on strike. The strikers put dynamite in a piece of bread which is delivered to the cake counter. It winds up in the oven and explodes.

Writer:

Mack Sennett

Stars:

Charles Chaplin, Chester Conklin, Fritz Schade

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Charles Chaplin	...	Pierre, a Waiter
Chester Conklin	...	Jacques / a Waiter
Fritz Schade	...	Monsieur La Vie, Bakery Owner
Norma Nichols	...	Mme. La Vie, the Baker's Wife
Peggy Page	...	Waitress (as Miss Page)
Cecile Arnold	...	Waitress
Jess Dandy	...	Female Cook
Vivian Edwards	...	1st Customer
Phyllis Allen	...	2nd Customer
Glen Cavender	...	Head Striking Baker

Storyline

Charlie and another waiter must become bakers when the regular bakers go out on strike. The strikers put dynamite in a piece of bread which is delivered to the cake counter. It winds up in the oven and explodes.

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Plot Keywords:

baker | strike | striker | dynamite | waiter | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Short

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 October 1914 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Cook

Company Credits

Production Co:

Keystone Film Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

33 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film was one of several Charles Chaplin comedies scheduled to be shown at the New York Historical Society in September 2001. In the wake of the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center, however, this film and one other, Work, were pulled from the program because each ends with Charlie emerging from the rubble of a destroyed building.

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Connections

Featured in Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin (2003)

User Reviews

disappointing

'Dough and Dynamite', an early Chaplin piece scripted by Mack Sennett, has all the hallmarks of a try-out (which indeed it was, its speed and plot reappearing in later work from the little comic).

Chaplin is good, but the story lacks focus. There's a manic and exasperated character (the priceless Chester Conklin); a flash customer (John Francis Dillon), and a mysterious loaf. The dough of the title gets everywhere but it can't hold this disappointing short together.

My feeling is that 'Dough and Dynamite' drags too much for a short piece - as an example of how to do set pieces of comedy, it's fine, but it is hard going for audiences today compared to the rest of Charlie's work.