Mabel's Busy Day (1914)

A hotdog girl gives one to a policeman who then allows her into a race track. While other customers swipe her hotdogs, Charlie runs off with the whole box, pretending to sell them while ... See full summary »

Stars:

Mabel Normand, Charles Chaplin, Dan Albert

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Mabel Normand	...	Mabel
Charles Chaplin	...	Tipsy Nuisance

Storyline

A hotdog girl gives one to a policeman who then allows her into a race track. While other customers swipe her hotdogs, Charlie runs off with the whole box, pretending to sell them while actually giving them away. She calls her policeman who battles Charlie.

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Plot Keywords:

police officer | hot dog stand | public domain | vendor | actor shares first name with character | 

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Genres:

Short | Comedy

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Certificate:

TV-G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 June 1914 (USA)

Also Known As:

Charlie and the Sausages

Company Credits

Production Co:

Keystone Film Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

10 min 10 min (TCM print)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

A very short comedy in which Charlie Chaplin plays an uncharacteristic but still very recognizable role.

Mabel's Busy Day is a quick story of a vendor at a sporting event and the troubles that she encounters throughout her day. Chaplin actually plays the part of a more well-to-do individual, but he is still very recognizable, with the traditional look that Chaplin always seems to have. Also, he still manages to get into plenty of the high-paced and very amusing scuffles that are almost as much of a trademark in his films as that outfit.

What really makes this film unique is that Charlie actually plays the part of the antagonist. When the server girl - the vendor who the film is about - gets picked on by hordes of people, Charlie comes to the rescue, but he ends up hitting on her and then getting turned down. Not only did he not get the girl, but he also ends up stealing all of her products (which happen to be sausages) and handing them out to all of the people who are nearby. This is totally uncharacteristic, but it does not take away from the quality of the comedy delivered by this short film. The fight sequences, although dated very badly because of sheer physical deterioration, were particularly entertaining and amusing.