The Property Man (1914)

Director:

Charles Chaplin

Release Date:

1 August 1914 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Short

Tagline:

SYNCHRONIZED WITH SOUND EFFECTS and MUSIC

Plot:

Charlie has trouble with actors' luggage and conflicts over who gets the star's dressing room. There...

Plot Keywords:

Public Domain

Cast

Charles Chaplin	...	The Property Man
Phyllis Allen	...	Lena Fat
Alice Davenport	...	Actress
Charles Bennett	...	George Ham, Lena's Husband
Mack Sennett	...	Man in Audience
Norma Nichols	...	Vaudeville Artist
Joe Bordeaux	...	Old Actor
Harry McCoy	...	Drunk in Audience
Lee Morris	...	Man in Audience

Also Known As:

Charlie on the Boards (USA) (alternative title)
Getting His Goat
Hits of the Past (USA) (alternative title)
Props (USA) (alternative title)
The Rustabout
Vamping Venus

Runtime:

31 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

Argentina:Atp

Company:

Keystone Film Company

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Zodiac (2007/I)

In which a fledgling comic genius learned what not to do

There's only one genuine point of interest posed by the Keystone comedy THE PROPERTY MAN: What would Charlie Chaplin's work look like if his approach to comedy had been as crude as that of, say, Ben Turpin? For those interested in this burning question, the answer can be found here.

This film, which is set backstage in a vaudeville theater, is rather notorious for its slapstick violence and sadism, and it's easy to see why. Most of the Keystone comedies feature lots of comic mayhem, and Chaplin's are no exception, but in the midst of it all Charlie himself is usually at least a moderately sympathetic figure. Not in this movie! We watch THE PROPERTY MAN a little dumbstruck as Charlie does everything possible to turn audience sympathy against himself. Most infamously, Charlie bullies his elderly assistant, smacking and kicking him repeatedly, even when the old man is pinned under a fallen trunk. Not only is this far from funny, but when the old man finally fights back, it's exhilarating, and we root for him to settle the score with his tormentor. It's like visiting some nightmarish alternate universe where we root for Elmer Fudd to nail Bugs Bunny. Actually, the experience of watching this movie is not unlike seeing the earliest appearances of favorite cartoon characters such as Mickey Mouse or Daffy Duck, when the characters themselves still had the quality of rough sketches, and their behavior was often crude and aggressive. Charlie is certainly aggressive in THE PROPERTY MAN-- he even knocks one of the ladies over, on purpose, just for fun.

Viewers expecting a plot of some sort won't find one here: events in this film follow a loose, episodic framework as one act after another appears on stage. I tend to enjoy movies set backstage at theaters, and admittedly this film does provide a taste of what vaudeville was like in its heyday, allowing for Keystone-style exaggeration. Still, our enjoyment is undercut by the film's harsh tone: even when Charlie isn't assaulting people his comic business is decidedly on the rough side. At one point, just as he's flirting with a pair of dancing girls, beer is accidentally spilled down his pants, creating a highly unappealing impression. Later, when Garlico the strong man is on stage performing his act, and bends to lift weights, Charlie deliberately rips a piece of fabric so that Garlico will think he's ripped his tights. This is one of the film's rare comic moments, perhaps in part because the strong man is the only character in the movie more obnoxious than Charlie.

Get the idea? This movie isn't merely bad, it's a blot on Chaplin's reputation as a comedian, but fortunately he outgrew stuff like this pretty quickly. Within a couple of years he would make BEHIND THE SCREEN, set at a movie studio, in which huge Eric Campbell would play Goliath the bullying prop man, and Charlie-- the Charlie we recognize --would play his assistant, the hapless and put-upon David. And, much to our relief, the proper pecking order would be established in Chaplin's universe.