The Bank (1915)

Charlie does everything but an efficient job as janitor. Edna buys her fiance, the cashier, a birthday present. Charlie thinks "To Charles with Love" is for him. He presents her a rose ... See full summary »

Stars:

Charles Chaplin, Edna Purviance, Billy Armstrong

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Charles Chaplin	...	Janitor
Edna Purviance	...	Stenographer
Billy Armstrong	...	Another Janitor
Carl Stockdale	...	Cashier
Charles Inslee	...	Bank President (as Charles Insley)

Storyline

Charlie does everything but an efficient job as janitor. Edna buys her fiance, the cashier, a birthday present. Charlie thinks "To Charles with Love" is for him. He presents her a rose which she throws in the garbage. Depressed, Charlie dreams of a bank robbery and his heroic role in saving he manager and Edna ... but it is only a dream.

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Plot Keywords:

dream | rose | bank robbery | cashier | birthday present | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Short

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Certificate:

TV-G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 August 1915 (USA)

Also Known As:

Charlie in the Bank

Company Credits

Production Co:

Essanay Film Manufacturing Company, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

25 min 25 min 15 min (Ontario)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in Den gamle biograf: Episode #1.8 (2011)

User Reviews

A Fine Chaplin Short With Humor & Substance

This is one of the best of Charlie Chaplin's many early short films (i.e. from 1914-1916). Besides containing a lot of slapstick humor, the bank setting leads to some interesting subplots and themes.

Charlie is a janitor in the bank, and he usually manages to create more messes than he cleans up. Much of the first part of the movie is a series of comic misadventures while Charlie is trying to do his job, producing a lot of laughs. Then we find that Charlie has his eyes on a girl, and meanwhile some bank robbers come on the scene.

All of it leads to some good comedy, while also having some moments of humanity similar to those in the great films that Chaplin would create later. Charlie's character in this one is sympathetic and memorable. "The Bank" is a short feature with humor and substance, and it is one of the best examples of Chaplin's earlier work.