A Burlesque on Carmen (1915)

Director:

Charles Chaplin

Writer:

Prosper Mérimée (novel)

Release Date:

18 December 1915 (USA)

Genre:

Short

Plot:

A gypsy seductress is sent to sway a goofy officer to allow a smuggling run.

Plot Keywords:

Gypsy | Public Domain | Based On Novel | Character Name In Title

Cast

Charles Chaplin	...	Darn Hosiery
Edna Purviance	...	Carmen
Jack Henderson	...	Lillas Pastia
Leo White	...	Morales, Officer of the Guard
John Rand	...	Escamillo the Toreador
May White	...	Frasquita
Bud Jamison	...	Soldier of the Guard
Lawrence A. Bowes	...	Gypsy
Frank J. Coleman	...	Soldier

Also Known As:

Charlie Chaplin's Burlesque on Carmen (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

Portugal:45 min | USA:37 min (18 fps)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Silent

Company:

Essanay Film Manufacturing Company, The

Trivia:

Charles Chaplin released this two reel comedy in 1915, shortly before leaving Essanay. That studio then padded the film with two more reels of non-Chaplin material and re-released it as a four-reel film in 1916.

Movie Connections:

Version of Carmen (1915/I)

Works Pretty Well

This combination of Charlie Chaplin's familiar slapstick and mannerisms with some of the plot ideas from "Carmen" works pretty well. Although Chaplin retains many of the features of his usual screen persona, playing even a parody version of Don José is still a change-of-pace that he handles well. Edna Purviance combines enough of the expected Carmen character with her own style that so often complemented Chaplin in numerous successful comedies.

Note that, of the two "Burlesque on Carmen" titles that list Chaplin in the cast, this (the 1915 filming) is the one to see for Chaplin fans. The 1916 release was created when someone apparently decided that it might be a good idea to take this perfectly good original and pad it with a lot of extraneous, non-Chaplin footage to produce a much longer movie.

Parody is an inherently fragile genre. For it to produce anything of lasting value, the source material has to be both familiar and worthwhile, and then the adaptation has to be clever without forcing too many artificial parallels. Many parodies are over-praised upon their release, enjoy a vogue while their source material remains popular, and then fall into deserved obscurity.

The story of "Carmen", though, has a timeless combination of themes, and yet it is not at all stuffy or highbrow. While the original classic is now, unfortunately, less widely-known than it was in Chaplin's day, the material itself is still far more worthwhile than are the pop culture elements that are used as fodder for many parody films of the present era. While by no means one of his very finest efforts, Chaplin's "Burlesque on Carmen" is an enjoyable comic adaptation of the basic story, and for that reason it will always retain an appreciative, if small, audience.