Behind the Screen (1916)

Director:

Charles Chaplin

Writer:

Charles Chaplin (writer)

Release Date:

13 November 1916 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Short

Plot:

Charlie is an overworked labourer at a film studio who helps a young woman find work even while his coworkers strike against his tyrannical boss.

Plot Keywords:

Strike | Boss | Dynamite | Movie Set | Romantic Kiss

Cast

Eric Campbell	...	Goliath (a stagehand)
Charles Chaplin	...	David (Goliath's assistant)
Edna Purviance	...	The girl

Also Known As:

The Pride of Hollywood (USA) (alternative title)

Runtime:

15 min | Argentina:30 min | Germany:24 min (restored version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

Australia:G | Argentina:Atp | Spain:T

Filming Locations:

Lone Star Studio - 1751 Glendale Boulevard, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Lone Star Corporation

Movie Connections:

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

Excellent Short - Plenty of Good Slapstick, & Much More

"Behind the Screen" is an excellent Charlie Chaplin short feature, with plenty of good slapstick and much more. The setting, with Charlie working as a hired hand in a movie-making operation, lends itself to a lot of good comedy, and there are plenty of standard gags plus a lot of material that creatively uses the props and situations of the setting. It also works very well as a self-satire of the industry (as suggested by the title), making some subtle and other not so subtle points. Finally, there is some nice interplay between Charlie's character and his superiors, especially his burly, brutish immediate supervisor, played by Eric Campbell, an amusing actor who was one of Chaplin's best supporting players.

Most of these earlier Chaplin films (referring to 1914-1916, the years when he made the majority of his short features, making ten or more each year) do not get very high ratings. It's true that some of them are mostly routine slapstick, but there are also a few gems like this one that combine slapstick with substance. Most of the movies from these years can be rather hard to watch, because the film often survives in poor condition, and so it's understandable that even the best ones might not always stand out as clearly from the rest. But this one is a fine film, and definitely recommended for Chaplin fans.