The Floorwalker (1916)

Director:

Charles Chaplin

Writers:

Vincent Bryan (writer)
Charles Chaplin (writer)

Release Date:

15 May 1916 (USA)

Genre:

Short | Comedy

Plot:

After causing havoc on the sales floor Charlie goes to the office floor. There he runs into the store...

Plot Keywords:

Loot | Salesclerk | Floorwalker | Thief | Public Domain

Cast

Charles Chaplin	...	Tramp
Eric Campbell	...	Store manager
Edna Purviance	...	Manager's secretary
Lloyd Bacon	...	Assistant manager
Albert Austin	...	Shop assistant
Charlotte Mineau	...	Beautiful store detective

Also Known As:

Shop (USA) (alternative title)
The Store

Runtime:

Argentina:30 min | Spain:29 min | Germany:24 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

Germany:6 | Australia:G | Norway:A | Argentina:Atp | Finland:S

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Lone Star Corporation

Trivia:

This film was noted for the first "running staircase" used in films.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Modern Times (1936)

Decent if not great Chaplin fare

If you have read my other reviews of Chaplin's comedy shorts, you may have noticed that I have generally given very poor reviews of films made during his first couple years in Hollywood (1914-1915). In general, they had no script or direction, were never really edited and just weren't particularly funny. In addition, Chaplin had a lot to learn about and develop regarding his Little Tramp character. by 1916, however, the movies began to improve as Chaplin was now the creative force behind all his films and he had honed his craft.

For a 1916 short, this is a pretty good film. It does have a pretty decent plot and it's pretty enjoyable. There's just one problem and I doubt if it is Chaplin's fault. When the film is nearing its conclusion, it just seems to end abruptly during the final climactic fight. I really think that the last few seconds of the film have been lost and that is why it ends this way. This isn't too uncommon for Chaplin shorts, as many have been pieced together from many different prints and many differing versions of the same short exist. I'd love to see a more complete print than was available on THE ESSENTIAL CHARLIE CHAPLIN COLLECTION, v. 7.