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Police (1916) -- Charlie is released from prison and immediately swindled by a fake parson. A fellow ex-convict convinces Charlie to help burglarize a house...

Overview

User Rating:
6.6/10   346 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 11% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Charles Chaplin
Writer:
Charles Chaplin (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for Charlie in the Police on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
27 May 1916 (USA) more
Genre:
Comedy | Short more
Plot:
Charlie is released from prison and immediately swindled by a fake parson. A fellow ex-convict convinces Charlie to help burglarize a house... more | add synopsis
User Comments:
A Rather Uneven Short Comedy more

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Charles Chaplin ... Charlie, Convict 999
Edna Purviance ... Daughter of the House
Wesley Ruggles ... Jailbird and Thief
James T. Kelley ... Drunk with Pockets Picked / Second Flophouse Customer
Leo White ... Fruitseller / Flop House Manager / Policeman
John Rand ... Policeman at House
Fred Goodwins ... Honest Preacher / Policeman with Monocle
Billy Armstrong ... Crooked Preacher / Second Cop
'Snub' Pollard ... First Flophouse Customer (as Harry Pollard)
Bud Jamison ... Third Flophouse Customer
Paddy McGuire ... Fifth Flophouse Customer
George Cleethorpe ... Policeman at Station with Moustache
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Charlie in the Police (USA)
Charlie the Burglar
Housebreaker
more
Runtime:
34 min | Portugal:25 min (18 fps) | Canada:38 min (Ontario)
Country:
USA
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Silent
Filming Locations:
Los Angeles, California, USA

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
After Charles Chaplin left Essanay, the studio reedited this film. more
Movie Connections:
Version of The Chaplin Puzzle (1992) (TV) more

FAQ

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2 out of 4 people found the following comment useful:-
A Rather Uneven Short Comedy, 26 July 2004
Author: Snow Leopard from Ohio

Charlie Chaplin's "Police" is rather uneven, as are so many of his Essanay features, although it does have a few good parts. In one respect, it's somewhat like his later movies, in that on a number of occasions some social commentary is obviously intended. But such ideas are not expressed nearly so well here as they would be in Chaplin's later, better-remembered films. Here, in fact, it is just these parts that usually slow things down. In this movie, at least, the slapstick generally works a little better than do the attempts to say something.

In "Police", Chaplin plays a just-released convict, who gets involved with police officers, street preachers, and a variety of other characters as he tries to figure out what to do with himself. Some of his predicaments are good for some laughs, while others really do not come off. It's worth seeing, but there are many other Chaplin comedies, even from his early years, that are more satisfying. His efforts to combine social commentary with slapstick seemed to work much better later, when he not only had more experience, but also had complete control over his projects.

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