Police (1916)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Charles Chaplin

Writer:

Charles Chaplin (writer)

Release Date:

27 May 1916 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Short

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Police | Piano | Telephone | Two Reeler | Public Domain

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

Also Known As:

Charlie in the Police (USA)
Charlie the Burglar
Housebreaker

Runtime:

34 min | Portugal:25 min (18 fps) | Canada:38 min (Ontario)

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Spain:T

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Essanay Film Manufacturing Company, The

Trivia:

After Charles Chaplin left Essanay, the studio reedited this film.

Movie Connections:

Version of The Chaplin Puzzle (1992) (TV)

A Rather Uneven Short Comedy

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.