The Idle Class (1921)

A tramp sneaks into a upper class golf resort. The tramp meets a rich woman who is having an argument with her drunken husband. Complications arise when she mistakes the tramp for her husband.

Director:

Charles Chaplin

Writer:

Charles Chaplin

Stars:

Charles Chaplin, Edna Purviance, Charles Aber

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Charles Chaplin	...	Tramp / Husband (as Charlie Chaplin)
Edna Purviance	...	Neglected Wife

Storyline

The conflict here is between Charlie the wealthy and alcoholic husband and Charlie the Tramp: the idle rich and the idle poor. In the opening scene wealthy Edna descends from a Pullman car while the Tramp crawls out from under another one. At a fancy masquerade ball Edna's husband appears as a knight whose visor is stuck closed. The Tramp shows up, running from the law, and is mistaken for the husband. Edna finds the new "husband" more to her liking than the real one. When true identities are revealed, a fight breaks out and the Tramp is ejected.

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Plot Keywords:

golf | suit of armor | horse riding | horse | costume ball | 

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Genres:

Short | Comedy

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Certificate:

TV-G

Details

Country:

USA

Release Date:

25 September 1921 (USA)

Also Known As:

Vanity Fair

Filming Locations:

Chaplin Studios - 1416 N. La Brea Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Charles Chaplin Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

32 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System) (re-issue) Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

The movie begins with "The Summer Season" and yet the telegraph the absent minded husband holds at the beginning is dated November 2.

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Connections

Referenced in The Big Show (1923)

User Reviews

Hilarious! One Of Chaplin's Best Shorts!

A tramp sneaks into a upper class golf resort. The tramp meets a rich woman who is having an argument with her drunken husband. Complications arise when she mistakes the tramp for her husband. In writing, directing, and starring in this, Charlie Chaplin has once again shown to us that he is a genius. This short is hilarious, it is one of Chaplin's best short films! This is a hilarious, comedic gem from one of the greatest masters of cinema who ever lived. Chaplin was a genius, as not only did he act in his films, but he also wrote and directed them too! The Idle Class is hysterical, whenever somebody watches it, there is a good chance that they will certainly be laughing at it!

There are numerous scenes in this short that are filled with laughs, such as the scenes on the golf course and not to mention the fighting bits at the party. Repeating what I said in the previous paragraph, this is one of Chaplin's best short films. Among his best feature films are City Lights, Modern Times, The Great Dictator, The Kid, The Gold Rush, and quite a few more. Chaplin was just a genius overall, and this short is proof of it, he was hilarious. Or even better, the whole film was hilarious. You should watch this film, because you will laugh at it, as it's very funny, one of Chaplin's best short films.

So all in all, if you want to see Charlie Chaplin in top form, then The Idle Class is worth seeing, in fact, it's worth seeing a few times, as it's dog gone funny. I'm so glad that there are people who share the same opinion on old films as I do. Until I came onto this site, I thought that I was in the minority, but upon reading some of the other reviews, I was glad to see that I am not alone in liking a lot of the old classics. Anyway, if you want hysterical Chaplin, then The Idle Class is a good one to watch, don't miss it!

10/10