The Pilgrim (1923)

Writer:

Charles Chaplin (writer)

Release Date:

26 February 1923 (USA)

Genre:

Short | Comedy

Tagline:

4 Great Reels

Plot:

The Tramp is an escaped convict who is mistaken as a pastor in a small town church.

Plot Keywords:

Escaped Convict | Church | Preacher | Fugitive | Mistaken Identity

Cast

Charles Chaplin	...	The Pilgrim
Edna Purviance	...	Miss Brown
Kitty Bradbury	...	Mrs. Brown, Edna's Mother
Syd Chaplin	...	Eloper / Train Conductor / Little Boy's Father (as Sydney Chaplin)
Mack Swain	...	Deacon
Mai Wells	...	Little Boy's Mother
Dean Riesner	...	Little Boy (as Dinky Reisner)
Loyal Underwood	...	Elder
Charles Reisner	...	Howard Huntington, Crook (as Chuck Reisner)
Tom Murray	...	Sheriff Bryan
Henry Bergman	...	Sheriff on Train / Man In Railroad Station

Runtime:

59 min | Germany:39 min (re-release) (1950s)

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System) (1959 re-issue) | Silent

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Charles Chaplin Productions

Trivia:

The bratty boy was played by Dean Riesner, associate director Charles Reisner's son. In later years, Dean recounted how he did not want to slap Charles Chaplin's face, even though the story called for him to do so. So Chaplin and his brother/co-star Sydney Chaplin continually slapped each other's faces to convince Riesner what fun it was.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Seeing Stars (1922)

Good for the Soul

Chaplin originally planned 'The Pilgrim' as a two-reel short, but it expanded to a four-reel feature. When comparing it to his films at Mutual or before, it's evident how far Chaplin had come with his First National pictures: he takes his time elaborating and extending fewer gags and set pieces and in developing the plot and characters. His First National films may not always be as continually uproarious as his Mutual ones, but they are, I think, more satisfying and affecting.

'The Kid,' deservedly his most beloved First National release, greatly strained Chaplin's relationship with the distributors. He would leave yet another company to continue in his evermore-ambitious efforts. Jeffrey Vance, in "Chaplin: Genius of the Cinema," makes an interesting observation: he points out that Chaplin plays an escaped prisoner in both his last Mutual film, 'The Adventurer,' and this film, his last First National release. They both reflect the filmmaker's escape from confining contracts.

There's some light satire on a religious community and parody of westerns, and Chaplin gets plenty of mileage out of the common mistaken identity device. I didn't find any of the gags particularly memorable, but the hilarity is sustained throughout the film. 'The Pilgrim' is, as religion can be, uplifting.