Modern Times (1936)

User Rating:

8.4/10   

Director:

Charles Chaplin

Writer:

Charles Chaplin (written by)

Release Date:

25 February 1936 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

He stands alone as the greatest entertainer of modern times! No one on earth can make you laugh as heartily or touch your heart as deeply...the whole world laughs, cries and thrills to his priceless genius!

Plot:

The Tramp struggles to live in modern industrial society with the help of a young homeless woman.

Plot Keywords:

Machine | Invention | Police | Tramp | Jail

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

US Showtimes:

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Cast

Charles Chaplin	...	A Factory Worker (as Charlie Chaplin)
Paulette Goddard	...	A Gamin
Henry Bergman	...	Cafe Proprietor
Tiny Sandford	...	Big Bill (as Stanley Sandford)
Chester Conklin	...	Mechanic
Hank Mann	...	Burglar
Stanley Blystone	...	Gamin's Father
Al Ernest Garcia	...	President of the Electro Steel Corp. (as Allan Garcia)
Richard Alexander	...	Prison Cellmate (as Dick Alexander)
Cecil Reynolds	...	Minister
Mira McKinney	...	Minister's Wife (as Myra McKinney)
Murdock MacQuarrie	...	J. Widdecombe Billows (as Murdoch McQuarrie)
Wilfred Lucas	...	Juvenile Officer
Edward LeSaint	...	Sheriff Couler (as Ed Le Sainte)
Fred Malatesta	...	Cafe Head Waiter
Sammy Stein	...	Turbine Operator (as Sam Stein)
Juana Sutton	...	Woman with Buttoned Bosom
Ted Oliver	...	Billows' Assistant
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Norman Ainsley	...	Billows' Silent Assistant (uncredited)
Bobby Barber	...	Worker (uncredited)
Heinie Conklin	...	Assembly Line Worker Next to Big Bill (uncredited)
Gloria DeHaven	...	Gamin's Sister (uncredited)
Frank Hagney	...	Shipbuilder (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Chuck Hamilton	...	Worker (uncredited)
Lloyd Ingraham	...	Frustrated Cafe Patron (uncredited)
Walter James	...	Assembly Line Foreman (uncredited)
Edward Kimball	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Jack Low	...	Worker (uncredited)
Buddy Messinger	...	Cigar Counterman (uncredited)
Bruce Mitchell	...	Paddy Wagon Policeman (uncredited)
Frank Moran	...	Convict (uncredited)
James C. Morton	...	Assembly Line Relief Man (uncredited)
Louis Natheaux	...	Burglar (uncredited)
J.C. Nugent	...	Department Store Section Manager (uncredited)
Russ Powell	...	Gypsy in Police Patrol Wagon (uncredited)
John Rand	...	Other Waiter (uncredited)
Harry Wilson	...	Worker (uncredited)

Directed by
Charles Chaplin		(as Charlie Chaplin)

Writing credits
Charles Chaplin		(written by) (as Charlie Chaplin)

Produced by
Charles Chaplin	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Charles Chaplin		(music composed by) (as Charlie Chaplin)

Cinematography by
Ira H. Morgan		(photography) (as Ira Morgan)
Roland Totheroh		(photography) (as Rollie Totheroh)

Film Editing by
Charles Chaplin		(uncredited)
Willard Nico		(uncredited)

Casting by
Al Ernest Garcia		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Charles D. Hall		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
J. Russell Spencer		(uncredited)

Set Decoration by
Charles D. Hall		(settings)
J. Russell Spencer		(settings) (as Russell Spencer)

Makeup Department
Elizabeth Arden	....	makeup artist: Mr. Chaplin and Miss Goddard (uncredited)

Production Management
Alfred Reeves	....	general production manager (uncredited)
Jack Wilson	....	assistant production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Carter DeHaven	....	assistant director
Henry Bergman	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Hal Atkins	....	props (uncredited)
William Bogdanoff	....	construction foreman (uncredited)
Bob Depps	....	props (uncredited)
Joe Van Meter	....	purchasing agent (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Bud Thackery	....	process photography (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Max M. Autrey	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Don Donaldson	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Morgan Hill	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Mark Marlatt	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Ted Minor	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Frank Testera	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Music Department
Frank Maher	....	music recordist
Paul Neal	....	music recordist
Alfred Newman	....	conductor
Edward B. Powell	....	music arranger (as Edward Powell)
David Raksin	....	music arranger
Bernhard Kaun	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Girwood Averill	....	projectionist (uncredited)
Catherine Hunter	....	press representative (uncredited)
Della Steele	....	script clerk (uncredited)
Joe Van Meter	....	purchasing agent (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Charles Chaplin Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (1936) (USA) (theatrical)
• Dr. Hauser & Company (1936) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Tobis-Filmverleih (1936) (Germany) (theatrical)
• United Artists Corporation (1936) (UK) (theatrical)
• Classic Entertainment (1972) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Manga Films (2003) (Spain) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• CBS/Fox (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Capitol International Video (????) (Italy) (VHS)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Fox Video (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Image Entertainment (????) (USA) (DVD)
• MK2 Diffusion (2001) (worldwide) (all media)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

The Masses (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording Sound System)

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Portugal:M/6 | USA:Approved (PCA #1596) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Netherlands:AL | Argentina:Atp | Chile:TE | Denmark:A (2003) | Norway:7 | South Korea:All | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | Australia:G | West Germany:6 (bw)

Filming Locations:

Hollywood Boulevard & Vine Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Charles Chaplin Productions

Trivia:

Co-star Paulette Goddard actually made significant story contributions.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Charlie goes crazy, he comes back with an oil can and sprays Big Bill in the face with the oil. We then catch a quick glimpse of Big Bill's back which is already stained black, but in the following long shot, his tank top back is pristine white in color.

Quotes:

[Listening to a phonograph record]
The Mechanical Salesman: Good morning, my friends. This record comes to you through the Sales Talk Transcription Company, Incorporated: your speaker, the Mechanical Salesman. May I take the pleasure of introducing Mr. J. Widdecombe Billows, the inventor of the Billows Feeding Machine...

Movie Connections:

Featured in Por primera vez (1967)

Soundtrack:

Theme from Modern Times

Always modern

Somehow, this very old film is particularly modern today and the exaggerations are not really sooo extreme compared with the real world. The humans, enslaved by the machines and by those who control them, become more and more small and insignificant, like the hero of this very funny comedy (one of the best in the history) that speaks about very ugly things in a very amusing way. The Tramp, is not a tramp in the beginning. He has a real job in a modern factory, that almost kills him, as the factory becomes more and more modern. He becomes a tramp when he stays without a job. Picking up red flags in the street can get you in a big problem with the police, who are there to serve and protect the rich. An honest man can stay honest even in prison and get benefits from this. Even a new job. But honesty is not really enough. Trouble is always around the corner and modern society doesn't permit you to make a new start easily.

Love gives you wings, or at list hope and the power to continue. A beautiful girl of the streets is more than our hero is asking for and he is ready to do whatever necessary. Even put his safety in danger to take care of her. And she, appreciates this. In the end, when everything is lost once again, all they are left with, is each other and that's all they really need.

For the first time is his cinema career, our Tramp will find a girl that will stick with him and support him. (Chaplin obviously felt with Paulette Goddard something that he didn't feel for his earlier women, and I don't blame him).

And this story of modern times, like all of Chaplin's films will end up with an optimistic feeling in a unhappy end. Never is everything lost.

With obvious inspiration from Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" and maybe René Clair's "À nous la liberté", it made the strongest point about THE where we 're going, in all the cinema of the 30's (I think) 8) and with only Marx bros' "Duck soup" being able to stand anywhere close to it. Maybe the most complete, funny and mature creation of the best comedian of the seventh art, with a lot more than a non stop production line of great jokes to offer. If made without a single joke, this film would still be one of the greatest of all of our modern times.