"Unknown Chaplin" (1983) TV mini-series 1983-

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

14 July 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Comedy

Plot:

A documentary series examining the film making methods and techniques of Charles Chaplin.

Plot Keywords:

Film Making | Actor | TV Mini-Series | Comedian | Silent Filmmaking

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 3 nominations

Cast

James Mason

...

Narrator / ... (3 episodes, 1983)

Series Directed by
Kevin Brownlow		(1 episode, 1983)
David Gill		(1 episode, 1983)

Series Writing credits
Kevin Brownlow		(3 episodes, 1983)
David Gill		(3 episodes, 1983)

Series Produced by
Kevin Brownlow	....	producer (3 episodes, 1983)
David Gill	....	producer (3 episodes, 1983)

Series Original Music by
Carl Davis		(2 episodes, 1983)
José Padilla		(unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
Trevor Waite		(2 episodes, 1983)

Series Art Department
Barry O'Riordan	....	graphic designer (3 episodes, 1983)

Series Sound Department
Freddie Slade	....	dubbing mixer (3 episodes, 1983)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Goodwin	....	animation camera / animation camera operator (3 episodes, 1983)

Series Editorial Department
Thomas Kavanagh	....	editor: video / video tape editor (2 episodes, 1983)
Terry Badham	....	editor: video (unknown episodes)
Grant Goodwin	....	editor: video (unknown episodes)

Series Music Department
Dick Bradford	....	music recordist (3 episodes, 1983)
Carl Davis	....	music arranger / composer: additional music (3 episodes, 1983)
Charles Chaplin	....	composer: title theme from 'The Kid' / title theme music: "The Kid" (2 episodes, 1983)

Series Other crew
Shirley McAuley	....	production secretary (3 episodes, 1983)
Janice Brackenridge	....	production assistant (2 episodes, 1983)
Jacqueline French	....	research (2 episodes, 1983)
Kate Knowles	....	research (2 episodes, 1983)
Ian Lewis	....	film research (2 episodes, 1983)
Raymond Rohauer	....	program consultant (2 episodes, 1983)

Series Thanks
Oona Chaplin	....	acknowledgment: Thames Television wishes to express its warmest appreciation for her co-operation and all her assistance / warmest appreciation to (3 episodes, 1983)
Karl H. Klein	....	thanks / warmest appreciation to (2 episodes, 1983)
Steve Totheroh	....	appreciation: stills (unknown episodes)
Marc Wanamaker	....	appreciation: stills (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Thames Television

Distributors

• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1986) (USA) (TV)
• A&E Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Krause & Schneider Multimedia (KSM) (2012) (Germany) (DVD)
• Thames Television
• Vídeo Network (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Bison Archives  stills provided by
• Black Inc., A.G.  appreciation for Mutual out-takes
• Kobal Collection  stills provided by
• National Film Archive, The  appreciation for Mutual out-takes
• Rohauer Collection  appreciation for Mutual out-takes
• Roy Export Company Establishment  appreciation for Mutual out-takes
• Roy Export Company Establishment  stills provided by

Also Known As:

Runtime:

USA:156 min | 60 min (3 parts) (including commercials)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:G

Company:

Thames Television

Movie Connections:

Edited from The Professor (1919)

Soundtrack:

Title Theme

Behind the Screen

"Unknown Chaplin" is an interesting program--from two authorities on film history and preservation, Kevin Brownlow and the late David Gill, two men I'm thankful to for many of the restored movies I've seen. I consider Charlie Chaplin one of the greatest filmmakers ever, in addition to being the funniest man I've ever seen. This three-part television series shows cut footage from Chaplin's films, providing a unique look at the filmmaker's perfectionism and improvisational approach.

The first two episodes are especially telling. "My Happiest Years" features cut footage from his Mutual shorts "The Immigrant" and "The Cure", where Chaplin repeatedly retook scenes, improvising the comedy and narrative in front of the camera. And, "The Great Director" includes a nice look at the struggle between Chaplin's perfectionism and his unprofessional leading actress during filming of "City Lights". The last episode, "Hidden Treasures", shows a comedian who continued to work when not filming movies for release and how some of the gags in his films evolved over time. There's also a sequence from his aborted film "The Professor" and cut scenes from more of his films. Overall, "Unknown Chaplin" is worth watching for everyone seriously interested in Chaplin's art.