I did not think I would find silent films funny - amusing, maybe, but not funny - until I saw some of Chaplin's best work, like this film. I have now seen most of his films from 1915 through the end of the silent era, and in my view "The Idle Class" is one of the best, perhaps in part because it is not typically listed among his finest. The film is split roughly between a golf scene that dominates the first half, and a mistaken identity theme which dominates the second. "The Idle Class" avoids the sentimentality of "The Kid", which it is often teamed with in video/DVD release, opting instead for straight comedy - and is successful throughout. I defy anyone to recommend a funnier silent film.
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