One A.M. (1916)

A drunken homeowner has a difficult time getting about in his home after arriving home late at night.

Director:

Charles Chaplin

Writer:

Charles Chaplin

Stars:

Charles Chaplin, Albert Austin

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Charles Chaplin	...	Drunk
Albert Austin	...	Taxi Driver

Storyline

Drunk as a skunk, Charlie arrives home by taxi after a wild night out, only to realise that he has lost his key. Now, as an open window becomes the entrance, practically every single item or piece of furniture--including a possessed Murphy bed--becomes a formidable and insurmountable obstacle standing in his way, and working against him. Can't a man find peace at 1 o'clock in the morning?

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Plot Keywords:

striking a match | taxicab | entering through a window | exiting through a window | water | 

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Taglines:

It's ALL Chaplin, and it's Chaplin at his best!

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Short

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Certificate:

TV-G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 August 1916 (USA)

Also Known As:

Solo

Filming Locations:

Lone Star Studio - 1751 Glendale Boulevard, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lone Star Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

26 min 22 min (TCM print) 24 min (restored)

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was the first film that Charles Chaplin starred in alone, except for a brief scene of Albert Austin playing a cab driver.

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Goofs

Despite the title, it is clearly daytime when Chaplin arrives home in a cab.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Drunk: [title card] They should build these handles nearer the door.

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Alternate Versions

Kino International distributes a set of videos containing all the 12 Mutual short films made by Chaplin in 1915 - 1917. They are presented by David Shepard, who copyrighted the versions in 1984, and has a music soundtrack composed and performed by Michael Mortilla who copyrighted his score in 1989. The running time of this film is 22 minutes.

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Connections

Referenced in The Thanhouser Studio and the Birth of American Cinema (2014)

User Reviews

Sublime

In 1916 the Mutual Films company released eight Chaplin pictures, highlighting a marked decrease in his output but also a marked increase in the quality. This was a theme that was to continue throughout the rest of his career, as the following year he would release half as many again, though with increased results. Come the mid 20s and Chaplin's down to just one feature every three to five years, though most of them classics.

As for the Mutual output in 1916, then despite the increased artistry, many of them are still a couple of steps away from "Chaplin as genius". Indeed, while well staged, shorts like "The Floorwalker" and "The Fireman" are really just an extended series of people being kicked repeatedly up the backside. One A.M breaks that mould, an upturn in quality that would continue into the equally brilliant "The Pawnbroker" and "The Rink" two more shorts that would showcase Chaplin as a tremendously gifted acrobat. "Behind The Screen" was another upturn in quality from this run, a film that combined a witty deconstruction of the slapstick genre along with a daring gay gag, quite shocking for 1916. But it was the stunts that were most notable for the year - if not quite death-defying, then certainly serious injury defying.

One A.M. is another foray into Chaplin doing a non-Tramp character, this time a drunken aristocrat. While Charlie's immense physical gifts can be seen in most of the films of the age, many of them are of a type, in particular him falling backwards onto his shoulder blades. By marked contrast, then many of the stunts seen in One A.M. are truly extraordinary, combining both substantial physical danger along with witty innovation. A virtual solo piece, it's basically one joke extended for twenty minutes, yet it's a very good joke given enormous invention and considerable charm. A stand out of the year that culminated in the classic "The Rink".