Modern Times (1936)

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

Director:

Charles Chaplin (as Charlie Chaplin)

Writer:

Charles Chaplin (as Charlie Chaplin)

Stars:

Charles Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Henry Bergman

Top Rated Movies #39 | 4 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Chaplin's last 'silent' film, filled with sound effects, was made when everyone else was making talkies. Charlie turns against modern society, the machine age, (The use of sound in films ?) and progress. Firstly we see him frantically trying to keep up with a production line, tightening bolts. He is selected for an experiment with an automatic feeding machine, but various mishaps leads his boss to believe he has gone mad, and Charlie is sent to a mental hospital - When he gets out, he is mistaken for a communist while waving a red flag, sent to jail, foils a jailbreak, and is let out again. We follow Charlie through many more escapades before the film is out.

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Plot Keywords:

jail | actor director writer | music score composed by director | factory | satire | 

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Taglines:

You'll never laugh as long and as loud again as long as you live! The laughs come so fast and so furious you'll wish it would end before you collapse!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Family | Romance

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Certificate:

G

Details

Official Sites:

Instagram Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 February 1936 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Masses

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$35,809, 28 December 2003

Gross USA:

$163,577

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$457,688

Company Credits

Production Co:

Charles Chaplin Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording Sound System) Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film is part of the Criterion Collection, spine #543.

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Goofs

(at around 4 mins) When the wrench gets stuck on the bolt, Chaplin loses hold of it, but he has it in his hand when the foreman comes by.

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Quotes

President of the Electro Steel Corp.: [first lines]
President of the Electro Steel Corp.: Section 5, speed her up, 401.

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Alternate Versions

The laserdisc edition contains an extra scene that the film was never released with. An extra verse of the Tramp's gibberish song "Titina" appears (33 seconds in length) at Chapter 13: frames 36235 - 37009 which corrects a continuity jump. This was obviously a last minute removal on Chaplin's part, before the initial release, but was never removed from his 35mm lavender preservation masters which were used to master the laserdisc. The last verse of the Tramp's gibberish song is also shown as a deleted scene on the Chaplin Collection version of Modern Times and with lyrics to it as a karaoke piece.

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Connections

Referenced in Lørdagshjørnet: Gene Wilder (1978)

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Soundtracks

Hallelujah, I'm a Bum
(uncredited)
Music from the traditional folk song "Revive Us Again"

User Reviews

A definition of "classic"

Usually you watch old films trying to be generous with your criticism because of the huge difficulties the directors and actors faced those days. This one is a miracle. A comedy that stands tall even in today's cinema, starring perhaps the best comedian who lived on earth. At some parts it is hilarious, but the social message Chaplin wants to pass is always there, making Modern Times even more important. The love story is also very sweet and Paulette Goddard is a remarkably beautiful woman! So what to say about this man's genius? Charlie Chaplin acts, directs and even composes the music! And by all means he does a magnificent job. You can find great symbolism and a lot of political references, we all have to remember that Chaplin was accused of being a communist (which of course was a pride for intellectuals, given their accusers). I have unlimited respect for the Great Charlie Chaplin.