Comedy
American
1918 · Directed by Charlie Chaplin · 34 min
A penniless drifter in a grim city quarter scrapes for food and work, and crosses paths with a mistreated stray dog and a lonely dance-hall singer. Chaplin's short mixes slapstick with real hardship, and it runs just over half an hour.
Why it matters in cinema history
A key step in Chaplin's move from fast-paced two-reelers to carefully built comedies with emotional weight, and an early example of slapstick used for social observation.
Watch with intention
Watch how Chaplin builds each gag out of need, such as hunger, cold and the search for work, not out of random chaos.
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