The Kid (1921)

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Director:

Charles Chaplin

Writer:

Charles Chaplin (writer)

Release Date:

6 February 1921 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Family

Tagline:

This is the great film he has been working on for a whole year

Plot:

The Tramp cares for an abandoned child, but events put that relationship in jeopardy.

Plot Keywords:

Baby | Orphan | Child | Mother Son Relationship | Auto Theft

Cast

Carl Miller	...	The Man
Edna Purviance	...	Mother
Jackie Coogan	...	The Kid (as Jack Coogan)
Charles Chaplin	...	A Tramp (as Charlie Chaplin)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Albert Austin	...	Man in shelter (uncredited)
Beulah Bains	...	Bride (uncredited)
Nellie Bly Baker	...	Slum nurse (uncredited)
Henry Bergman	...	Night shelter keeper (uncredited)
F. Blinn	...	His assistant (uncredited)
Kitty Bradbury	...	Bride's mother (uncredited)
Frank Campeau	...	Welfare officer (uncredited)
Bliss Chevalier	...	Extra in wedding scene (uncredited)
Frances Cochran	...	Extra in reception scene (uncredited)
Elsie Codd	...	Extra in alley scene (uncredited)
Jack Coogan Sr.	...	Pickpocket / Guest / Devil (uncredited)
Estelle Cook	...	Extra in wedding scene (uncredited)
Lillian Crane	...	Extra in wedding scene (uncredited)
Dan Dillon	...	Bum (uncredited)
Philip D'Oench	...	Extra in wedding scene (uncredited)
Robert Dunbar	...	Bridegroom (uncredited)
Florette Faulkner	...	Extra in wedding scene (uncredited)
Rupert Franklin	...	Bride's father / Extra in reception scene (uncredited)
Sadie Gordon	...	Extra in heaven scene (uncredited)
Lita Grey	...	Flirtatious Angel (uncredited)
Frank Hale	...	Extra in reception scene (uncredited)
Martha Hall	...	Extra in wedding scene (uncredited)
Jules Hanft	...	Physician (uncredited)
Louise Hathaway	...	Extra in alley scene (uncredited)
Silas Hathaway	...	The Kid as a baby (uncredited)
Flora Howard	...	Bridesmaid (uncredited)
Ed Hunt	...	Extra in reception scene (uncredited)
Lulu Jenks	...	Extra in heaven scene (uncredited)
Irene Jennings	...	Extra in wedding scene (uncredited)
Kathleen Kay	...	Maid (uncredited)
Grace Keller	...	Extra in wedding scene (uncredited)
Sarah Kernan	...	Extra in wedding scene (uncredited)
Raymond Lee	...	His kid brother (uncredited)
Walter Lynch	...	Tough cop (uncredited)
V. Madison	...	Extra in wedding scene (uncredited)
Clyde McAtee	...	Extra in reception scene (uncredited)
John McKinnon	...	Chief of Police (uncredited)
Ethel O'Neil	...	Extra in heaven scene (uncredited)
Lew Parker	...	Extra in heaven scene (uncredited)
Charles I. Pierce	...	Extra in wedding scene (uncredited)
Laura Pollard	...	Extra in heaven scene (uncredited)
Evans Quirk	...	Extra in wedding scene (uncredited)
Esther Ralston	...	Extra in heaven scene (uncredited)
Granville Redmond	...	The Man's friend (uncredited)
Charles Reisner	...	Bully (uncredited)
Henry Roser	...	Extra in heaven scene (uncredited)
J.B. Russell	...	Extra in wedding scene (uncredited)
George V. Sheldon	...	Extra in reception scene (uncredited)
Edgar Sherrod	...	Priest (uncredited)
Elsie Sindora	...	Bridesmaid (uncredited)
Minnie Stearns	...	Fierce woman (uncredited)
Mother Vinot	...	Extra in alley scene (uncredited)
May White	...	Edna's maid (uncredited)
S.D. Wilcox	...	Cop (uncredited)
Baby Wilson	...	Baby in carriage (uncredited)
Edith Wilson	...	Lady with baby carriage (uncredited)
Tom Wilson	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Amanda Yanez	...	Extra in alley scene (uncredited)
Baby Yanez	...	Extra in alley scene (uncredited)
Elsie Young	...	Extra in wedding scene (uncredited)

Directed by
Charles Chaplin

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Charles Chaplin		writer

Produced by
Charles Chaplin	....	producer

Cinematography by
Roland Totheroh		(as R.H. Totheroh)

Film Editing by
Charles Chaplin		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Charles D. Hall

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Frank Powolny	....	assistant director
A. Edward Sutherland	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jack Wilson	....	second camera operator
H. Wenger	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mother Vinot	....	seamstress (uncredited)

Music Department
Eric James	....	music associate (1971 release)
Eric Rogers	....	musical director (1971 re-release)
Eric Rogers	....	orchestrator (1971 re-release)

Transportation Department
Toraichi Kono	....	driver: Mr. Chaplin (uncredited)

Other crew
Charles Reisner	....	associate director
Nellie Bly Baker	....	secretary: Mr. Chaplin (uncredited)
Elsie Codd	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Tom Harrington	....	assistant: Mr. Chaplin (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Charles Chaplin Productions

Distributors

• First National Pictures (1921) (USA) (theatrical)
• MK2 Diffusion (2001) (worldwide) (all media)
• Max Glücksmann (1921) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Western Import Co. (1922) (UK) (theatrical)
• Universum Film (UFA) (1923) (Germany) (theatrical)
• D.U.K. Films (1957) (UK) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Koch Vision (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (USA) (video)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2005) (USA) (TV)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Adams Filmi (1978) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Continental Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• Suomi-Filmi (1957) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Viihde-Kuva (1982) (Finland) (theatrical) (16 mm)
• Vivarto (2008) (Poland) (all media)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2001) (Finland) (TV) (TV1)

Also Known As:

Brzdac (Poland) [pl]
Chaplinin poika (Finland) [fi]
Chaplins pojke (Sweden) [sv]
Der Vagabund und das Kind (Germany) [de]
El chico (Spain) [es]
El xicot (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
Il monello (Italy) [it]
Le Kid (France) [fr]
Le gosse (France) [fr]
O Charlot kai to hamini (Greece) (reissue title) [el]
O Garoto (Brazil) [pt]
O Garoto de Charlot (Portugal) [pt]
O mortakos (Greece) [el]
To hamini (Greece) (reissue title) [el]

Runtime:

68 min | 50 min (1971 edit with new Chaplin score) | Germany:54 min

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (new music score) (1971) | Silent

Certification:

Spain:T | Portugal:M/6 | South Korea:All | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Denmark:7 (2003) | Norway:A | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | West Germany:o.Al.

Filming Locations:

Chaplin Studios - 1416 N. La Brea Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Charles Chaplin Productions

Trivia:

The shooting ratio (the amount of material shot:what appears in the final film) is 53:1, far higher than any other Charles Chaplin film.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the fight scene with the Bully, the unconscious police man on the ground changes position in between shots.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Patrasche: A Dog of Flanders, Made in Japan (2007)

Pathos And Comedy

Due to an unwed mother abandoning her child in an automobile and said automobile being subsequently hijacked, The Little Tramp winds up with the baby and proceeds to raise it in its first five years.

In reading Charlie Chaplin's memoirs I learned two things about the making of The Kid. First he had to get child star Jackie Coogan away from Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle under whom the lad was contracted. Chaplin saw him and was determined to make a film with him. The second thing was Chaplin's determination to make a film that combined both pathos and comedy which many said could not be done.

The success of The Kid is due to the chemistry established between Chaplin and Coogan. As Chaplin said in his memoirs young children in their uninhibited way are natural actors. Part of the chemistry though is to make sure they don't totally steal the film from you.

The Tramp gets his innings in with The Kid. He's the same rapscallion Tramp we all know, but The Kid showed another side of The Tramp, one of deep feeling and protectiveness. Two people who need and love each other very much. This film couldn't miss.

First National Pictures sure thought so as it became part of a three way tug of war between Chaplin, the studio, and his estranged wife Mildred Harris. The Robert Downey, Jr. biographical film Chaplin illustrates that whole bit of business where Charlie smuggled out the negative of The Kid and took it on the lam across state lines. He edited it and was able to get it back to First National as a finished product on his own terms. That whole business probably would make a good movie unto itself.

Till that one is made see and enjoy the Tramp and the future Uncle Fester in The Kid.