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Modern Times
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Modern Times (1936) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 48 | slideshow)

Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 5% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Charles Chaplin
Writer:
Charles Chaplin (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Modern Times on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
25 February 1936 (USA) more
Genre:
Comedy | Drama | Romance more
Tagline:
He stands alone as the greatest entertainer of modern times! No one on earth can make you laugh as heartily or touch your heart as deeply...the whole world laughs, cries and thrills to his priceless genius! more
Plot:
The Tramp struggles to live in modern industrial society with the help of a young homeless woman. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
2 wins & 1 nomination more
User Comments:
Hilarious work of genius more

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
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
The Masses (USA) (working title)
Les temps modernes (Belgium: French title) (France) [fr]
Tiempos modernos (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Asri zamanlar (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Dr. Hauser & Co. Ges.m.b.H. (Austria) [de]
Dzisiejsze czasy (Poland) [pl]
Moderní doba (Czechoslovakia) [cs]
Moderna tider (Sweden) [sv]
Moderne Zeiten (West Germany) [de]
Moderne tider (Denmark) [da]
Moderne tijden (Belgium: Flemish title) [un]
Nykyaika (Finland) [fi]
Oi modernoi kairoi (Greece) [el]
Tempi moderni (Italy) [it]
Tempos Modernos (Portugal) [pt]
Temps moderns (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
Zmanim Modernim (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
more
Runtime:
87 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording Sound System)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
According to a fall 1935 issue of Variety, Charles Chaplin was expected to run behind schedule on the release of the movie as he tweaked the soundtrack. He also wanted to chop over 1,000 feet of film from his then existing cut. more
Goofs:
Continuity: 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. more
Quotes:
President of the Electro Steel Corp.: [from the Telescreen in the restroom to the factory worker] Hey you! Get back to work! more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind (1988) (TV) more
Soundtrack:
Theme from Modern Times more

FAQ

A NOTE REGARDING SPOILERS
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
What is a gamin?
more
26 out of 37 people found the following comment useful:-
Hilarious work of genius, 27 August 2001
Author: Geofbob from London, England

Hilarious, touching, anarchic, revolutionary, realist, surreal, of its time, timeless - Modern Times is a multifaceted work of genius. When it's over and you recall the number of sight gags and magic sequences Chaplin has packed into 85 minutes, it is incredible - the conveyer belt and nut turning; Chaplin caught in the cogwheels; the feeding machine; the Red Flag march; the "nose powder"; the roller skating ballet; the waiter with tray caught up in the dance (my favourite); the gibberish song - and many more. Then there is his mixing of silent and sound techniques, making the best of both worlds, not falling between stools as some directors might have done.

Of course, there is also a political and social dimension; many of the scenes refer to the impact of technical advances, of bureaucracy, and of the then current depression, on the ordinary "little man". And it is the little man, the individual caught up in society's complex machinery, whom Chaplin championed. He may have sympathised with left-wing political parties and unions in so far as they supported ordinary working people, but Chaplin's essential beliefs are enshrined in the final "words" and shot, with him telling Paulette Godard, that she should keep smiling, they will get along, as they walk, a couple of individuals, into an uncertain future. Beyond politics, the individual has to rely on his or her own resources and spirit to survive.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Modern Times (1936)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
**** I'm hungry. elcu
Chaplin claims this movie has no social significance SArber
The scene with the lady and dog... bjohnt
How can you like this movie? bob_k_23
Modern Times podcast mscalici
need some help Vandal451
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