Modern Times (1936)

Director:

Charles Chaplin

Writer:

Charles Chaplin (written by)

Release Date:

25 February 1936 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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!

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Machine | Invention | Police | Tramp | Jail

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

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
Sammy Stein	...	Turbine Operator (as Sam Stein)
Juana Sutton	...	Woman with Buttoned Bosom
Ted Oliver	...	Billows' Assistant
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Norman Ainsley	...	Billows' Silent Assistant (uncredited)
Bobby Barber	...	Worker (uncredited)
Heinie Conklin	...	Assembly Line Worker Next to Big Bill (uncredited)
Gloria DeHaven	...	Gamin's Sister (uncredited)
Gloria Delson	...	Gamin's sister (uncredited)
Frank Hagney	...	Shipbuilder (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Chuck Hamilton	...	Worker (uncredited)
Pat Harmon	...	Paddywagon Policeman (uncredited)
Lloyd Ingraham	...	Frustrated Cafe Patron (uncredited)
Walter James	...	Assembly Line Foreman (uncredited)
Edward Kimball	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Jack Low	...	Worker (uncredited)
Buddy Messinger	...	Cigar Counterman (uncredited)
Bruce Mitchell	...	Paddy Wagon Policeman (uncredited)
Frank Moran	...	Convict (uncredited)
James C. Morton	...	Assembly Line Relief Man (uncredited)
Louis Natheaux	...	Burglar (uncredited)
J.C. Nugent	...	Department Store Section Manager (uncredited)
Russ Powell	...	Gypsy in Police Patrol Wagon (uncredited)
John Rand	...	Other Waiter (uncredited)
Harry Wilson	...	Worker (uncredited)

Directed by
Charles Chaplin		(as Charlie Chaplin)

Writing credits
Charles Chaplin		(written by) (as Charlie Chaplin)

Produced by
Charles Chaplin	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Charles Chaplin		(music composed by) (as Charlie Chaplin)

Cinematography by
Ira H. Morgan		(photography) (as Ira Morgan)
Roland Totheroh		(photography) (as Rollie Totheroh)

Film Editing by
Charles Chaplin		(uncredited)
Willard Nico		(uncredited)

Casting by
Al Ernest Garcia		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Charles D. Hall		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
J. Russell Spencer		(uncredited)

Set Decoration by
Charles D. Hall		(settings)
J. Russell Spencer		(settings) (as Russell Spencer)

Makeup Department
Elizabeth Arden	....	makeup artist: Mr. Chaplin and Miss Goddard (uncredited)

Production Management
Alfred Reeves	....	general production manager (uncredited)
Jack Wilson	....	assistant production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Carter DeHaven	....	assistant director
Henry Bergman	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Hal Atkins	....	props (uncredited)
William Bogdanoff	....	construction foreman (uncredited)
Bob Depps	....	props (uncredited)
Joe Van Meter	....	purchasing agent (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Bud Thackery	....	process photography (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Max M. Autrey	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Don Donaldson	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Morgan Hill	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Mark Marlatt	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Ted Minor	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Frank Testera	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Music Department
Frank Maher	....	music recordist
Paul Neal	....	music recordist
Alfred Newman	....	conductor
Edward B. Powell	....	music arranger (as Edward Powell)
David Raksin	....	music arranger
Bernhard Kaun	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Girwood Averill	....	projectionist (uncredited)
Catherine Hunter	....	press representative (uncredited)
Della Steele	....	script clerk (uncredited)
Joe Van Meter	....	purchasing agent (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Charles Chaplin Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (1936) (USA) (theatrical)
• Dr. Hauser & Company (1936) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Tobis-Filmverleih (1936) (Germany) (theatrical)
• United Artists Corporation (1936) (UK) (theatrical)
• Classic Entertainment (1972) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Manga Films (2003) (Spain) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1936) (France) (theatrical) (as Les Artistes Associés S.A.)
• CBS/Fox (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Capitol International Video (????) (Italy) (VHS)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Fox Video (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Image Entertainment (????) (USA) (DVD)
• MK2 Diffusion (2001) (worldwide) (all media)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

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]
Modern idök (Hungary) [hu]
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]

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording Sound System)

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Portugal:M/6 | USA:Approved (PCA #1596) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Netherlands:AL | Argentina:Atp | Chile:TE | Denmark:A (2003) | Norway:7 | South Korea:All | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | Australia:G | West Germany:6 (bw)

Filming Locations:

Hollywood Boulevard & Vine Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Charles Chaplin Productions

Trivia:

The film originally ended with Charles Chaplin's character suffering a nervous breakdown and being visited in hospital by the gamin, who has now become a nun. This ending was filmed, though apparently only still photographs from the scene exist today (they are included in the 2003 DVD release of the film). Chaplin dropped this ending and shot a different, more hopeful ending instead.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Charlie goes to let the gamin into the department store, the escalators are off, allowing him to rush down the stairs going up. However, when he goes back downstairs and notices the burglars, the escalator is working, allowing him to do his stunts.

Quotes:

A gamin: [Last lines] What's the use of trying?
A factory worker: Buck up - never say die. We'll get along.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Career Opportunities (1991)

Soundtrack:

The Prisoner's Song

Hilarious comedy with a serious message

"Modern Times" is in my top 5 films, and #2 in my list of favorite comedies. Charles Chaplin is arguably the most talented human being, nevermind film maker, that ever lived. I first saw this treasure about 8 years ago, and I watched it again recently to make sure that it really WAS funny, and that I had not given it too much praise because it was simply a Chaplin film. "Modern Times" passed my test with flying colors. I laughed hysterically from start to finish. Each and every scene is innovative, well thought out, and executed with the genius that only Chaplin possessed. Among my favorite scenes are the "automatic worker-feeding machine"; the jail scene in the cafeteria when The Tramp accidentally sprinkles cocaine on his food, thinking it is salt; and the roller skating scene in the department store. No special effects or computer animation, just pure, simple, genius.

The storyline in "Modern Times" is purposefully naive, a trick Chaplin used time and again to bring a profound humanitarian quality to his films. Watching this film is comparable to watching a Warner Bros. cartoon, which coming from me is a sincere compliment. The level of physical comedy in "Modern Times" is on par with the masterful short films of Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, and others.

Finally, as was the case with most of his later films, "Modern Times" is a serious social commentary. Its message is as relevant today as it was more than sixty years ago when it was released. In fact, it is arguably even more relevant today, and unless the world changes drastically in the future it will continue to be. "Modern Times" is essentially the story of a simple but extremely kind man caught in the traps of industrialized society. The opening scene, which compares a crowd of workers boarding the subway to a flock of sheep, is Chaplin's warning against standardization, mechanization, and other facets of life which rob men and women of their individuality. Chaplin always tried to speak for the downtrodden, because despite his enormous success and wealth, he never forgot where he came from. In the end, "Modern Times" is a reminder that no matter how bad things are, you can still smile. Charles Chaplin has made more people smile than almost any other, and his legacy of love and laughter lives on in his films. Its up to us to keep his legacy alive.