| ~Charles Chaplin & Edna Purviance~ |
| ~Charles Chaplin, Edna Purviance & Leo White~ |
| ~Plot Synopsis~ |
The title of Charlie Chaplin's fifth comedy for Essanay refers to the popular term for a Model T Ford, a
jitney. Its theme of impersonation was one Chaplin had used before in Caught in a Cabaret and Her
Friend the Bandit, and would use again in The Count and other films. Chaplin's girlfriend Edna
Purviance is about to be forced by her father to wed the wealthy Count de Ha-Ha (Leo White), whom
neither has met. Chaplin, dropping by for a visit, stands below her bedroom window whistling for her.
She tosses him a note from the Count, announcing his visit and pleads to be rescued. Chaplin
impersonates the Count and is welcomed by her mercenary father. He's given drinks and cigars and sits
down to lunch with Purviance and her father. Chaplin performs a bit that he had done in one of the
Karno sketches, that of carving a loaf of bread into a spiral and using it as an accordion. Although his
table manners are decidedly not upper class, Chaplin pulls off the impersonation until the real Count
arrives. The enraged father kicks Chaplin out of the house, then goes out for a spin with Purviance and
the Count in the latter's car. They drive to a park where father hopes the Count can sweet-talk
Purviance into marrying him. At first horrified by his intentions, she breaks out into gales of laughter at
the sight of the tattered seat of his pants. Chaplin happens by and steals Purviance away, dispatching
Count and father, along with a couple of cops. The fleeing couple steal the Count's jitney, and lead
Count, father and cop, now following in a car they've taken, on a merry chase. The chase leads them to
a pier, where in a clever stop-motion photography scene, the cars jockey about until Chaplin bumps the
other car off the pier and into the water. A happy Chaplin and Purviance are about to kiss as the film
fades out.
Plot Synopsis from allmovie.com
jitney. Its theme of impersonation was one Chaplin had used before in Caught in a Cabaret and Her
Friend the Bandit, and would use again in The Count and other films. Chaplin's girlfriend Edna
Purviance is about to be forced by her father to wed the wealthy Count de Ha-Ha (Leo White), whom
neither has met. Chaplin, dropping by for a visit, stands below her bedroom window whistling for her.
She tosses him a note from the Count, announcing his visit and pleads to be rescued. Chaplin
impersonates the Count and is welcomed by her mercenary father. He's given drinks and cigars and sits
down to lunch with Purviance and her father. Chaplin performs a bit that he had done in one of the
Karno sketches, that of carving a loaf of bread into a spiral and using it as an accordion. Although his
table manners are decidedly not upper class, Chaplin pulls off the impersonation until the real Count
arrives. The enraged father kicks Chaplin out of the house, then goes out for a spin with Purviance and
the Count in the latter's car. They drive to a park where father hopes the Count can sweet-talk
Purviance into marrying him. At first horrified by his intentions, she breaks out into gales of laughter at
the sight of the tattered seat of his pants. Chaplin happens by and steals Purviance away, dispatching
Count and father, along with a couple of cops. The fleeing couple steal the Count's jitney, and lead
Count, father and cop, now following in a car they've taken, on a merry chase. The chase leads them to
a pier, where in a clever stop-motion photography scene, the cars jockey about until Chaplin bumps the
other car off the pier and into the water. A happy Chaplin and Purviance are about to kiss as the film
fades out.
Plot Synopsis from allmovie.com
| Directed & Written by: Charles Chaplin |
| ~Cast~ Charles Chaplin ... Suitor, the Fake Count Edna Purviance ... Edna Ernest Van Pelt ... Edna's Father Leo White ... Count Chloride de Lime, Edna's Suitor Lloyd Bacon ... Young Butler / Cop Paddy McGuire ... Old Butler / Cop Bud Jamison ... Cop with Baton Carl Stockdale ... Cop Fred Goodwins ... Undetermined Role |
| ~Remaining Credits~ Produced by: The Essanay Film Manufacturing Company Distributed by: General Film Company Produced by: Jess Robbins Cinematography by: Harry Ensign Film Editing by: Charles Chaplin Assistant Director: Ernest Van Pelt Released: April 1, 1915 |
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Other Links That You Might Find Helpful to you for this film:
imdb.com - general information (data base form)
allmovie.com - plot synopsis
tcm.com - general information also including plot synopsis
imdb.com - general information (data base form)
allmovie.com - plot synopsis
tcm.com - general information also including plot synopsis
| ~A Jitney Elopement~ 1915 |
| ~Part 1~ |
| ~Part 2~ |
| SilentHollywood.com |
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