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| ~The Champion~ 1915 |
| ~Plot Synopsis~ |
The Champion, Chaplin's third film for Essanay, is easily one of the funniest and is his most advanced
film to date in plotting and characterization. We meet Charlie and his bulldog sharing a found hot dog,
which the dog won't eat until it is salted. They pass a gymnasium advertising for sparring partners.
Charlie finds a lucky horseshoe and after witnessing the condition of the previous sparring partners, he
decides to employ it in his left boxing glove. He thereby kayos the club champ and becomes the new
golden boy. He begins to train for the big championship fight against Champ, Bud Jamison. The
beautiful daughter of the Gym owner, Edna Purviance gets his interest and seems taken with him. A
shady character Leo White, a slimy betting tout, oozes into camp and tries to bribe Charlie into
throwing the big fight, but while Charlie takes his money, he treats him with total contempt. On the day
of the fight, Charlie says an emotional goodbye to his dog and enters the ring. In the audience are
cowboy-star Bronco Billy Anderson, one of the founders of Essanay (whose initials, along with partner
George K. Spoor's are the source of its name), and Ben Turpin as the vendor. The hilarious slapstick
prizefight is pretty even at first, but by the fourth round Charlie's getting the worst of it. Seeing the
trouble his master is in, the bulldog jumps into the ring and restrains the opponent by the seat of his
pants while Charlie delivers a series of coup-de-grace punches. Charlie is hoisted on the shoulders of
his cornermen as the new Champion.
From allmovie.com
film to date in plotting and characterization. We meet Charlie and his bulldog sharing a found hot dog,
which the dog won't eat until it is salted. They pass a gymnasium advertising for sparring partners.
Charlie finds a lucky horseshoe and after witnessing the condition of the previous sparring partners, he
decides to employ it in his left boxing glove. He thereby kayos the club champ and becomes the new
golden boy. He begins to train for the big championship fight against Champ, Bud Jamison. The
beautiful daughter of the Gym owner, Edna Purviance gets his interest and seems taken with him. A
shady character Leo White, a slimy betting tout, oozes into camp and tries to bribe Charlie into
throwing the big fight, but while Charlie takes his money, he treats him with total contempt. On the day
of the fight, Charlie says an emotional goodbye to his dog and enters the ring. In the audience are
cowboy-star Bronco Billy Anderson, one of the founders of Essanay (whose initials, along with partner
George K. Spoor's are the source of its name), and Ben Turpin as the vendor. The hilarious slapstick
prizefight is pretty even at first, but by the fourth round Charlie's getting the worst of it. Seeing the
trouble his master is in, the bulldog jumps into the ring and restrains the opponent by the seat of his
pants while Charlie delivers a series of coup-de-grace punches. Charlie is hoisted on the shoulders of
his cornermen as the new Champion.
From allmovie.com
| Written & Directed by: Charles Chaplin |
| ~Cast~ Charles Chaplin ...Challenger Edna Purviance ...Trainer's Daughter Ernest Van Pelt ...Spike Dugan Lloyd Bacon ...Second Sparring Partner / Exerciser in Gym / Referee Leo White ...Crooked gambler Carl Stockdale ...Sparring Partner Billy Armstrong ...Sparring Partner Paddy McGuire ...Sparring Partner Bud Jamison ...Bob Uppercut, Champion Ben Turpin ...Ringside vendor Gilbert M. 'Broncho Billy' Anderson ...Enthusiastic Fan (uncredited) Bill Cato ...First Sparring Partner / Trapeze Man in Gym (uncredited) Frank Dolan ...Second Stretcher Bearer (uncredited) W. Coleman Elam ...Bit Role (uncredited) Eddie Fries ...Bit Role (uncredited) Daniel P. Kelleher ...Second Cop (uncredited) Jess Robbins ...Bit Role (uncredited) Leo West ...Bit Role (uncredited) Fred Windemere ...Cop (uncredited) Henry Youngman ...Bit Role (uncredited) |
| ~Remaining Credits~ Production Company: The Essanay Film Manufacturing Company Distribution Company: General Film Company Producer: Jess Robbins Cinematography by: Harry Ensign Film Editing by: Charles Chaplin (uncredited) Assistant Director: Ernest Van Pelt Runtime: 33 Minutes Released: March 11, 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
imdb.com - general information (data base form)
allmovie.com - plot synopsis