| SilentHollywood.com |
| ~The Tramp~ 1915 |
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| ~Plot Synopsis~ |
The Tramp, Charlie Chaplin's sixth film for Essanay, is generally considered his first masterpiece. It is
the first of his films that blended pathos with comedy and contains subtle pantomime along with the
knockabout slapstick. Charlie is truly a tramp in this film, wandering down a dusty country road
carrying his bindle. He is knocked down by near misses from two passing autos and pulls a whisk
broom from his pocket and dusts himself off. He sits by a tree to eat his lunch, but it is stolen by a hobo
(Leo White). Despondent, Charlie salts some grass and eats it. We next meet a farm girl (Edna
Purviance) and her father (Fred Goodwins), who gives her some cash and sends her on an errand. She
stops on her way to count her money and is robbed by a sinister hobo (Leo White). Her cries bring
Charlie, who rescues her from the hobo and two other tramp thieves. The girl brings Charlie home to
the farm, where he is rewarded with a job as a farmhand. He is inept at the job, the source of several
funny scenes with a fellow farmhand (Paddy McGuire). The three thieving hobos show up and try to
involve Charlie in a scheme to rob the farmer's money. Charlie foils their efforts by hitting them on their
heads with a mallet as they reach the top of the ladder that he has set up at his bedroom window.
Farmer Fred, alerted by the noise, grabs his shotgun and chases off the crooks, but Charlie gets shot in
the leg accidentally. This scene is played completely straight and is utterly convincing as Charlie passes
out from the pain. Charlie is next seen recuperating from his injuries, lounging at an outdoor table with
the farm girl and squirting seltzer into his drink. But his happiness is short-lived. Her boyfriend (Lloyd
Bacon) arrives on the scene and Charlie, seeing that his love for her is unrequited, goes into the
farmhouse and writes a note: "i thout your kindness was love but it ain't cause i seen him." He turns his
back to the camera and picks up the girl's hat, kisses it, and walks outside. Bidding the two farewell,
Charlie refuses the money offered by the boyfriend. The film closes with what would become Chaplin's
classic ending -- Charlie walking sadly back along the road, but suddenly putting an optimistic little
spring in his step as the camera irises in.
Plot Synopsis from allmovie.com
the first of his films that blended pathos with comedy and contains subtle pantomime along with the
knockabout slapstick. Charlie is truly a tramp in this film, wandering down a dusty country road
carrying his bindle. He is knocked down by near misses from two passing autos and pulls a whisk
broom from his pocket and dusts himself off. He sits by a tree to eat his lunch, but it is stolen by a hobo
(Leo White). Despondent, Charlie salts some grass and eats it. We next meet a farm girl (Edna
Purviance) and her father (Fred Goodwins), who gives her some cash and sends her on an errand. She
stops on her way to count her money and is robbed by a sinister hobo (Leo White). Her cries bring
Charlie, who rescues her from the hobo and two other tramp thieves. The girl brings Charlie home to
the farm, where he is rewarded with a job as a farmhand. He is inept at the job, the source of several
funny scenes with a fellow farmhand (Paddy McGuire). The three thieving hobos show up and try to
involve Charlie in a scheme to rob the farmer's money. Charlie foils their efforts by hitting them on their
heads with a mallet as they reach the top of the ladder that he has set up at his bedroom window.
Farmer Fred, alerted by the noise, grabs his shotgun and chases off the crooks, but Charlie gets shot in
the leg accidentally. This scene is played completely straight and is utterly convincing as Charlie passes
out from the pain. Charlie is next seen recuperating from his injuries, lounging at an outdoor table with
the farm girl and squirting seltzer into his drink. But his happiness is short-lived. Her boyfriend (Lloyd
Bacon) arrives on the scene and Charlie, seeing that his love for her is unrequited, goes into the
farmhouse and writes a note: "i thout your kindness was love but it ain't cause i seen him." He turns his
back to the camera and picks up the girl's hat, kisses it, and walks outside. Bidding the two farewell,
Charlie refuses the money offered by the boyfriend. The film closes with what would become Chaplin's
classic ending -- Charlie walking sadly back along the road, but suddenly putting an optimistic little
spring in his step as the camera irises in.
Plot Synopsis from allmovie.com
| Written & Directed by: Charles Chaplin |
| ~Cast~ Charles Chaplin ...Tramp Edna Purviance ...Farmer's Daughter Ernest Van Pelt ...Farmer Paddy McGuire ...Farmhand Lloyd Bacon ...Edna's Fiancé / Second Thief Leo White ...First Thief Bud Jamison ...Third Thief Billy Armstrong ...Minister |
| ~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: 32 Minutes Released: April 12, 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
