By Michael Colford
Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Charlie Chaplin
Starring: Al Ernest Garcia | Charlie Chaplin | George Davis | Harry Crocker | Merna Kennedy | Tiny Sandford
Country: united_states
Year: 1928
Running time: 72
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0018773/reference
Thom says: “I’m happy to see an intellectual shift in my comic essence. For whatever reason I never was much of a Chaplin fan for the majority of my life although in the past 5 years I quite liked LIMELIGHT & MONSIEUR VERDOUX but those were both talkies so this marvelous Criterion restored silent version was a spirited surprise. His classic “Tramp” character stumbles onto a travelling circus and his utter ineptitude translates into a smash circus act under the ever watchful eye of the unreasonable shyster of the manager and ring master. The Tramp falls immediately in love with the abused, mistreated step-daughter of the ring master. And while the Tramp has a loyal, uproarious following he’s shown no respect by the circus staff. Many scenes are so hilarious that I metaphorically fell out of my seat, which indeed was revelatory. While the Tramp finally does get some well-deserved respect the melancholy ending almost had me in tears. I had a dear friend in a New York-based theatre company who used so many of Chaplin’s facial and body gestures that I’ve gained new respect. Tragically he was one of the earlier victims of AIDS. 4 1/2 cats“