Chaplin - The Collection, Vol. 4 - Knock Out / Between Showers / A Day's Pleasure

Rating:
Summary: A pair of Chaplin Keystone comedies and "A Day's Pleasure"
Review: "Chaplin: The Collection, Volume 4" presents one of the biggest periods of time covered in the trio of comedies representing the early years of Chaplin's career. You have the fourth one-reel comedy that Charlie Chaplin made for the Mack Sennett's Keystone Company in 1914 and one of his earliest films for National in 1919. The only problem is that Chaplin has relatively minor roles in the two Keystone comedies, so only "A Day's Pleasure" makes this one worth watching for his fans:

"Knock Out" (Released June 11, 1914) comes right in the middle of Chaplin's Keystone career, the 17th of the thirty-three comedies he made there. Actually, this is a Fatty Arbuckle film, with the comedian challenging the champion, Cyclone Flynn (Edgar Kennedy), and Chaplin doing what is basically a cameo as the referee. There is some suspicion by Chaplin scholars that he might have choreographed the boxing match, but no solid proof beyond the similarities to Chaplin's classic boxing routines in "The Champion" and "City Lights." For a lot of people, this might be the best look they ever get at Arbuckle, the tragic clown whose career was destroyed by a sensational trial.

"Between Showers" (Released February 28, 1914) has Chaplin and Ford Sterling as rival mashers. Sterling is actually the star of this one, who starts off stealing an umbrella from a copy (Chester Conklin) before Charlie, in his Tramp costume, shows up. Neither Sterling nor Chaplin are really funny in this one, so while historically there is a changing of the guard at Keystone as Chaplin replaced Sterling as Mack Sennett's main clown, it seems a moot point on the basis of this lame comedy. But it does make the previous comedy look a lot better.

"A Day's Pleasure" (Released December 15, 1919) has the Tramp trying to treat his family to a day of leisure. Unfortunately, there is a Model-T Ford that does not want to cooperate (it was also released as "A Ford Story") and overcrowded ferry in the way. But the idea that the Tramp has a wife (Edna Purviance) and kids (the littlest of which is Jackie Coogan, soon to become a major star with Chaplin in "The Kid"). This one is just basic slapstick and if it reminds you of a Laurel & Hardy comedy more than a Chaplin comedy, that is not surprising because "A Perfect Day" seems to have been inspired in part by Chaplin's effort. Note: pay attention to the bit early on when Charlie is trying to get the car started a man discovers he has walked into the shot. I know, it is not much, but it should earn a smile.