The Kid (1921)

• Year: 1921
• Released: 06 Feb 1921
• Country: United States
• Adwords: 2 wins
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0012349/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/Charlie_Chaplin_The_Kid
• Metacritics: https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-kid
• Available in: 720p, 1080p,
• Language: English
• MPA Rating: Passed
• Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family
• Runtime: 68 min
• Writer: Charles Chaplin
• Director: Charles Chaplin
• Cast: Charles Chaplin, Edna Purviance, Jackie Coogan
• Keywords: black and white, silent film, slapstick, fistfight, suicide attempt,

8.3/10

The Kid Storyline

Faced with raising her fatherless son alone, an unmarried single mother abandons her baby. As one thing leads to another, The Tramp (1915) crosses paths with the child on a street corner, and just like that, the carefree vagabond reluctantly becomes his surrogate father. However, so much can change in five years. Now, the tight-knit pair runs a glazing business, utterly unaware that their already fragile happiness is at stake. But who knows what the future has in store for the bright-eyed kid?

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The Kid Movie Reviews

nowhere NEAR the standards of Chaplin’s later feature films

I have seen just about all of Chaplin’s feature films and I would have to say that this is the worst of them, though it does have a rather high IMDb rating and quite a reputation. For me, the problem with the film is that it doesn’t even come close to the polish and quality of films made just a few years later. THE GOLD RUSH (1925) and THE CIRCUS (1928) are masterpieces, as were his next few films. They managed to combine pathos, excellent story telling and comedy. THE KID, instead, was mostly a very superficial attempt to elicit tears and pathos–while having very little comedy and a paper-thin plot.

On top of these complaints, I also was amazed how “out of left field” his whole dream sequence was. The flying angels and neat special effects did not in any way contribute to the plot and it served more as a distraction.

So, in summary, I found the film not particularly enjoyable. See any of his other features (even the much earlier and very rough TILLIE’S PUNCTURED ROMANCE) or a feature by Harold Lloyd or perhaps Keaton. Historically, this is an important film because his other features and those of Keaton and Lloyd did follow THE KID, but unless you are watching this solely for historical interest, don’t.

Charming and truly touching

While I don’t consider The Kid Charlie Chaplin’s best, along with Limelight it is his most charming and most touching film. The Kid is a wonderful film and a near-masterpiece in my opinion. If anything though I feel it could have been longer by about 5 or so minutes, but it is my only minor complaint of this film.

The story is quite a sentimental one, but it is also very touching and very involving. I love the comedy which was very unique and I think holds up well, it still makes me laugh and smile. The Kid also has a lot of sentimentality and it is very strong. But it is incredibly touching too, any scene with Chaplin and Jackie Coogan makes me cry as the final scene gets to me every time. The film also moves quickly, and has many effective scenes particularly the brilliantly done dream sequence. The performances are astonishing too, Chaplin is excellent and conveys a perfect balance of sympathy and humour, but Jackie Coogan almost upstages him in one of the most adorable and heart-wrenching child performances on film. The Kid is lovely to look at too, and has a charming score.

Overall, while not Charlie Chaplin’s best, it is a beautiful film. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Pathos And Comedy

Due to an unwed mother abandoning her child in an automobile and said automobile being subsequently hijacked, The Little Tramp winds up with the baby and proceeds to raise it in its first five years.

In reading Charlie Chaplin’s memoirs I learned two things about the making of The Kid. First he had to get child star Jackie Coogan away from Roscoe ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle under whom the lad was contracted. Chaplin saw him and was determined to make a film with him. The second thing was Chaplin’s determination to make a film that combined both pathos and comedy which many said could not be done.

The success of The Kid is due to the chemistry established between Chaplin and Coogan. As Chaplin said in his memoirs young children in their uninhibited way are natural actors. Part of the chemistry though is to make sure they don’t totally steal the film from you.

The Tramp gets his innings in with The Kid. He’s the same rapscallion Tramp we all know, but The Kid showed another side of The Tramp, one of deep feeling and protectiveness. Two people who need and love each other very much. This film couldn’t miss.

First National Pictures sure thought so as it became part of a three way tug of war between Chaplin, the studio, and his estranged wife Mildred Harris. The Robert Downey, Jr. biographical film Chaplin illustrates that whole bit of business where Charlie smuggled out the negative of The Kid and took it on the lam across state lines. He edited it and was able to get it back to First National as a finished product on his own terms. That whole business probably would make a good movie unto itself.

Till that one is made see and enjoy the Tramp and the future Uncle Fester in The Kid.