Easy Street (1917)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Writers:

Charles Chaplin (screenplay)
Charles Chaplin (story)

Release Date:

22 January 1917 (USA)

Genre:

Short | Comedy

Plot:

A reformed tramp becomes a police constable who must fight a huge thug who dominates an inner city street.

Plot Keywords:

Mission | Fight | Police | Lamp Post | Bully

Cast

Charles Chaplin	...	The Derelict
Edna Purviance	...	The Mission Worker
Eric Campbell	...	The Bully

Runtime:

19 min | Germany:24 min (restored version) | Argentina:24 min (Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Spain:T | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Chaplin Studios - 1416 N. La Brea Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Lone Star Corporation

Trivia:

The lamppost used in the famous scene between Charles Chaplin and Eric Campbell fell on Chaplin during filming, requiring his hospitalization.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Silent Clowns: Charlie Chaplin (#1.2)" (2006)

Easy Street (1917) Starring Charles Chaplin!

Easy Street has Charlie as a derelict who joins the police force.

Easy Street (1917) is by far Charlie Chaplin's greatest short comedy. Unlike the Mutual comedies he made in 1916 which were full of elaborate gags, Easy Street tells the story of what is supposed to be the London Slums where in real life Charlie was born and grew up. Charlie's co-star again is the superb bulky actor Eric Campbell who appeared with Chaplin in 11 of the 12 mutual comedies and was dubbed Goliath and David being Chaplin.

At the start of the picture a title card explains "A New Beginning" and Charlie is shown to the audience sitting by a Hope Mission where there is a Mass going on inside. After he attends the mass, the Minister (Albert Austin) and the Organ Player (Edna Purviance) place Charlie to go on the good road for he is poor as he was in London. Charlie walks out and is determined to make good with the world. The next scene shows the riots that a happening on a street simply called "Easy Street" where Eric Campbell is dealing with a huge number of bullies and criminals who have been terrorizing him.

Charlie then walks next to a police station where he notices a sign saying "Policeman Wanted" and after several attempts to enter and volunteer, he finally does and then when he is a policeman, he gets his orders "Your Beat is Easy Street!"

After Campbell has confiscated a policeman's helmet, Charlie comes along and thinks to himself "I think I'll call a Policeman" and that's where the action really begins. After Charlie attempts to knock him out with his club, Campbell then shows him how strong he is by bending a lamp post with his leg, and the third time he bends the post Charlie jumps on him and starts turning on the gas.

No director had ever attempted to make a film like this. Charlie informs the audience how poor life would've really been like. A Woman trying to steel food from a fruit and vegetable stand and how a bully harasses his wife and to a lesser extent drugs. After Campbell and Chaplin are chasing each other Edna comes to help but then a bully (Henry Bergman) grabs her and states "You Keep Out of This", Edna is then thrown into an underground bar, where a madman is sitting. The madman was Lloyd Bacon, later a renowned film director who at this stage was a supporting actor in Chaplin comedies. The madman injects himself with a syringe and then tries to get Edna. Then Charlie attempts to make a comedy out of this situation with Chaplin being thrown into the cellar, the madman punched Charlie in the jaw and then he sits on the syringe and he makes some obscene gestures with his face and then he really starts to fight hard and fast. And the finale brings

`Love Backed by force, forgiveness sweet, Brings hope and peace to Easy Street.'

At the end of the picture because of Charlie everything is at peace. Campbell bows to Charlie and tips his hat, the bully shakes hands with him and Edna comes to Charlie because they are now probably in love and walk toward the Hope Mission.

Easy Street is a magnificent film and should be seen by all fans of the silent era.