The Pilgrim (1923)

Writer:

Charles Chaplin (writer)

Release Date:

26 February 1923 (USA)

Genre:

Short | Comedy

Tagline:

4 Great Reels

Plot:

The Tramp is an escaped convict who is mistaken as a pastor in a small town church.

Plot Keywords:

Escaped Convict | Church | Preacher | Fugitive | Mistaken Identity

Cast

Charles Chaplin	...	The Pilgrim
Edna Purviance	...	Miss Brown
Kitty Bradbury	...	Mrs. Brown, Edna's Mother
Syd Chaplin	...	Eloper / Train Conductor / Little Boy's Father (as Sydney Chaplin)
Mack Swain	...	Deacon
Mai Wells	...	Little Boy's Mother
Dean Riesner	...	Little Boy (as Dinky Reisner)
Loyal Underwood	...	Elder
Charles Reisner	...	Howard Huntington, Crook (as Chuck Reisner)
Tom Murray	...	Sheriff Bryan
Henry Bergman	...	Sheriff on Train / Man In Railroad Station

Runtime:

59 min | Germany:39 min (re-release) (1950s)

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System) (1959 re-issue) | Silent

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Charles Chaplin Productions

Trivia:

The bratty boy was played by Dean Riesner, associate director Charles Reisner's son. In later years, Dean recounted how he did not want to slap Charles Chaplin's face, even though the story called for him to do so. So Chaplin and his brother/co-star Sydney Chaplin continually slapped each other's faces to convince Riesner what fun it was.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Seeing Stars (1922)

Chaplin's Last Short -- Enjoyable but not Great

Escaped convict Charlie Chaplin assumes the identity of a preacher along the Mexican border in Texas in "The Pilgrim." The film would be Chaplin's last short, and, although it was certainly enjoyable and benefited from fine direction and nice production values, it sadly lacked the verve and energy of his earlier Mutual short films. Individual sequences shine -- like his sermon on David and Goliath -- but, overall, these sequences rarely build on themselves to reach true comic heights. Take, for example, the hat mistaken for a cake gag. The build-up itself was funnier than the resolution. It never reached the level of the clock scene in "The Pawnshop" or the Murphy bed scene in "One A.M." or the tramp's attempts to pay for his meal in "The Immigrant." I find this trait true of most of the shorts Chaplin produced for First National, with the exception of "Shoulder Arms." Good sequences are scattered here and there, but, overall, there is a certain lackluster attitude. Perhaps he felt he had accomplished all he could in short films. However, Chaplin regained his stride and reasserted his place on the comic throne in the features that followed "The Pilgrim." This film also deserves a special place in the Chaplin canon as his last comedy with Edna Purviance as his leading lady. Though not a great comedienne in her own right, she was certainly a lovely presence in his films.