The Pilgrim (1923)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Phyllis Allen	...	Congregation Member (uncredited)
Frank Antunez	...	Bandit (uncredited)
Sarah Barrows	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
Monta Bell	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Edith Bostwick	...	Congregation Member (uncredited)
George Bradford	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
William Carey	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
George Carruthers	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
Mickey Daniels	...	Sniffling Kid in Church (uncredited)
Marion Davies	...	Congregation Member (uncredited)
Laddie Earle	...	Congregation Member (uncredited)
J. Espan	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
Miss Evans	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
Callie Frey	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
Della Glowner	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
Lee Glowner	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
Theresa Gray	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
F.F. Guenste	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
Charles Hafler	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
Mary Hamlett	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
Cecile Harcourt	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
Martha Harris	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
Anna Hicks	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
Harry Hicks	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
Carl Jensen	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
Mrs. C. Johnson	...	Congregation Member (uncredited)
Ethel Kennedy	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
Emily Lamont	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
Florence Latimer	...	Congregation Member (uncredited)
Raymond Lee	...	Boy in Congregation (uncredited)
Frank Liscomb	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
Agnes Lynch	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
Paul Mason	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
Jack McCredie	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
Beth Nagel	...	Congregation Member (uncredited)
Donnabelle Ouster	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
Catherine Parrish	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
Mildred Pitts	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
Tom Ray	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
Carlyle Robinson	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
Edna Rowe	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
Georgia Sherart	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
Mabel Shoulters	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
James J. Smith	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
Robert Traughbur	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
Louis Troester	...	Congregation Member (uncredited)
Joe Van Meter	...	Bandit (uncredited)
Rose Wheeler	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
S.D. Wilcox	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
Paul Wilkins	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
S.W. Williams	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)
H. Wolfinger	...	Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited)

Directed by
Charles Chaplin		(uncredited)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Charles Chaplin		writer

Produced by
Charles Chaplin	....	producer

Cinematography by
Roland Totheroh		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Charles Chaplin		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Charles D. Hall		(uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles Reisner	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jack Wilson	....	second camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mother Vinot	....	seamstress (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Toraichi Kono	....	driver: Mr. Chaplin (uncredited)

Other crew
Nellie Bly Baker	....	secretary: Mr. Chaplin (uncredited)
Elsie Codd	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Tom Harrington	....	assistant: Mr. Chaplin (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Charles Chaplin Productions

Distributors

• First National Pictures (1923) (USA) (theatrical)
• MK2 Diffusion (2001) (worldwide) (all media)
• Image Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)

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:

This was the last film in which Charles Chaplin co-starred with Edna Purviance. Chaplin would direct and have a cameo in her next film, A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate (1923) and produce her lost film, A Woman of the Sea (1926), and she would have cameos in a couple of his later films, but this was their last major acting work together.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin (2003)

One of Chaplin's very best!

The Pilgrim is one of the great silent comedies. Perhaps not as profound, as The Gold Rush, The General or The Kid Brother, it is nevertheless one of Chaplin's best shorts. Well it goes for four reels so its between a short film and a feature-length film. Chaplin plays an escaped convict who disguises himself as a parson and from then on, allow our beloved Charlie take you on a wonder ride as always with his brilliant comedies. Today, The Pilgrim isn't as famous as Chaplin's other movies, however, its one of his most loved among the legion of fans that it has. Chaplin reissued the film in 1959 with his own score but don't be too impressed by the sound recording of the score. Considering it was 1959, the sound recording is terrible. I don't know what the recordists had on their mind while working on the score. Even Chaplin's score for The Gold Rush in 1942 has better sound and that film was rightfully nominated for best sound recording at the academy awards. Anyway besides that, the new restoration of The Pilgrim is quite good and it's a must see.