A Film Johnnie

Short (about 7 minutes) comedy featuring Charlie Chaplin as a movie fan on the set of a movie. Charlie is unable to see the difference between on screen acting and the real life, so when his favorite actress gets 'attacked' he tries to rescue her.

Then there's a great scene in which he lights his cigarette with his gun, but unfortunately he's starting a fire with it. The movie executives try to make the best of it by shooting another scene, until Charlie is standing in the way yet again...

Amusing little flick and a must-see for every Charlie fan, although not among his best or most important shorts from that era. 6/10.

Just watched on the Internet Archive site 8 minutes of what this site states was a 15 minute short made by Mack Sennett's Keystone Studios. It stars Charlie Chaplin in another of his early appearances in which he's at that studio, as a civilian in his Tramp costume, wreaking havoc. If I didn't read the synopsis here beforehand, I would have been partly confused as to what was going on but because of that, I laughed at the part where he came to the "rescue" of his lady crush when she was being "attacked" and when he used the gun to kill her "attacker". Also, was that the first time that gun was used to light a cigarette? Was marred a bit by blurry titles and, once again, missing beginning context. Still, I was quite fascinated by what I saw of A Film Johnnie. Update-6/14/11: I just watched the entire thing on YouTube with the original Keystone titles intact. It's now a bit funnier so I'm now upping the rating from 5 to 7.

Charles Chaplin plays an overly infatuated film fan who decides to visit a movie theatre after seeing a gorgeous actress on the poster. In theatre, he causes quite a havoc before he gets thrown out. Afterward, he manages to get inside the movie studio where he sees the girl from the poster and movie. Well, you guessed it, more havoc is caused.

The theme of a fan falling in love with a starlet is interesting. The plot is easy to follow, even though some scenes seem quite randomly put together. The most interesting part to me was of course the look inside The Keystone Studios and to see how the films were made back in the day. Chaplin's Tramp was still just a trouble maker, but perhaps here some of the more recognizable traits are becoming visible.

Chaotic but still amusing movie. One of the best from the early works of Charles Chaplin.

If anyone has a question about what the title means then it is a play with the term "stage door Johnnie" which was used to describe people who hang out near the theatres in hopes of meeting actors or even land a job in the theatre.

Film Johnnie, A (1914)

** (out of 4)

Charles Chaplin plays a film buff who goes to Keystone Studios to meet his favorite stars, which he does but at the same time he doesn't find himself welcomed after a while. Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle, Virginia Kirtley, Mabel Normand and Ford Sterling are among the stars seen at the studio and while this it's fun to see all these stars together I wouldn't go further by calling this a good movie. Chaplin is quite animated here as he finds himself getting into one mess after another, which eventually leads to his setting a set on fire. Some historians seem to think that this movie was a way for the studio to display their feelings towards Chaplin. It was well known that he was causing trouble with his attitude even this early in his career so historians believe the annoying character here is the studio showing him as he was. I'm not sure how true this is but it's an interesting theory.

The film was produced in March 1914, during the post-Mabel's Strange Predicament period when Mabel Normand was still refusing to work with Chaplin (Mack Sennett's autobiography). Sennett, however, managed to get Mabel into the film by displaying a poster depicting her as a champion racing driver. Chaplin is meant to fall in love with her image, but note that he takes the opportunity to disrespect the Keystone Girl by mocking her dirty, oily face. This is probably the film where new-boy Chaplin later says he had an angry confrontation with director 'Pops' Nichols. Long-serving Popsie almost had a seizure when the ranting Charlie told the old guy he knew nothing about directing pictures!

In any event, the warring pair managed to finish the movie, which has a weak story-line, but gives Sennett an advertising opportunity for Keystone. Charlie goes on to create uproar in the picture house when he sits on Mrs Arbuckle's lap, and overdoes the emotional stakes when Keystone's Peggy Pearce appears on screen.

Having been thrown out of the picture-house, Charlie decides to get down to the Keystone studios and meet the stars. He appears at Keystone as car loads of the company arrive, including Fatty Arbuckle from who he begs a dime. Minta Arbuckle merely laughs at the tramp- like Charlie, who she later described as being dirty and smelly. Incidentally the studio is not the real lot, and the set appears to be among some very upper-crust accommodation indeed. It is in fact the swanky Bryson Apartments on Wilshire Boulevard! After being told 'No bums here' by director Edgar Kennedy, Charlie forces his way into the studio, and who should he see on the set but the Keystone girl to die for – Peggy Pearce. Following attempts to force himself on Peggy and interfere with the action, Charlie acquires a revolver and begins to shoot up the set, sending the cast diving for cover. Our tramp now leaves the studio, slams the door behind him, and gives the aging doorman a swift kick.

A house fire occurring in the vicinity, sends the cast racing off in the Keystone cars, in order to obtain some 'atmosphere' for their film. For some unexplained reason, crazy Charlie is already on his way to the scene, and running down the middle of Wilshire Boulevard (or is it Broadway?). When Charlie reaches the fire (which appears to be in dusty old Edendale) he finds the film crew already setting up for a scene in which Peggy Pearce is being roughed up. The gallant tramp intervenes and incurs the wrath of the studio men, one of whom tries to brain him with a plank. When Charlie attempts to abduct Peggy, she responds by giving the tramp a good whipping.

According to Sennett, Chaplin had no designs on any of the Keystone starlets, and no success with women in general during 1914. He was right about the second part, but Charlie made amorous advances to both Peggy Pearce and Mabel Normand. Both were eventually to reject the 'lovable genius of a problem child' (as Mary Pickford called Chaplin). Several of Chaplin's sworn enemies are in this picture, including Pathe Lehrman and Pops Nichols. Everyone made representations to Sennett that Chaplin was impossible to work with, but Lehrman also said that Chaplin was in love with Mabel, and that Mabel was having various affairs (including, somewhat later, with Valentino). How did Sennett respond? He took the Tramp and the Jazz Babe out to dinner every night – what better way of keeping an eye on the recalcitrant pair.