His New Job

This fairly routine farce from Chaplin sees his tramp character apply for a job as a film extra with a talent agency, then subsequently cause havoc on the set. Throughout the film he has a running battle with cross-eyed foe Ben Turpin, who provided a foil Chaplin on a number of occasions during Chaplin's time at Essanay. The slapstick is mostly of the spitefully violent type so often provided by the tramp in his earlier incarnations. Odd, really, how lovable this character was considered when, in nine times out of ten, he initiated violent confrontations with unprovoked attacks on others. This is passable entertainment but is not one of Chaplin's best, and is noticeable only for the glimpse it gives us of the early days of film-making.

This is one of 5 Chaplin that are on the first DVD of Chaplin's Essanay Comedies. In general, compared to volume 2, the shorts on volume 1 aren't as well-made--because the DVDs are arranged chronologically. Chaplin's skill as a film maker and actor appeared to improve through his stay with Essanay Studios.

This short is not particularly memorable in some ways, as there is a very strong reliance on slapstick and very little regard to the development of the plot--something that would change as he made more and more shorts that became more and more plot-driven.

Charlie gets a job working at Lodstone Studios in the short. He is a carpenter but is able to insinuate himself into the films by posing as an actor. The biggest positive of this film is that it gives some insight into the film making process at the time. Other than that, there's little of an great significance to this film.

Besides being pretty good in itself, "His New Job" is also interesting in that it is a clear improvement over the previous features that Charlie Chaplin had made when he was with Keystone Studies. While the Keystone features were not bad, and often contained some excellent material, overall they generally gave the appearance of having been thrown together quickly, which often left a lot of unrealized potential in some of their ideas and themes. And, while these Essanay features themselves were usually not quite as good as his later Mutual features, they did give Chaplin a chance to perform quite a few kinds of material, and most of them are well worth seeing.

In this one, Charlie's character is competing with some other hopefuls who are trying to break into the movies. Ben Turpin and Charlie have quite a few scenes together, and although their scenes are primarily knockabout slapstick, they do work well as a team. The action takes place in several settings, and on average it is fairly creative in its use of the settings and props. Most of the gags come off all right, and overall the feature works pretty well.

Charlie Chaplin's first movie with Essanay (hence the title) casts him as a guy attempting to get a break in a movie, only to repeatedly make a mess of the production. There's plenty of funny gags, as is often the case in these relics of early cinema. The plot isn't the most complex, since Chaplin hadn't fully ironed out his style. A notable thing about the movie is that it features a young Gloria Swanson, years before her role as a certain big star amid small pictures.* It's not a great movie, but as far as I'm concerned, any Chaplin movie is a good one. You'll probably like "His New Job".

*Swanson later testified on behalf of John Lennon when he was trying to gain US citizenship.

Am a big fan of Charlie Chaplin, have been for over a decade now. Many films and shorts of his are very good to masterpiece, and like many others consider him a comedy genius and one of film's most important and influential directors.

The first effort from his Essanay period after leaving Keystone, 'His New Job' is not one of his very best or even among the best of this particular period. It shows a noticeable step up in quality though from his Keystone period, where he was still evolving and in the infancy of his long career, from 1914, The Essanay period is something of Chaplin's adolescence period where his style had been found and starting to settle. Something that can be seen in the more than worthwhile 'His New Job'.

'His New Job' is not one of his all-time funniest or most memorable, other efforts also have more pathos and a balance of that and the comedy. The story is still a little flimsy, there are times where it struggles to sustain the short length, and could have had more variety.

On the other hand, 'His New Job' looks pretty good, not incredible but it was obvious that Chaplin was taking more time with his work and not churning out countless shorts in the same year of very variable success like he did with Keystone. Appreciate the importance of his Keystone period and there is some good stuff he did there, but the more mature and careful quality seen here and later on is obvious.

While not one of his funniest or original, 'His New Job' is still very entertaining with some clever, entertaining and well-timed slapstick and a sly satirical element. It moves quickly and there is no dullness in sight.

Chaplin directs more than competently, if not quite cinematic genius standard yet. He also, as usual, gives an amusing and expressive performance and at clear ease with the physicality of the role. The supporting cast acquit themselves well, including a cameo from Gloria Swanson.

In summary, well worth your time if not a Chaplin classic. 8/10 Bethany Cox