The Kid

It takes your breath away over 100 years later so imagine how it must have felt walking out of a picture house in 1921! Quite rightly considered a work of genius by a genius, you must have a heart of stone if the story depicted fails to move you but when you consider the way it's presented, the music, the choreography, the longevity - then it really does become something a bit special indeed.

A very poor woman (Edna Purviance) can't take care of her baby and therefore she puts him in the back of a car, hoping someone will take good care of him. By a coincidence the kid ends up in the arms of a tramp, played by Charlie Chaplin of course, and he finds a note that asks if someone will take care of the orphan child. The tramp takes the job and the story continues five years later.

We see how the tramp and the kid (now played by Jackie Coogan) live and love each other, how they have little sneaky plans to earn money, how they belong to each other. In the meanwhile the woman has become rich and when she does a little charity for the poor she meets the kid not knowing it is hers.

This is a great feature film with Chaplin as the tramp. He composed the music himself as well and it fits the story perfectly. The kid is very good and he does a great job in scenes where kids can easily overreact. There is one great sequence where the tramp is in dreamland and every single person is an angel. This could have been a great movie on its own. As the film says in the first seconds, 'The Kid' is good for a laugh and perhaps a tear.

Chaplin plays the Tramp, who stumbles upon an abandoned baby, which he reluctantly raises. Five years later, he and the boy (Jackie Coogan) live a hard-scrabble life, but they have each other. When the child welfare department decides to take the boy, the Tramp takes him on the run, but some things are not meant to be. Also featuring Edna Purviance, Carl Miller, Lita Grey, and Jackie Coogan Sr.

Chaplin's patented mix of slapstick humor, honest humanity, and shameless sentimentality are put on fine display here. The running time is slight (the version I watched was 53 minutes), but it seems just about right. The story is simple, the characters are basic and no more than necessary to tell the tale. Jackie Coogan was easily one of the best child actors in the history of film, extremely adorable without being precious, and immensely talented. Chaplin would continue to grow artistically, but this is the bridge from his early, Mack Sennett-era silliness and his later, multi-dimensional masterworks.

Wow, is this a memorable film! It is one of the most famous silent movies ever and justifiably so. That fact that it still entertains over 80 years after it was made is quite a testimony.

It is a wonderful blend of humor and drama. Charlie Chaplin's unique humor, combined with an involving storyline and strong sentimentality make this one to remember. Chaplin's humor ranges from pure slapstick to some clever stunts.

The "kid" - Jackie Coogan - is just as memorable, maybe even more so. He is unbelievably cute, especially in those old-time clothes he wore. Watching the expressions on his face, even as a baby, are fascinating and facial expressions certainly were a trademark of the silent era.

So, between Chaplin and Coogan, and a very involving story that can break your heart one minute and have you laughing out loud the next, it's an amazing piece of work. This is a very fast-paced story which lasts less than an hour.

The special edition two-disc DVD has a restored version of the print so the picture is very clear, actually astounding for its age. Excellent entertainment.

Charlie Chaplin's study of a tramp teaming up with a street kid (the cute little Jackie Coogan) has a fine line to tread between humour and pathos, and true to what you would expect of his best work, does it superbly. The tramp always manages to wring the hearts of his viewers and adding a little boy to the mix was the finishing touch. Look out too for little Lita Grey in the angel sequence, who would become Chaplin's 2nd wife four years after this film was made.