ONE A.M. (Mutual, 1916), Written and Directed by Charlie Chaplin, is definitely a departure from the usual comedy shorts from this period. Being his fourth for the Mutual Studio, it's his one and only one-man show captured on film. Abandoning his tramp character with derby, baggy pants and cane for well-dressed debonair top hat character, there's also no usual stock players of Edna Purviance, Eric Campbell or Charlotte Mineau to support him. There is, however, Albert Austin in the opening minutes playing a taxi driver waiting for his fare with his hand out, but getting something quite unexpected. Virtually plot less, ONE A.M. is basically a twenty minute skit reminiscent from old-time vaudeville shows or forerunner to variety television programs as "The Red Skelton Show," where Red Skelton himself has made pantomime one of his notable works of art, no doubt inspired by Chaplin himself.
ONE A.M., casts Charlie as a drunk returning home by taxi. Whether coming home from an all night party or a neighborhood bar is never fully detailed. It's for the audience to decide for themselves and what his background is. After leaving the taxi, he begins a series of struggles and tribulations starting with getting inside his home before further complications ensue while trying to go to sleep for the night.
Though Chaplin is virtually a sole attention here, the cast support in brief bits might have helped add to the hilarity, such as casting the big and burly Eric Campbell as a good natured butler, or Edna Purviance as a girlfriend attempting to telephone Charlie but not being able to get connected, or some girl constantly getting the wrong number. Instead, props as liquor bottles, cigarettes, sliding floor mats, fish bow, staircase, giant pendulum from a clock or wall bed with mind of its own taking precedence in Charlie's troubles. Following this solo performance, Chaplin continued experimenting what comedy techniques work best for him in his future short/feature-length efforts for many years to come.
ONE A.M. is one of the twelve Mutual shorts starring Charlie Chaplin to be available in various formats, with certain prints with missing or added inter-titles of dialog or description acts. Scoring differs, depending on distributors of either home video or DVD formats. Older prints formerly broadcast on public television or syndicated channels during the sixties and seventies usually from 1930s reissues with orchestration of ragtime compositions and sound effects. Current digitally remastered prints of clear visuals and accurate silent speed extension to 22 or more minutes (often from Kino Video) often consist of more modern or poor scoring (depending on taste) with violin playing that usually takes away the pleasure in watching silent comedies such as this. The scoring from the old Blackhawk/Republic distribution company in the 1990s makes it far more enjoyable, in spite of some edits.
Interesting note about the title, ONE A.M. If it's lead to assume the Chaplin character returning home at that late hour, then why is the opening taxi segment appear to have daylight setting with noticeably passing cars and pedestrians seen in the background? Looks for it the next time there's another Charlie Chaplin festival on Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: December 13, 1999), whether it be on prime time, daytime or at one a.m. Next Chaplin Mutual comedy: THE COUNT (1916). (***)
ONE A.M., casts Charlie as a drunk returning home by taxi. Whether coming home from an all night party or a neighborhood bar is never fully detailed. It's for the audience to decide for themselves and what his background is. After leaving the taxi, he begins a series of struggles and tribulations starting with getting inside his home before further complications ensue while trying to go to sleep for the night.
Though Chaplin is virtually a sole attention here, the cast support in brief bits might have helped add to the hilarity, such as casting the big and burly Eric Campbell as a good natured butler, or Edna Purviance as a girlfriend attempting to telephone Charlie but not being able to get connected, or some girl constantly getting the wrong number. Instead, props as liquor bottles, cigarettes, sliding floor mats, fish bow, staircase, giant pendulum from a clock or wall bed with mind of its own taking precedence in Charlie's troubles. Following this solo performance, Chaplin continued experimenting what comedy techniques work best for him in his future short/feature-length efforts for many years to come.
ONE A.M. is one of the twelve Mutual shorts starring Charlie Chaplin to be available in various formats, with certain prints with missing or added inter-titles of dialog or description acts. Scoring differs, depending on distributors of either home video or DVD formats. Older prints formerly broadcast on public television or syndicated channels during the sixties and seventies usually from 1930s reissues with orchestration of ragtime compositions and sound effects. Current digitally remastered prints of clear visuals and accurate silent speed extension to 22 or more minutes (often from Kino Video) often consist of more modern or poor scoring (depending on taste) with violin playing that usually takes away the pleasure in watching silent comedies such as this. The scoring from the old Blackhawk/Republic distribution company in the 1990s makes it far more enjoyable, in spite of some edits.
Interesting note about the title, ONE A.M. If it's lead to assume the Chaplin character returning home at that late hour, then why is the opening taxi segment appear to have daylight setting with noticeably passing cars and pedestrians seen in the background? Looks for it the next time there's another Charlie Chaplin festival on Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: December 13, 1999), whether it be on prime time, daytime or at one a.m. Next Chaplin Mutual comedy: THE COUNT (1916). (***)