The Kid (1921)
The Kid (1921)
„The Kid“ is a silent film comedy and drama from 1921 starring Charles Chaplin.
The 1921 tragic comedy is Charlie Chaplin’s first feature film. Previously, he had only made the slapstick short films that were common at the time. For the first time, he combined the genres of comedy and social drama into a moving feature film, which is aptly titled in the opening credits: „A picture with a smile, and – perhaps, a tear“.
The tramp, played by Chaplin, finds a small alleged orphan in a limousine and raises it. But the real story doesn’t take place until five years later, when the baby has become a small, bright boy who has to go through many adventures together in the vagabond.
The special thing about this film is the interplay between Chaplin and little Jackie Coogan, who knew how to perfectly imitate Chaplin’s facial expressions and gestures and play with them. Coogan became America’s most famous child star through the film and later had success as Uncle Fester in the series „The Addams Family“.
The film „The Kid“ was a huge box office success and is now one of Chaplin’s most famous works.
Cast:
- Charles Chaplin – A Tramp
- Jackie Coogan – The Child
- Carl Miller – The Man
- Edna Purviance – The Woman
- Albert Austin – Car Thief / Man in Shelter
- Beulah Bains – Bride
- Nellie Bly Baker – Slum Nurse
- Henry Bergman – Professor Guido / Night Shelter Keeper
- Edward Biby – Orphan Asylum Driver
- B.F. Blinn – His Assistant
- Kitty Bradbury – Bride’s Mother
- Frank Campeau – Welfare Officer
- Bliss Chevalier – Extra in Wedding Scene
- Frances Cochran – Extra in Reception Scene
- Elsie Codd – Extra in Alley Scene
- Jack Coogan Sr. – Pickpocket / Guest / Devil
- Estelle Cook – Extra in Wedding Scene
- Lillian Crane – Extra in Wedding Scene
- Philip D’Oench – Extra in Wedding Scene
- Dan Dillon – Bum
- Robert Dunbar – Bridegroom
- Florette Faulkner – Extra in Wedding Scene
- Gloria Faythe – Little Girl
- Rupert Franklin – Bride’s father / Extra in Reception Scene
- Sadie Gordon – Extra in Heaven Scene
- Lita Grey – Flirtatious Angel
- Frank Hale – Extra in Reception Scene
- Martha Hall – Extra in Wedding Scene
- Jules Hanft – Physician
- Louise Hathaway – Extra in Alley Scene
- Silas Hathaway – The Kid as a Baby
- Flora Howard – Bridesmaid
- Ed Hunt – Extra in Reception Scene
- Lulu Jenks – Extra in Heaven Scene
- Irene Jennings – Extra in Wedding Scene
- Kathleen Kay – Maid
- Grace Keller – Extra in Wedding Scene
- Sarah Kernan – Extra in Wedding Scene
- Raymond Lee – His Kid Brother
- Walter Lynch – Tough Cop
- V. Madison – Extra in Wedding Scene
- Clyde McAtee – Extra in Reception Scene
- Michael J. McCarthy – Extra (angel) Heaven & (cook) Alley Scene
- John McKinnon – Chief of Police
- Ethel O’Neil – Extra in Heaven Scene
- Lew Parker – Extra in Heaven Scene
- Charles I. Pierce – Extra in Wedding Scene
- Laura Pollard – Extra in Heaven Scene
- Evans Quirk – Extra in Wedding Scene
- Esther Ralston – Extra in Heaven Scene
- Granville Redmond – The Man’s Friend
- Charles Reisner – Bully
- Henry Roser – Extra in Heaven Scene
- J.B. Russell – Extra in Wedding Scene
- George V. Sheldon – Extra in Reception Scene
- Edgar Sherrod – Priest
- Elsie Sindora – Bridesmaid
- Minnie Stearns – Fierce Woman
- Arthur Thalasso – Car Thief with gun
- Edith Valk – Lady with Baby Carriage
- Mother Vinot – Extra in Alley Scene
- May White – Edna’s Maid
- S.D. Wilcox – Cop
- Baby Wilson – Baby in Carriage
- Tom Wilson – Policeman
- Amanda Yanez – Extra in Alley Scene
- Baby Yanez – Extra in Alley Scene
- Elsie Young – Extra in Wedding Scene
