The Kid (1921 film)

• Charles Chaplin: A Tramp
• Carl Miller: the man
• Edna Purviance: The Woman
• Jackie Coogan: the child
• Tom Wilson: policeman
• Henry Bergman: host / Doctor
• Charles Reisner: street thugs
• Lita Grey: Angel of temptation

The Kid (English Alternative title: The Tramp and the child ) is an American silent film tragicomedy of Charles Chaplin from 1921 Starring Chaplin can be seen in the role of Tramp and Jackie Coogan as his adopted child. .

Action

When she leaves the hospital after delivery, lays an abandoned by the father of her child mother holding her newborn baby in a limousine. On a paper it leaves the request to provide for " the orphan ". Then she lets the child back in order to take his life. Shortly after thieves steal the limo. When they notice the baby in the back seat, they dispose of it summarily next to a dumpster. Charlie, who is poor but not homeless, found the child. Having tried in vain to get rid of it, he takes it with him to his home. He finds the list of the mother and from then on as a father cares for the little guy, which he gives the name John. The mother has now - plagued by remorse - abandoned their suicidal intentions, but finds the villa not reflect the parked limousine.

Five years later, has become of the mother an opera star. It makes charity work in which they without knowing it, also met her now grown up to a toddler son awakened. At a reception she meets again the child's father, who has also become famous, but the wounds of the past can not be cured - it still suffers from the loss of her child.

On one of her visits to the slum she finds the boy in front of sick and brings him to Charlie. She promises to come back to check on the boy. The doctor who treated John, Charlie explains to his question, not to be the true father and shows him the written note from the parent. The doctor announces to worry about it, that the child receives appropriate care. Some time later appear two employees of the local orphanage to pick up John. The violent resistance Charlie and the boys can only using a summoned police to be broken, but Charlie escapes the police and John can bring even before arriving at the orphanage regain possession.

Meanwhile meets the mother who wants to see as promised after the boy, before the empty apartment the doctor who is also come in vain. He shows her the note, and the mother realizes that John is her own child.

Since Charlie can not return to his apartment, he stayed with John in a cheap accommodation arms. Their host discovered in the paper a search for the child and brings the sleeping John to the police, in order to earn the reward. Charlie looks in vain for John. While the parent picks up their child at dawn by police, Charlie returns dejected back to his apartment. He finds it locked and falls asleep in front of the entrance. From his dream, he is rudely awakened by a policeman, who takes him to the nut house, where he can close in the arms of John again.

Reviews

" Chaplin reflected in his first full-length feature film of your own childhood. A sentimental, bitter, socially critical tragicomedy in which realism, romance and phantasmagoria thanks Chaplin Jackie Coogan's irresistible and the small display with gags and slapstick combine to create a great cinematic experience. "

" As in most of his remaining productions, the film music was for, The Tramp and the child ' composes and creates it in a remarkable way the mood on the screen at any time to transport into the ears of the audience. But the tragi-comedy is not entirely without flaws. Especially in the final dream scene it has a little over the top with the black and white painting Chaplin. After the evil, provides in person by devils, access to the heavenly world, there is shambles. The Tramp on the ground - the child snatched. In the context of the excellent overall impression but certainly negligible. So Charlie Chaplin came with, The Tramp and the child ' a fascinating work with a lot of laughter and perhaps a tear. "

" As in many of his films also operates Chaplin in 'The Kid' to a certain extent social criticism. A man is taken away from a child just because he is poor. The only reason not to trust him, to raise a child, while one would give the little one without hesitation a rich woman. [ ... ] Is, The Kid 'is a beautiful film, the gorgeous maintains almost the entire 55 minutes playing time and as promised the opening credits, which were only for a tear. "

Background

The underage actress Lita Grey, is seduced by the Charles in his dream sequence, Charles Chaplin married about three years later, because they are the result of an affair during the filming of gold rush at the age of 16 years was with child by him: Charles Chaplin junior.

The premiere of the film was in New York City on January 21, 1921.