The Kid

1921 "6 reels of Joy."
8.2| 1h8m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 21 January 1921 Released
Producted By: Charles Chaplin Productions
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

A tramp cares for a boy after he's abandoned as a newborn by his mother. Later the mother has a change of heart and aches to be reunited with her son.

Genre

Drama, Comedy

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Director

Charlie Chaplin

Production Companies

Charles Chaplin Productions

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The Kid Audience Reviews

Cathardincu Surprisingly incoherent and boring
VividSimon Simply Perfect
NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!
Roxie The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;
Anonymous002 Charlie Chalin movies were praised by the critics of that time because a very few movies were made that time and/so their knowledge about cinema was limited . But in this era , all of his films looks bad . This film is old is no excuse. To make the quality of films better , someone in every era has brought some new techniques and innovations. But Chaplin never came out of soulless comedy genre. It is about father-son relationship but not much about that is shown . We just see a father cooks for his son , he saves him when he got involved in a street fight and his son helps him in making money. That's all about their relationship . Chaplin think these are the only things that represent their love for each other . And coming to comedy , it was not funny at all. Just nothing funny. A powerful muscleman tries to puch the tramp but he somehow escapes every time . He hits the wall and it breaks , he hit the pole and it breaks . And the worst part is the dream sequence which doesn't support the storyline but distracts us from it .In a nutshell -Another bad Charlie Chaplin film.
Anssi Vartiainen One of the earliest feature-length Charlie Chaplin films. Once again his famous character, The Tramp, has to deal with the ever changing and ever challenging world while still retaining good humour and a stiff upper lip about it. This time he faces the most heinous of challenges: parenthood!The film is rather similar to so many other Chaplin classics. Because let's face it, they're all the same. Tramp does something funny, Tramp faces a challenge, rinse and repeat as needed, a happy ending. The central conflict always changes, but the general structure remains the same. That being said, there are several good things going for this film. I really like Jackie Coogan as the eponymous kid, for example. The boy has charisma and it tickles my fancy that years later he ended up playing Uncle Fester in the original Addams family TV series. You can sort of see it even here.It's also notable that most of the humour segments serve the story. This is quite often not the case with Chaplin films, or with silent era comedies in general. There is one segment near the end that's purely there just for slapstick and funny situations, but for the most part all the humour also drives the plot forward. Which I really like.Not the best Chaplin film I've seen, but easily in the Top 5.
Antonius Block Charlie Chaplin and little Jackie Coogan are delightful in this film, which has a tramp (ahem, The Tramp) finding a baby who has been abandoned by its mother. There are several funny and endearing scenes, including the two of them running a scam whereby Coogan breaks windows by throwing rocks at them, runs off as fast as his little legs can carry him, and then Chaplin is Johnny-on-the-spot to repair them. Another has Coogan getting into a fight with another boy, leading to Chaplin getting into a fight with his (very large, seemingly padded) older brother. Things get sad and pull the heartstrings when the city comes to take Coogan away to an orphan asylum, and it's interesting that the film touches on the rights of an adoptive parent ("are you his father?").The extended dream sequence towards the end is strange and creative, and I was quite surprised to read later that Lita Grey, who plays the 'flirtatious angel' in that sequence, was only 12 years old at the time. Three years later, when Chaplin (aged 35) had an affair with her (if you call having sex with a 15 year old 'having an affair'), she got pregnant, and the pair married in Mexico. The marriage would only last four years, and Chaplin would divorce her amidst scandal and an enormous alimony payment. I digress. 'The Kid' is a charming film, though a little thin in its plot, and quite brisk at 53 minutes.
shadow_blade-89459 "The Kid" (1921) is an innovative classic. The film is about a tramp, played by Charlie Chaplin, who takes in a child, played by Jackie Coogan, abandoned by his mother, played by Edna Purviance, as they scheme and plot to survive the slums. This movie is Charlie Chaplin's first feature length film and it does not disappoint.Charlie Chaplin, well known for his slap stick comedies, stayed true to form while adding emotional drama and a hint of comedic subtlety. His shot sequencing and cuts are purposeful and direct. Unlike, some films of the same era, the mind is constantly engaged. The wonder of what is going to happen next is timely fulfilled with well-timed transitions.This movie was a very well put together piece with a strong, captivating story. I have never been a huge fan of silent films, but this film changed my opinion and can do the same for any audience.