The immigrant

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Movie
German title The immigrant
Original title The immigrant
Country of production United States
Publishing year 1917
length 24 minutes
Rod
Director Charles Chaplin
script Charles Chaplin,
Vincent Bryant ,
Maverick Terrell
production Charles Chaplin,
Harry P. Caulfield ,
John Jasper
camera Roland Totheroh
cut Charles Chaplin
occupation

The Immigrant (Original title: The Immigrant ) is an American comedy film from 1917 . In this short film, Charles Chaplin embodies his famous character, the nameless vagabond . The film premiered in the United States on June 17, 1917. In Germany, the film was first shown in an eighty-minute compilation with five other short films under the title Lachen forbidden on December 10, 1954. In 1998 the film was entered into the National Film Registry .

action

A steamer crosses the Atlantic Ocean . On board are emigrants destined for the United States. One of the nameless immigrants spends the time eating and playing cards and avoiding seasick fellow travelers. He meets a woman who wants to travel to the States with her sick mother. He feels sorry for the destitute women and secretly puts his winnings from the card game in the woman's handbag. Unfortunately, he is seen doing this and accused of pickpocketing. However, the woman can clarify the facts and testify to the man's innocence. The two stayed together until their arrival in America.

The man later roams the streets poor and hungry. He finds a coin and goes to a restaurant. There he orders beans. Here he meets his friend from the ship and learns that her mother has died. He also orders a meal for the woman. During the meal they become aware of the stocky head waiter. With a couple of other waiters, he takes out a guest who doesn't have enough money for his bill.

The intimidated man looks at his coin, but is horrified to find that it has disappeared through a hole in his pocket. But while he is planning the feared fight with the waiter, he finds another coin on the floor. He gives the coin to the waiter, but the waiter regards it as a forgery. Again the man mentally prepares for a fight with the waiter. But he is interrupted by an artist who wants to employ him and the woman as models. The two accept, the painter also wants to settle the bill for the two. But out of shame, the man refuses. The painter pays his own bill and puts a tip on the table for the waiter. The man realizes that the tip would be enough for his bill. He manages to take the tip without the painter noticing and gives the waiter the money. Now he leaves the change, a small coin, as a tip for the waiter. In front of a registry office he promises marriage to the shy and hesitant woman and finally carries the laughing woman into the office.

criticism

David Robinson describes the film in his book Chaplin: His Life, His Art as "a comic masterpiece whose ironic and satirical qualities are still there after 70 years."

background

A scene in the film in which Chaplin kicks an immigration officer was taken as evidence of Chaplin's anti-Americanism. At the beginning of the McCarthy era , he traveled to London for the world premiere of his film Spotlight . He was banned from returning to the United States following a "subversive activity" trial brought by the then FBI chief , J. Edgar Hoover .

Edna Purviance was Chaplin's preferred leading actress at the time: No other woman appeared as often (35 times) in Chaplin's films as she did. The Scot Eric Campbell was also often seen in Chaplin's films; He played Chaplin's evil counterpart a total of 11 times. This film was his penultimate. Henry Bergman played repeatedly in Chaplin's films until 1936, after which he was hired as a production assistant for the film The Great Dictator .

Web links

Commons : The Immigrant  - Collection of Pictures, Videos and Audio Files

literature

  • David Robinson: Chaplin. His life, his art (= Diogenes-Taschenbuch. 22571). Diogenes-Verlag, Zurich 1993, ISBN 3-257-22571-7 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Laura Boyes: Three Short Films written, directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin: Easy Street (1917), The Immigrant (1917), A Dog's Life (1918). moviediva.com, January 2004, accessed January 8, 2014 .