|
Roland Totheroh
Roland Herbert Totheroh (November 29, 1890 – June 18, 1967) was an American cinematographer most notable for being the regular cameraman on the films of Charlie Chaplin. He worked with Chaplin from 1915 until the 1940s in over 30 films. He was often billed as Rollie Totheroh. Biography He was born in San Francisco, California, on November 29, 1890, to John Edgar Totheroh and Emma Gertrude Ashman. His brother was the writer Dan Totheroh (1894-1976). He began his film career at the Essanay Film Manufacturing Company. He married and had a son, actor Jack Totheroh (1914-2011). He died on June 18, 1967, in Los Angeles, California. Legacy Totheroh was portrayed in the film ''Chaplin'' by David Duchovny. Selected filmography : ''* indicates a non-Chaplin film.'' * ''The Floorwalker'' (1916 short) (with William C. Foster) * '' The Fireman'' (1916 short) (with William C. Foster) * '' The Vagabond'' (1916 short) (with William C. Foster) * '' One A.M.'' (1916 short) (with William ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Great Dictator
''The Great Dictator'' is a 1940 American political satire black comedy film written, directed, produced by, and starring Charlie Chaplin. Having been the only Hollywood filmmaker to continue to make silent films well into the period of sound films, Chaplin made this his first true sound film. Chaplin's film advanced a stirring condemnation of the German and Italian dictators Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini, as well as fascism, antisemitism, and Nazism. At the time of its first release, the United States was still at peace with Nazi Germany and neutral during what were the early days of World War II. Chaplin plays both leading roles: a ruthless fascist dictator and a persecuted Jewish barber. ''The Great Dictator'' was popular with audiences, becoming Chaplin's most commercially successful film. Modern critics have praised it as a historically significant film, one of the greatest comedy films ever made and an important work of satire. In 1997, it was selected by the Library ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Count (film)
''The Count'' is Charlie Chaplin's fifth film for Mutual Film Corporation in 1916. Released on September 4, it co-starred Eric Campbell and Edna Purviance. Plot The tailor's handyman burns a count's trousers while ironing them and is fired. His superior discovers a note explaining the count can't attend a party, and dresses up like one to take his place. Chaplin also goes to the residence hosting the party, but runs into the tailor. They both then struggle to win the fair maiden, Miss Moneybags. Soon, Charlie is distracted by a gypsy girl and the tailor must fend off other suitors. The real Count finally arrives, learns of the imposters and calls the police. Chaplin makes a mad dash through the party and scampers away to safety. Cast * Charlie Chaplin - Tailor's apprentice * Edna Purviance - Miss Moneybags * Eric Campbell - Tailor * Leo White - Count Broko * Charlotte Mineau - Mrs. Moneybags * Albert Austin - Tall Guest * John Rand - Guest * Leota Bryan - Young Girl * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Kid (1921 Film)
''The Kid'' is a 1921 American silent comedy-drama film written, produced, directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin, and features Jackie Coogan as his foundling baby, adopted son and sidekick. This was Chaplin's first full-length film as a director. It was a huge success and was the second-highest-grossing film in 1921. Now considered one of the greatest films of the silent era, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2011. Plot With much anguish, an unwed mother abandons her child, placing him in an expensive automobile with a handwritten note: "Please love and care for this orphan child". Two thieves steal the car and leave the baby in an alley, where he is found by The Tramp. After some attempts to hand off the child to various passers-by, he finds the note and his heart melts. He takes the boy home, names him John and adjusts his household furniture for him. Meanwhile, the Mother has a change of heart and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
A Day's Pleasure
''A Day's Pleasure'' (1919) is Charlie Chaplin's fourth film for First National Films. It was created at the Chaplin Studio. It was a quickly made two-reeler to help fill a gap while working on his first feature '' The Kid''. It is about a day outing with his wife and the kids and things do not go smoothly. Edna Purviance plays Chaplin's wife and Jackie Coogan one of the kids. The first scene shows the Chaplin Studio corner office in the background while Chaplin tries to get his car started. Plot summary After an initial scene featuring a Ford which is extremely reluctant to start, most of the action takes place on an excursion ferry. Gags revolve around seasickness, which Charlie, a fat couple, and even the boat's all-black ragtime band succumb to, deckchairs, and Charlie's comic pugnacity. This is followed by a scene of the family returning home, and encountering trouble at an intersection, which involves a traffic cop, and hot tar. Cast * Charlie Chaplin as Father * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Professor (1919 Film)
''The Professor'' is a 1919 American silent comedy film made at the Chaplin Studios for the First National film company starring Charlie Chaplin. However, the film was never released or even completed. Chaplin abandoned production after finishing only one sequence: a single reel. Chaplin appears not as his usual Tramp character but as "Professor Bosco", a slovenly showman who brings his flea circus with him when staying at a flophouse. The fleas get loose during the night and create havoc. The surviving film is included in ''Unknown Chaplin'' and on the Criterion Collection ''Limelight'' Blu-ray and DVD release. Cast * Charlie Chaplin - Professor Bosco * Albert Austin - Man in flophouse * Henry Bergman - Bearded man in flophouse * Loyal Underwood - Flophouse proprietor * Tom Wilson - Man in flophouse * Tom Wood - Fat man in flophouse See also * List of American films of 1919 * '' Her Friend the Bandit'' - a 1914 lost film co-directed by Chaplin and Mabel Normand Amabel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sunnyside (1919 Film)
''Sunnyside'' is a 1919 American short silent film written by, directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin. It was his third film for First National Pictures. Plot Charlie works on a farm from 4 a.m. until late at night at the run-down Evergreen Hotel in the rural village of Sunnyside. He has endless duties inside the hotel as well as farm chores to undertake. Chaplin's boss is the local preacher who mistreats him badly. He gets his food and the boss' on the run (milking a cow into his coffee, holding a chicken over the frying pan to get fried eggs). Charlie has to lead the cows to an upper pasture on a Sunday. He wanders off-road on a dusty corner and loses the cows. They materialise in the village: mainly in the church. Charlie rides a longhorn out of the church and falls off as they cross a bridge. In his daze he sees dancing nymphs. His boss kicks him all the way home. Charlie's love interest in the village is the girl played by Edna Purviance. He loves her, but is disliked by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shoulder Arms
''Shoulder Arms'' is Charlie Chaplin's second film for First National Pictures. Released in 1918, it is a silent comedy film set in France during World War I, the first of three films he made on the subject of war. It co-starred Edna Purviance and Sydney Chaplin, Chaplin's elder brother. In this film, Chaplin is never in his Little Tramp outfit. Plot Some time during World War I, Doughboy (Charlie Chaplin) begins his service in the war among "the awkward squad" a group of American soldiers. He is bow-legged, unbalanced, and uncoordinated during bootcamp in contrast to the other soldiers who all have excellent coordination. He does move on to the front in France though, among the shells and trenches, and bunks among comrades ( Sydney Chaplin). Doughboy is charged with guard duty and begins daydreaming of bars, cities, and home before being dismissed back to his bunk. News/mail for soldiers is brought out for the soldiers, but there is nothing for Doughboy. Though his fello ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
A Dog's Life (1918 Film)
''A Dog's Life'' is a 1918 American Short film, short silent film written, produced and directed by Charlie Chaplin. This was Chaplin's first film for First National Pictures. It was part of a then groundbreaking $1 million contract. It was for a total of eight 3 reel short silent films. Chaplin plays opposite an animal as "co-star". "Scraps" (the dog) was the hero in this film, as he helps Charlie and Edna towards a better life. Edna Purviance plays a dance hall singer and Charlie Chaplin, The Tramp. Sydney Chaplin (Chaplin's brother) had a small role in this film; this was the first time the two brothers were on screen together. Charles Lapworth (journalist), Charles Lapworth, a former newspaper editor who had met Chaplin when he interviewed him, took a role as a consultant on the film. Plot Charlie is jobless and has few prospects for employment. He tries to steal food from a lunch cart and is nearly caught by a police officer, avoiding arrest by doing some fancy rolling ba ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Adventurer (1917 Film)
''The Adventurer'' is an American short comedy film made in 1917 written and directed by Charlie Chaplin, and is the last of the twelve films made under contract for the Mutual Film Corporation. Plot The police are hunting for an escaped convict (Charlie Chaplin) who has cleverly eluded the guards so far. One officer ( Henry Bergman) is told to guard the beach in case he comes within sight again. However, unbeknownst to the officer, Charlie is actually buried under sand next to him. Fully aware of the danger, he is very cautious regarding his escape. He unburies himself very cautiously, however, Bergman is asleep, and he falls back on the hole which Charlie created while un-burying himself. Of course, Charlie makes a run, but it is too late. The officer fires, missing Charlie by an inch. Charlie hurriedly climbs up a vertical wall of mud and stone, and the officer chases after him. Charlie, however, finishes Bergman off by throwing a rock at him. In vain, he shoots, but ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Immigrant (1917 Film)
''The Immigrant'' is a 1917 American silent romantic comedy short written and directed by Charlie Chaplin. The film stars Chaplin's Tramp character as an immigrant coming to the United States who is accused of theft on the voyage across the Atlantic Ocean and falls in love with a beautiful young woman along the way. It also stars Edna Purviance and Eric Campbell. According to Kevin Brownlow and David Gill's documentary series '' Unknown Chaplin'', the first scenes to be written and filmed take place in what became the movie's second half, in which the penniless Tramp finds a coin and goes for a meal in a restaurant, not realizing that the coin has fallen out of his pocket. It was not until later that Chaplin's Tramp was penniless because he had just arrived on a boat from Europe and used this notion as the basis for the first half. Purviance reportedly was required to eat so many plates of beans during the many takes to complete the restaurant sequence (in character as anot ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Cure (1917 Film)
''The Cure'' is a 1917 short comedy film written and directed by Charlie Chaplin. The plot revolves around alcohol, being made just prior to prohibition but during a period where the politicians were debating the evils of alcohol. Synopsis Chaplin plays a drunkard who is attending a hydropathic hotel, presumably to dry out, but brings along a big suitcase full of alcohol. He gets trapped in a spinning revolving door then traps the foot of a large man with a bandaged foot, suffering from gout. He encounters a beautiful young woman and sits between her and a man who keeps offering him the spa water (which he keeps pouring away). The girl encourages him to stop drinking. He meets the big man again who tries to get the hotel manager to throw him out. Instead he gets taken for a Turkish massage. When the hotel owner learns employees are getting drunk from Charlie's liquor, he orders one man to throw the liquor out. The drunk employee hurls the bottles through the window, straight in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Easy Street (1917 Film)
''Easy Street'' is a 1917 short action-comedy film starring and directed by Charlie Chaplin. Plot In a slum area called Easy Street, the police are failing to maintain law and order. The Tramp, The Little Tramp, a down-and-out derelict, is sleeping rough outside the Home mission society, Hope Mission near the streets of a lawless slum. The sounds of a service in progress draws him wearily inside. After the sermon from the preacher, he is entranced by a beautiful mission worker and organist and he stays after the service. Holding his hand, she pleads him to join the mission, inspiring his religious "awakening". He vows to reform, returning the collection box that he slipped into capacious pants. Spotting a help-wanted ad for a job at the police station, the Tramp accepts and is assigned the rough-and-tumble Easy Street as his beat (police), beat. Upon entering the street he finds a bully roughing up the locals and pilfering their money. The Tramp gets on the wrong side of the b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
