Sidney Chaplin Movies

The talent Syd Chaplin once again proves that he was much, much more than merely Charlie Chaplin's brother in The Missing Link. This time Syd plays Arthur Wells, the valet to famed scientist-explorer Lord Dryden (Crauford Kent). Terribly shy around women, Dryden trades places with Arthur for social purposes. As a result, our hero, who's deathly afraid of animals, is called upon to head an expedition into darkest Africa in search of "the missing link." Though the "African" settings are patently phony, Syd Chaplin's buffoonery more than compensates for any production shortcomings. Original prints of The Missing Link were outfitted with a Vitaphone musical score, arranged by the extremely busy Erno Rapee. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Sydney Chaplin, the talented brother (and business manger) of Charlie Chaplin, had scored a hit in the female-impersonation comedy Charley's Aunt, prompting Warner Bros. to cast him in another "drag" epic, Oh! What a Nurse. Chaplin is cast as newspaper reporter Jerry Clark, who falls in love with June Harrison (Patsy Ruth Miller), only to lose her to fortune-hunting Clive Hurst (Gayne Whitman). Knowing that June is devoted to his paper's advice-to-the-lovelorn column, Jerry disguises himself as that column's female author, hoping to dissuade his sweetheart from marrying Clive. Circumstances dictate that Jerry continue his femme masquerade as a hired nurse, leading to one slapstick complication after another. The climax finds our hero posing as yet another woman, this one the head of a bootlegging gang. Oh! What a Nurse was an enormous success, playing to SRO crowds for several weeks. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Sydney Chaplin -- older brother of Charles Chaplin -- specialized in films in which his character wound up dressing in drag at some point during the picture. This comedy, very loosely adapted from the novel by Harold McGrath, was released not long after Chaplin appeared in the very successful Charley's Aunt. Bob Warburton (Chaplin) is financing an invention by Lampton (Theodore Lorch), which both the government and foreign powers are anxious to get. But Lampton becomes convinced that Warburton is having an affair with his wife (Kathleen Calhoun). Warburton is forced to flee and poses as a groom for Betty Annesly (Alice Calhoun). To keep his eye on the foreign emissaries, he disguises himself as a French maid. Eventually Warburton is able to save the plans for the invention, unmask the spies (one of whom is played by the film's director, Charles "Chuck" Reisner) and, of course, win Betty's heart. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

For quite a few years during the 1920s, Colleen Moore was the perfect flapper personified, and the title to this light comedy cashes in on that. (Of course, Moore eventually became bored with one-dimensional flapper roles and demanded something more serious -- unfortunately the resulting film, So Big, didn't do anywhere near as much box office as her comedies.) Tommie Lou Pember (Moore) doesn't start off as a perfect flapper -- in fact she's anything but. She's a sweet, old-fashioned girl who is quite disappointed because so few friends show up at her costume party. But things liven up when one of the boys pours some illicit hooch into the punch. Dick Trayle, Tommie's brother-in-law (Sidney Chaplin, Charles Chaplin's talented half-brother), innocently shares a few glasses with her and soon they are off in their Romeo and Juliet costumes, playing the balcony scene at the local roadhouse. This causes quite a scandal and infuriates Mrs. Trayle, Tommie's sister (Phyllis Haver). To stop the talk, Tommie suggests that the family lawyer, Reed Andrews (Frank Mayo), pretend to be her sweetheart. Tommie actually is in love with Andrews, and she believes the way to catch him is to behave like a flapper. But Andrews is put off by her frivolous, irreverent behavior and tells her so. Tommie is devastated by his words, but he discovers that she is really the old-fashioned girl we saw at the film's beginning and they are united. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Marshall Neilan's fame as a director of quality films was at its peak during the period this romantic melodrama was made. Because he married without the czar's consent, Prince Sergei (Richard Travers) is banished to Siberia. After having a baby girl, Sergei's wife dies. His enemies have ordered his death, so Sergei has to flee Siberia, leaving his child in the care of Vassily (Emmett Corrigan), who raises her as his own. By the time the girl, Vera, has grown to young womanhood (to be played by Lucille Rickson), the revolution has occurred and Godunoff, a Cossack brigand (Elmo Lincoln, best known as cinema's first Tarzan) declares himself governor of the province. Soldiers are sent to Siberia, among them American Walter Stanford (Conrad Nagel), who falls in love with Vera. When he is ordered back to the States, he leaves Vera in the care of his friend, Winkie, a British sergeant (Sydney Chaplin, in a bit of comic relief). Godunoff tosses Vassily in prison and forces Vera to marry him. His brutal treatment of her makes her deaf. Stanford comes back for Vera, and Godunoff heads for the shrine which is their meeting place. Vera innocently locks the door on him, not realizing that this will mean his death. With him out of the way, she is able to sail for America with Stanford. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Charlie Chaplin's last two reeler recalls earlier comedies such as the Essanay Work, with Chaplin casting himself as a worker rather than a Tramp, but the film shows great advances in film technique. Chaplin is a construction worker, who arrives late for work, bringing a flower as peace offering for his boss, Mack Swain. As a ditch digger, Chaplin leaves something to be desired, but as a brick catcher, he's amazing, due to a very clever reverse action scene.

Lunchtime brings Swain's daughter, Edna Purviance with his lunch and Chaplin seems smitten. He has no lunch, but is lucky enough to partake of some of his co-workers' food due to a very active work elevator, which they all seem to use as a sideboard.

It's pay day and Chaplin argues about his wages, despite being overpaid. His battleaxe wife Phyllis Allen (in their first re-teaming since the Keystone days) shows up at the end of the workday to collect his wages, some of which he's able to retain despite her efforts.

That night, Chaplin and his co-workers go drinking and are quite looped at the end of the evening - bellicose but songful. In a rare night time photography scene, Chaplin tries to catch the last streetcar home but is pushed out one end when huge Henry Bergman pushes his way on at the other. In his drunkenness Chaplin boards a hot dog cart, thinking it's another streetcar, holding onto a suspended salami as a hand strap.

Arriving home at daybreak, Chaplin has just started undressing for bed when the alarm clock rings, waking the wife. Pretending to leave for work, he tries to settle down to sleep in the bathtub, but is caught and sent out to work by his nagging mate.

Payday began life as Come Seven, a story about two rich plumbers. Production was interrupted by Chaplin's trip to Europe after only eight scenes were photographed. ~ Phil Posner, All Movie Guide

This short promotional film Charlie Chaplin made for the U.S. Liberty Loan bond campaign was shot in a few days during the shooting of Shoulder Arms. Using rather stark, expressionistic sets and props, it tells the story of the various types of bonds between people. The bond of friendship, shows Chaplin meeting friend Albert Austin who tells him jokes, borrows money, then invites him for a drink with the money he's borrowed. The bond of love is represented by Charlie and Edna, who are struck by cupid's arrows and soon enter into the bond of matrimony. But the "most important of all" is the Liberty Bond. Edna is Miss Liberty, threatened by the Kaiser who has subdued a soldier in uniform. Charlie is seen buying bonds from Uncle Sam who gives the money in turn to a worker, who gives guns to a soldier and sailor. Finally, Charlie KOs the Kaiser with a mallet inscribed "Liberty Bonds" and extorts the audience to help the cause. ~ Phil Posner, All Movie Guide

Shoulder Arms was Charlie Chaplin's final contribution to the World War I effort, along with his personal appearances selling Liberty Bonds and his film The Bond. It was released shortly before the end of the war, and Chaplin made prints available to soldiers fighting overseas, for which he was lauded for cheering the severely tested troops. Charlie is a member of the "Awkward Squad" and we first see him being put through his paces in training camp. He has problems with making a proper about-face and with marching, his out-turned feet, constantly annoying his drill sergeant. Exhausted after a hard drill, he collapses on his cot.

"Over there," somewhere in France, the troops are engaged in trench warfare, and Chaplin gives the audience a hilarious view on the difficulties experienced by the troops -- flooded quarters (which he shares with a sergeant played by brother Sydney Chaplin), constant shelling, sniping and homesickness. In a touching scene, a mail-less Charlie reads a letter from home over the shoulder of another soldier and on his face we can see his emotional reactions to the good and bad news that the soldier reads. Charlie is sent over the top and ends up capturing a squad of German soldiers single-handedly. His next foray, in the guise of a tree, provides a wonderful look at Chaplin's pantomime talents as he "becomes" a tree each time the enemy soldiers approach. Escaping the enemy squad he hides in a bombed-out house where a French girl, Edna Purviance, lives. She discovers him in her bed and tends to his wounds. Soon they're beset by the enemy squad, searching for Charlie. In the chase, they collapse the rickety house and Charlie escapes, but Edna is arrested for aiding the enemy.

Meanwhile Charlie's sergeant buddy is captured while attempting to telegraph information on the enemy to the allied camp. Edna and Sydney are both brought to the enemy headquarters and Edna is threatened by the evil commandant. Charlie, sneaking down the chimney of the commandant's house, rescues Edna from his advances and locks him in a closet. At that moment the Kaiser, Crown Prince and their General arrive at the camp. Charlie, rushing to the closet, takes the commandant's uniform and impersonates him. Taking charge of Edna and escorting her outside, he is recognized by his captive buddy, and the three of them overcome and restrain the Kaiser's driver and guards and replace them. When the Kaiser and the others enter the limousine, the allies drive them off to the American camp, where Charlie is hailed as a hero and is hoisted on the shoulders of his comrades. But it was all a dream - in classic Chaplinesque-style Charlie is shaken awake by his drill sergeant -- still in boot camp! ~ Phil Posner, All Movie Guide

Although better known as Charlie Chaplin's 17th appearance in a Keystone comedy, The Knockout is really a Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle film. The big event in Fatty's town is a prizefight in which champ Cyclone Flynn will meet all comers. Fatty is tricked into accepting the fight by two hobos who are making book on the fight. Through a note ostensibly from Flynn, they offer Fatty a split if he throws the fight, but Fatty, thinking one of the hobos is Flynn, refuses. The real Flynn arrives and dispatches the impostors. The match proceeds with heavy betting going on and Fatty's girlfriend dressed as a boy in order to gain entrance to the arena. Charlie is the referee who is constantly being knocked down by the fighters because he keeps getting in between them. Angered by losing after a short count, Fatty grabs two six-guns from a gambler at ringside and begins firing in all directions. Cyclone takes to his heels and a classic rooftop Keystone chase ensues, with the Keystone Kops in pursuit of Fatty, in pursuit of Cyclone. When the Kops lasso Fatty, he drags six of them along the ground by the rope until he leaps off a pier taking them all with him. With everyone treading water, the Kops surround Fatty as the film ends. ~ Phil Posner, All Movie Guide