A DAY’S PLEASURE

(director/writer: Charles Chaplin; cinematographer: Roland Totheroh; editor: Charles Chaplin; music: Charles Chaplin,Composed for 1971 re-release); cast: Charles Chaplin (Father), Edna Purviance (Mother), Jackie Coogan (Smallest Boy); Runtime: 18; MPAA Rating: NR; producer: Charles Chaplin; Image Entertainment; 1919-silent)

“The film lacked Charlie’s usual social commentary and relied totally on sight gags, which never registered as funny.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

Charles Chaplin (“The Kid”/”Monsieur Verdoux “/”Limelight”) goes out of his Tramp character for this less than sterling comedy short. It has Charlie as a middle-class family man, married to Edna Purviance. Things go wrong for Charlie when he takes the wife and two kids on a boat excursion and trip by car. Charlie’s attempt to give his family a day out go awry because of his run-down car. The film lacked Charlie’s usual social commentary and relied totally on sight gags, which never registered as funny. One has a black musician on the boat turn white when seasick.

The film was a box office hit upon its release, but today goes as one of the comic’s poorer shorts. It was a rushed film shot in seven days on an excursion steamer in Los Angeles’ San Pedro harbor.

REVIEWED ON 8/2/2008 GRADE: C+  https://dennisschwartzreviews.com/