Though there are very few sights funnier than Charlie Chaplin throwing a brick at a woman he's trying to woo, this is a pretty poor film. There are only a few laughs throughout the film, and in terms of plot and jokes it's pretty substandard. For film historians and buffs: worth seeing, otherwise: avoid.
shareI agree. I am a Chaplin fan but I hated this movie. I found very little humor in it, and I felt like it really drug along. To me, one mark of a good comedy is that when it ends, I wish there was still more. This is one that couldn't end soon enough for me.
shareI was also rather underwhelmed by it. Not nearly as funny as Chaplin's later movies (Modern Times and The Gold Rush are among my favorite movies,) with only a few good humorous moments.
Not terrible, but not all that good either.
Note: The above comments are exclusively my opinion.
---Respect---
I agree that this film doesn't hold up at all well, but I wouldn't lump it with Chaplin's own movies because Chaplin didn't write or direct Tillie's Punctured Romance-- Mack Sennett did. Chaplin (still in his first year in the movies) was hired only as an actor, and of course the villainous role he was given to play here is very different from the Little Tramp of later years.
Marie Dressler was the bigger star--in every sense of the phrase--when this movie was made. She created the role of "Tillie" on stage, and basically just repeated her stage performance for the cameras. She's way over the top, but kind of fascinating.
So, anyhow: no, it's not very good but it was never a 'Chaplin movie' in the first place.
There was very little humor, and for it being a short film (by today's standards) it seemed to drag on. Ok, but not exceptional.
shareJust watch it at 1.25 speed...then it's a lot better.
shareNo, it is no master piece at all, but I liked some of the scenes, like when Tillie takes her first drink.
Yeah..
Wasn't nearly as good as The Rink... And it did seem longer then it's 72 min running time. But I still love Chaplin.
Trust me,
Swan
My main problem with this movie is Marie Dressler. I just don't like her. Not just her character but her acting. This was mainly a vehicle for her.
There were some funny moments but nothing that actually made me laugh out loud. For me, Mabel Normand made this movie watchable as I love her and thought she was adorable in this movie.
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My main problem with this movie is Marie Dressler. I just don't like her. Not just her character but her acting. This was mainly a vehicle for her.
There were some funny moments but nothing that actually made me laugh out loud. For me, Mabel Normand made this movie watchable as I love her and thought she was adorable in this movie.
Don't tell me what to avoid when it comes to silent movies. Each one has historical value and is therefore valuable. If I had listened to your "advice", I would've never discovered this funny silent movie made at the infancy of moving pictures. I have to disagree with all of you and say that this movie was very engaging!
shareIt wasn't too great. I didn't much get into Marie Dressler either, but I understand it was her first time in a movie.
However, it's worth watching for the historical significance alone, and you get some laughs.
"I know you're in there, Fagerstrom!"-Conan O'Brien
It's not so bad. I see it as a "greatest hits" of the Keystone Studios in 1914 (with the significant exception of Roscoe Arbuckle not appearing in it). Mabel Normand was a very beautiful comedienne, and far more talented than the Robert Downey Jr. biopic of Chaplin would have us believe. True, Marie Dressler is really not funny in this film, but Chaplin and Mabel and other characters make up for her. And there's even a scene featuring the Keystone Cops. I'd recommend giving it a shot.
shareYou have to keep in mind that vaudeville acting required over the top gestures so people in the back could see what was going on. I think Dressler does fine as a country bumpkin - especially the really stupid looking hat she's wearing.
Also keep in mind that this was the first attempt at a feature length comedy, something much more difficult to pull off than a 7 - 15 minute short.
I just rewatched this again yesterday on TCM, Chaplin's birthday was last week. I can't grasp your comment about a movie made nearly 100 years ago. I can only appreciate the fact that taste in movies have changed in 100 years, but I would not discount the signifigance of this movie. I appreciate what people found funny in 1914, it was the physical kick in the pants. I think Chaplin is outstanding and so is Mabel Normand. The plot IS A 1914 plot, the would shot using out door light for god sake, it was 1914. Appreciate this movie for the piece of time it preserves.
shareWell, to chip in my $0.02 worth, I found Miss Dressler quite funny. The continual repitition of the kick in the tuckus, not so much, but for me she repeatedly upstaged Chaplin and his early edition of the Tramp.
As for her mugging it up, hey, this IS a broad slapstick comedy, so you have to judge it like that. Criticizing her performance as being "too over the top" is similar to saying that the movie doesn't work as a murder mystery. "Over the top" is de rigeur in a movie like this; EVERYBODY plays their part over the top.
It was pretty good for 1914. Nice to see a movie made ages ago. It's a miracle that it was preserved.
I enjoyed this film quite a bit. Chaplin seems a bit more spontaneous than he does in any other film I've seen with him—probably because he isn't directing and therefore isn't filming scenes over and over to get them right. Marie Dressler is marvelously over-the-top. Mabel Normand is, as always, charming and amusing.
My main trouble with the film was the print. The one I have is good and has a fine score. But there are an outrageous number of jumps. There seem to be a few frames missing every thirty seconds. This badly interferes with the timing of the gags. I was amused the whole way through, but I hardly laughed at all.
Sadly, as far as I know, there is no perfectly preserved print out there. This film wouldn't rival The Kid or The Gold Rush in any condition, but I think movie fans would think much more highly of it if it were completely intact.
...Justin Glory be, Delbert, you should eat! You're a count, for God's sake!
I was amused the whole way through, but I hardly laughed at all.
I think it's a wonderful movie brimming with funny, creative slapstick comedy. Dressler and Chaplin are a great comedy team, and Normand is lovely. We're lucky to still have this priceless film.
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