The Circus and The Gold Rush were run on the same night...a night I was certain would be the greatest night ever as those are both wonderful films. The Circus made me laugh so hard I almost peed myself the first time I watched it, and The Gold Rush warmed my heart so much it was felt for days. Unfortunately circumstances made sure that well...the magic would be ruined in the least.
"Hey honey we have a squealing crying 6 month old baby...I think I know what will calm him down...let's take him to that Charlie Chaplin screening tonight!" "Oh honey you are just so brilliant!"
Yes that really happened. Well I don't know if the conversation did but yes someone really had the balls to bring a very young baby to a movie...a silent movie. I've seen people bring young children before and usually I was right in my fears it would not go well (except one kid at a Keaton screening; he laughed harder than everyone God bless him!) I wouldn't take a 6 year old to any normal theatre at 7pm, why do it for a special artistic screening? Idjit.
Naturally the baby had the squeal and moan about half way through The Circus. Thankfully it shut up after that. You know how everyone feels about the kid in "The Pilgrim"? That's how I, and probably half the theatre, felt that night. Poor kid, stupid parents.
It did pull me out of the experience a bit...but I got over it. The Circus is almost legendary in the Chaplin canon. It won him a special Oscar (as everyone felt he was going to win by a mile and thus was removed from the general competition) and became one of the highest grossing silents of all time. Yet it took almost 2 years to make due to many problems in Chaplin's life including the death of his beloved mother and the scandalous ending of his marriage to Lita Grey. Grey didn't go out easy, she slandered him left and right in the press. Rumor has it his hair went gray after that ordeal. Oh and there was a fire that destroyed the set. You know...the usual stuff.
The Ladies
The Circus is interesting to me as it is very different than many of Chaplin's other features. The Tramp is almost meaner in this film than any other feature. The theme is almost like the 'hurt nerd triad' if you mix it with The Gold Rush and City Lights. The Gold Rush shows a man hopelessly in love with a girl he can never get, a girl who breaks his heart for fun but he does eventually end up winning in either version of the film. In City Lights he could pretty much have the girl, but circumstance won't allow. In The Circus he very well could have the girl, but feels he couldn't, so he steps aside...kind of.
I wanted to explore this in "The Gold Rush" but its as good here as it would be there. I would like to know where exactly poor Chaplin came up with such resounding portrayals of men who could not get the girl. He entered film at 25, and was in the prime of his life during the prime of his career. Though the Tramp isn't exactly Valentino, Chaplin was quite handsome out of costume. His sexual exploits were legendary and well, we just won't go into that here. He had a thing for young women, and could usually get them. He dated and married a slew of gorgeous women, with very little complaint (at least until the divorces). Where in God's name did he come up with such deep stirring portrayals of a man who could not have the girl? In real life he could have any girl!
Maybe it was commentary on his disastrous marriages, which were usually disastrous because he rushed into them with women too young to make good decisions. But while those divorces played out he had another slew of gorgeous fawning women on his arm. Maybe it was the eternal playing out of his lost idyllic love Hetty Kelly. Or maybe he just couldn't always get his way like one would assume (according to Chaplin Mabel Normand turned him down several times.) Whatever it was he touched on something deep, and if you ever want to relive to the deepest parts of your psyche (male or female) just put on one of those 3 films.
Plot Summary
The Circus is quite interesting in this respect. Chaplin's Tramp is as poor as ever (sneaking hot dogs from unsuspecting toddlers in a hilarious opening scene) and while being chased by police he accidentally crashes a circus and brings down the house. The evil circus owner offers to give him a tryout, but finds he's not very funny. He's kicked out and told not to come back.
Meanwhile the Tramp has met the star attraction, the stepdaughter of the evil circus owner (who likes to beat her). In a huge break from his other films the Tramp actually yells at her when he meets her; she stole his bread (her father had forbidden her from eating dinner for not performing well enough the night before.) However he feels bad and sneaks her a boiled egg before his tryout.
After failing his tryout he doesn't have the heart to tell her, and she excitedly runs off to perform. He stands outside looking through a hole in the tent to watch her. Apparently the stagehands are striking, and the Tramp is offered the job on the spot. He gladly accepts. His first duty is to carry a stack of plates, which he promptly messes up and again interrupts the show (and again brings down the house.) Realizing his appeal the Circus owner hires him, but orders that he be kept in the dark as to why he's actually working there.
The Tramp falls madly in love with the girl, and she lets slip (not knowing she's let anything slip) he's the reason the house is packed every night. He immediately orders a raise and demands the stepfather no longer treat her like shit. His wishes are granted and all seems well.
One night the girl gets her fortune read. She's told she'll marry a 'dark handsome man' who is 'close to her'. The Tramp overhears this and goes insane with happiness. He buys a pinky ring off one of the clowns intending to ask her to marry him. She leaves the room and when she comes back she tells the fortune teller 'its happened!'...only she means the sexy tightrope walker she just met.
The Tramp is devastated and has literal fantasies about beating the shit out of the poor unsuspecting guy. He vows to learn to tightrope walking just like the guy so he can impress the Girl. Things happen and the owner demands he walks the tightrope one night when the usual guy is late. He agrees to do it and everyone is certain he'll be killed (the owner reassures a clown, "Don't worry, I got him insured!") To protect himself he bribes one of the stagehands to tie a safety rope around his waist.
The Tramp begins his act, confident the rope is working. He does outlandish things like walking on the tightrope with his hands! All is well and good...until the harness falls off and he realizes it. A nail-biting scene ensues which sincerely rivals Harold Lloyd's climb in "Safety Last". The Tramp is about to fall to his death, while trying to impress a girl, and then MONKEYS start climbing all over him (one bites his nose several times.) To make matters worse one pulls down his pants...making more mischief. By the grace of God the Tramp makes it to the bike and down the rope, safe at last.
He quits the circus and goes back to his hobo ways. The girl runs away and finds him begging to let her 'come with him'. He refuses as he has nothing to offer her. She breaks down crying. He goes back to the circus and pulls the tightrope guy away, telling him that he must marry the girl. The guy agrees and the pair are married, with the help of the Tramp. The 3 return to the Circus and all are offered their jobs back. The Tramp agrees to come, but instead of hopping on the wagon he just stays behind...eventually walking off into the distance...alone.
Food
The biggest difference between this film and his others is the Tramp's attitude towards the girl. Instead of that immediate love we usually see, he actually YELLS at her. While discussing City Lights I mentioned how those who accuse the Tramp of wanting to be a fighting little guy who could cut you any moment were wrong. One exception: he'd cut your ass over food. In almost every feature he'll do anything for food; including fighting people bigger and stronger than him (such as the fellow prisoner in Modern Times, or the butler in City Lights.) The one and only time I believe he let someone get more food than himself (ladies excluded) was in "The Gold Rush" when he let Big Jim take the better part of the cooked shoe. Of course Big Jim could (and actually did plan on trying to) eat him...so it was a wise choice.
In The Circus there are many funny bits with food. The baby 'feeding' the Tramp his hot dog, The Tramp's huge purchase of hot dogs after 'finding' the wallet, the chasing of the chicken for the egg, and the tossing of the lunch to the girl who was up on a swing (resulting in the inevitable pie in the face moment.)
Jealousy
His relationship with the girl is also a bit different. It could be said of the films it was one of the few times the Tramp seemed to fall into that 'brother zone'...something that wouldn't really happen again until A King in New York (and even then he did get the girl...for awhile at least.) He helps the girl, and when he has the influence he sees to it she's treated like a Princess. He spends $5 ($50 in today's money) on a ring for her.
It's a little hard to tell if she thought much before the 'new' guy came in. There's no real moment, only the fact the two talk a lot...like friends. When the new guy arrives some of the best bits occur. She insists the Tramp watch his act, much to his displeasure. Its even more insulting when you consider up to this point he was the star of the circus, and now this guy was coming in with a mind blowing act. And for all the money and power he had acquired it apparently meant nothing to this girl...here she was swooning for 'that' guy.
Before the guy's act begins we see the Tramp jealously watching the couple flirt and be lovey dovey. In what has to be one of the best scenes (at least in the sentimentalist vein) he imagines himself leaving his body, beating the shit out of the guy, and kicking sawdust on him for good measure. There isn't a man or woman in this world who hasn't felt that way at one point in their lives.
The act begins and the Tramp openly hopes he'll fall a few times. He also seems disappointed when the guy does well. And he seems to begrudge the fact that the guy's act was impressive. The sheer jealousy is just...PERFECTION! The Great Dictator is probably some of the best acting we ever got from Chaplin, but this...this was right up there.
What makes the film all the more interesting is the Tramp seems to have a chance at the girl long after the fact. But now he doesn't have money or a job...and he knows she loves 'that guy'. Yet much like giving her his lunch he becomes selfless one more time, and tells the guy to go rescue her. He also gives the guy the ring he bought...a very deep statement. This is literally the only such feature where Chaplin doesn't get the girl at all...very unusual (though given the divorce maybe he just didn't want to.)
The Greatest Comedic Bit of All Time
Comedically The Circus basically has its masterpiece. While I don't think its his best feature, or even in the running, it is very strong. The lion cage scene combined with the tightrope scene seem to be Chaplin's 'Lloyd moment'...you're thrilled into laughing. If City Lights is Chaplin's sentimental love masterpiece then The Circus is his comedic masterpiece...all because of one scene: the monkeys.
Obviously trickery was used. I'm guessing a split screen. But as I mentioned in The Great Dictator discussion nothing freaks me out more than heights and the potential from falling from heights. I'll fly, I'll go to the top of a building, but I would not walk a fucking tighrope. You could harness me...I would not do it! This is Chaplin's 'clock moment'...his 'holy crap is he gonna make it?' moment.
While you're sitting there wondering if this poor SOB will splatter himself trying to impress the girl; the monkeys enter. As the Tramp dressed for the performance he and the clown accidentally opened a trunk that contained several pissed off monkeys. The monkeys apparently made their way up the tightrope poles and decided that "Hey...let's go climb that guy!"
At least 3 jump on his head. One goes for the nose which makes me really appreciate Chaplin's dedication to the scene (how would you like your work to involve having monkeys bite your face for a few hours?) And as you sit laughing at this 'Holy crap no way!'...the pants hit! One rogue monkey pulls them down...meaning this poor guy is now harness-less, many stories above the ground, untrained, being bit by monkeys, probably about to piss himself, and now not only is he pants-less, but he has to get the pants off if he doesn't want to trip and die.
The first time I watched The Circus I had to replay this scene about 5 times. It hurt from laughing so much. Though there are many funny bits in every Chaplin film I could rattle off for hours, I will go above and beyond to declare this the funniest damn thing ever. I'd also like to note it plays up the final sentimentalist bit: the poor guy is trying to win over the girl he loves...and now he's pants-less and probably going to die. Its like being a 13 year old pantsed in front of a school assembly...you just feel so bad for him (between laughs.)
Other comedic bits seem a bit more poignant all around. When the Tramp is brought in for his tryout he's told 'well...be funny!' He does a little awkward bit that is quite hilarious, but 'not funny' in the terms of the film. He fumbles through two tryouts, which are also hilarious. Later, especially the ending, one gets the feel like its commentary on Chaplin's life at the time. "Be funny!" "I lead a charmed life (before falling in a barrel!)" "Come Along!" And all he was left with was the same ol same ol, alone and back to life as it was. He didn't get the girl and the world he knew (silents) was going away.
The Circus has been released on DVD, click here to purchase
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" took place (mostly as a 'haha old timers' thing...like watching Land of the Lost from the 70s now) but no other films of hers seem to be noted. Film preservation was in its infancy and MOMA notoriously destroyed a few films (including "Flaming Youth" and some Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith films. LOC would go on to destroy some Pickford films) not realizing these were the last copies ever. No stories exist of any association destroying Theda films, but who knows what was floating around.
(an epic documentary about silent film complete with clips and interviews) can't legally be released on DVD, the studios want royalties for these films they tend to forget exist and for the most part they will never make money on (and never intend to really make money on.)
" was thought lost until a crazy old rich guy died and his random film collection was given to the Dutch Film Institute. Its unclear if he knew what he had or if he wanted to keep it for himself. Either way it was 'refound' and re-released in 2005. Many 
". But both also make me horribly sad, and should make every film and fashion fan horribly sad. Theda Bara is so lost to us. Her story and her films. By the time anyone cared enough to think about it, most people who knew her were gone. In fact no one knew of Joan Craig until "The Woman with the Hungry Eyes" came out in 2005, Craig had a random encounter with a woman who had seen the documentary. She had no clue how priceless her Theda Bara story was. Not much has been heard since then, though there was an auction of some of her Theda costumes and valuables (Theda gave her most of her film possessions before her death) that took place in 2008. Craig is probably literally one of the last people to have actually known Theda in more than passing. Sadly as said no biographies or documentaries have been updated since the discovery of Joan Craig. "VAMP" is good, but very very thin. Its all that could be found in 1996.
" years before it existed) had DVDs and I did not as I was a musician and why should I care much about film? So I had many late night hours of TV to fill. And the WB or whatever the hell it was at the time ran heavily edited reruns of Sex and the City. In a situation akin to being held at gunpoint I watched the series for the first time.
. And for those wondering there is a Virginia Cherrill biography. 
