Charlie Chaplin – Two segments of The Adventurer (1917) Charlie Chaplin is one of the greatest film stars/directors of all time. His timelessness lies in his mastery of two universal languages, that of silent film and of comedy. Presented here are three “lost” films, two of which are actually segments from his 1917 film, The Adventurer and the other from his 1917 film, Easy Street. Both films star Chaplin as the iconic “Little Tramp” and his frequent foil in the early short movies, Eric Campbell. The Man Hunt is actually part one of The Adventurer, in which Chaplin plays an escaped convict on the run from the police. He is in top form in this segment, using the rocky beach, crashing waves, and deep sand ingeniously as a location, as much as a prop for comedy. What makes this film so successful is Chaplin's complete control over the tone and reality of the film, by that I mean, Chaplin makes an escaped convict endearing even as he fakes getting shot, holds police up at gunpoint and knocks people off cliffs. He created a world, a believable one at that, where people can scale cliffs in under 2 seconds or fall from one, stand up and dust themselves off as if nothing happened. The final segment of The Adventurer has some of Chaplin’s best location integration where he dodges both the police and his date’s previous suitor in a swanky two-story hotel. Working in the early 20th century filmmakers had to make due without many of the advances modern filmmakers employ today, such as sound, computer graphics, digital cameras, lighting equipment, and much more. Due to this, Chaplin focused on skills such as pantomime, physical comedy, and concepts. The Adventurer may not be his very best short, but it is easily one of the funniest and includes some of the best gags and slapstick in his repertoire. Unlike some of his other films, which implanted morals or lessons, this film is pure laughs from dropping ice cream into a woman’s dress to hiding from police underneath a lampshade. The timing and control Chaplin retains over his actors, props, special effects and story, while still maintaining both tension and comedy is pitch perfect here. Also, don't forget that he made nearly 100 years ago! If you’re feeling adventurous, check out the world’s most charming fool in The Adventurer. P.S. Watch your back. Note: This clip also features a segment from another 1917 film of Chaplin’s entitled Easy Street. It is a separate film, but also worth searching out the entire film. Watch The Adventurer