Charlot chef de rayon

Monday September 10, 7:00 pm, The Paramount Theater, Seattle

The first of twelve films Charles Chaplin produced for the Mutual Film Corporation, The Floorwalker(1916) might have been titled The Escalator, which is the focal point and primary source of the film's humor. Chaplin developed the idea after visiting department stores in New York and worked out the details while filming. Much of this process can be understood by viewing Chaplin's outtakes featured in Unknown Chaplin, the remarkable documentary produced by Kevin Brownlow and David Gill in 1983. Charlie wanders into a store and amuses himself while a clerk (Albert Austin) observes. The floorwalker (who bears a striking resemblance to Charlie) and store manager (Eric Campbell) attempt to embezzle a suitcase filled with cash while their startled secretary (Edna Purviance) observes. Identities are confused and the floorwalker (dressed in Charlie's cloths) is arrested by the store detective, while the manager struggles with Charlie, and the escalator, to retrieve the suitcase.

Am a big fan of Charlie Chaplin, have been for over a decade now. Many films and shorts of his are very good to masterpiece, and like many others consider him a comedy genius and one of film's most important and influential directors.

From his post- Essanay period after leaving Keystone, 'The Floorwalker' is not one of his very best or even among the best of this particular period. It shows a noticeable step up in quality though from his Keystone period, where he was still evolving and in the infancy of his long career, from 1914, The Essanay period is something of Chaplin's adolescence period where his style had been found and starting to settle. Something that can be seen in the more than worthwhile 'The Floorwalker'.

'The Floorwalker' is not one of his all-time funniest or most memorable, other efforts also have more pathos and a balance of that and the comedy. The story is still a little flimsy, there are times where it struggles to sustain the short length, and could have had more variety and less more of the same repeition.

On the other hand, 'The Floorwalker' looks pretty good, not incredible but it was obvious that Chaplin was taking more time with his work (even when deadlines were still tight) and not churning out as many countless shorts in the same year of very variable success like he did with Keystone. Appreciate the importance of his Keystone period and there is some good stuff he did there, but the more mature and careful quality seen here and later on is obvious.

While not one of his funniest or original, 'The Floorwalker' is still very entertaining with some clever, entertaining and well-timed slapstick. It moves quickly and there is no dullness in sight.

Chaplin directs more than competently, if not quite cinematic genius standard yet. He also, as usual, gives an amusing and expressive performance and at clear ease with the physicality of the role. The supporting cast acquit themselves well.

Summing up, worth a look though Chaplin did better. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Although Charlie Chaplin made some great short comedies in the late 1910's, others don't quite make it. Examples like His New Job and Shanghaied come to mind, and I would also The Floorwalker in this category.

Charlie gets mistaken for a manager of a department store (and vice versa). This manager tries to steal money from the cash register and make a run for it, and Charlie is just an honest costumer but getting blamed for some missing objects, stolen by other costumers.

There aren't many laughs in it, except for the last couple of minutes or so with some great scenes on the escalator. For the rest, quite disappointing.

4/10.

If you have read my other reviews of Chaplin's comedy shorts, you may have noticed that I have generally given very poor reviews of films made during his first couple years in Hollywood (1914-1915). In general, they had no script or direction, were never really edited and just weren't particularly funny. In addition, Chaplin had a lot to learn about and develop regarding his Little Tramp character. by 1916, however, the movies began to improve as Chaplin was now the creative force behind all his films and he had honed his craft.

For a 1916 short, this is a pretty good film. It does have a pretty decent plot and it's pretty enjoyable. There's just one problem and I doubt if it is Chaplin's fault. When the film is nearing its conclusion, it just seems to end abruptly during the final climactic fight. I really think that the last few seconds of the film have been lost and that is why it ends this way. This isn't too uncommon for Chaplin shorts, as many have been pieced together from many different prints and many differing versions of the same short exist. I'd love to see a more complete print than was available on THE ESSENTIAL CHARLIE CHAPLIN COLLECTION, v. 7.

The Little Tramp is mistaken for an embezzling floorwalker. Charlie Chaplin's first film for Mutual, and the first ever to feature an escalator, which provides the comical maestro with plenty of funny material to mine. The lookalike actor who plays the crooked store employee with whom Chaplin exchanges identities is Lloyd Bacon, who would go on to direct almost 100 movies including 42nd Street and Footlight Parade. The Floorwalker is a decent enough entry on Chaplin's CV, but it would have benefited from being 10 minutes shorter - the middle section drags a little - and it ends rather abruptly, suggesting that the final scenes have been lost.