A Dog's Life (1918)

Director:

Charles Chaplin

Writer:

Charles Chaplin (writer)

Release Date:

14 April 1918 (USA)

Genre:

Short | Comedy

Tagline:

In his First Million Dollar Picture

Plot:

The Little Tramp and his dog companion struggle to survive in the inner city.

Plot Keywords:

Music Score Composed By Director

Cast

Charles Chaplin	...	Tramp
Edna Purviance	...	Bar singer
Syd Chaplin	...	Lunchwagon owner
Henry Bergman	...	Fat unemployed man / Dance-hall lady
Charles Reisner	...	Employment agency clerk
Albert Austin	...	Crook
Tom Wilson	...	Policeman
M.J. McCarthy	...	Unemployed man
Mel Brown	...	Unemployed man
Charles Force	...	Unemployed man
Bert Appling	...	Unemployed man
Thomas Riley	...	Unemployed man
Slim Cole	...	Unemployed man
Ted Edwards	...	Unemployed man
Louis Fitzroy	...	Unemployed man

Runtime:

40 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System) (1959 re-issue) | Silent

Certification:

Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Chaplin Studios - 1416 N. La Brea Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

First National Pictures

Trivia:

This was Charles Chaplin's first film for First National Films.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Fluttering Hearts (1927)

Chaplin Expanded

This is Charlie Chaplin's first film for First National, and with his pictures there, he could create movies of longer, or varied, length, rather than the two-reelers he was obliged to churn out before. His Mutual shorts were a vast improvement over his previous work, but watching them I'd sometimes get the sense that his ideas required more time to elaborate, to fully realize, or unfold. The hilarity of the gags in 'A Dog's Life' result from this newly acquired freedom to expand his films.

I don't think it's one of Chaplin's most important works, or one of his best, but 'A Dog's Life' is very funny and left me in high spirits. The crying set piece was hilarious. As well, Chaplin continues to use props and settings to his comedic advantage, such as with the missing boards and the door of his fenced home when he eludes a policeman in the beginning of the film.

Perhaps, the most interesting aspect of this one is the elaborate pantomime that goes on. The creation of the world within a silent film often created problems for lesser filmmakers on what the role of sound is within that world. There is obviously sound in the world of 'A Dog's Life,' but the tramp continually ignores it and oft prefers to use pantomime to express himself--or others, as in the elaborate scene using his hands. This demonstrates a lot of thought on Chaplin's part, and it's something that could be done only in the silent era. For all the comic genius in America at the time, the fact that the clowns couldn't talk shouldn't be overlooked, for it was full of advantages.