A Dog's Life (1918)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Charles Chaplin

Writer:

Charles Chaplin (writer)

Release Date:

14 April 1918 (USA)

Genre:

Short | Comedy

Tagline:

The One and Only

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
Dave Anderson	...	Unemployed man
Granville Redmond	...	Dance-hall proprietor
Minnie Chaplin	...	Dance-hall dramatic lady
Alf Reeves	...	Man at bar
N. Tahbel	...	Hot tamale man
Rob Wagner	...	Man in dance hall
L.S. McVey	...	Musician
J.F. Parker	...	Musician
Bud Jamison	...	Crook
J. Parks Jones	...	Man in dance hall (as Park Jones)
James T. Kelley	...	Man at hot dog stand
Janet Miller Sully	...	Woman in dance hall
Loyal Underwood	...	Man in dance hall
William White	...	Man in dance hall (as Billy White)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mut	...	Scraps, a Thoroughbred Mongrel
Zasu Pitts	...	Bit part (scenes deleted)
A.D. Blake	...	Man in dance hall (uncredited)
Dorothy Cleveland	...	Woman in dance hall (uncredited)
Margaret Cullington	...	Woman in dance hall (uncredited)
Margaret Dracup	...	Woman in dance hall (uncredited)
Jack Duffy	...	Man in dance hall (uncredited)
Billy Dul	...	Man in dance hall (uncredited)
Richard Dunbar	...	Man in dance hall (uncredited)
Ella Eckhardt	...	Woman in dance hall (uncredited)
Minnie Eckhardt	...	Woman in dance hall (uncredited)
Jerry Ferragoma	...	Man in dance hall (uncredited)
J.L. Fraube	...	Man in dance hall (uncredited)
Jim Habif	...	Man in dance hall (uncredited)
Oliver Hall	...	Man in dance hall (uncredited)
Fay Holderness	...	Woman in dance hall (uncredited)
Jean Johnson	...	Woman in dance hall (uncredited)
John Lord	...	Man in dance hall (uncredited)
James McCormick	...	Man in dance hall (uncredited)
Edward Miller	...	Man in dance hall (uncredited)
J. Miller	...	Man in dance hall (uncredited)
Lillian Morgan	...	Woman in dance hall (uncredited)
Jim O'Niall	...	Man in dance hall (uncredited)
Brand O'Ree	...	Man in dance hall (uncredited)
Florence Parellee	...	Woman in dance hall (uncredited)
Bruce Randall	...	Man in dance hall (uncredited)
Mrs. Rigoletti	...	Woman in dance hall (uncredited)
Sarah Rosenberg	...	Woman in dance hall (uncredited)
H.C. Simmons	...	Man in dance hall (uncredited)
Lottie Smithson	...	Woman in dance hall (uncredited)
Fred Starr	...	Man in dance hall (uncredited)
Bob Wagner	...	Man in dance hall (uncredited)
Grace Wilson	...	Woman in dance hall (uncredited)

Directed by
Charles Chaplin

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Charles Chaplin		writer

Produced by
Charles Chaplin	....	producer

Cinematography by
Roland Totheroh		(as R.H. Totheroh)

Film Editing by
Charles Chaplin		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Charles D. Hall

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles Reisner	....	assistant director

Camera and Electrical Department
Jack Wilson	....	second camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mother Vinot	....	seamstress (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Toraichi Kono	....	driver: Mr. Chaplin (uncredited)

Other crew
Nellie Bly Baker	....	secretary: Mr. Chaplin (uncredited)
Elsie Codd	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Charles Gee	....	dog trainer (uncredited)
Tom Harrington	....	assistant: Mr. Chaplin (uncredited)

Production Companies

• First National Pictures

Distributors

• First National Exhibitors' Circuit (1918) (USA) (theatrical)
• MK2 Diffusion (2001) (worldwide) (all media)
• Reel Media International (2004) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2007) (USA) (all media)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)

Runtime:

40 min | 32 min (TCM print)

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:

Sydney Chaplin (Charles Chaplin's brother), played a small role in this film, and it was the first time the two brothers were on screen together.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Fluttering Hearts (1927)

One of my favorites

Of Charlie Chaplin's many works, "A Dog's Life" is in my top 5, under "The Kid", "City Lights" and "Modern Times". Though just a short, I think this film is one of Chaplin's funniest and most poignant of them all. It had me laughing the whole time and this is the film that made me fall in love with his hands: It was the miming scene where the Tramp has to pretend to be the bully he's just knocked out, to get the wallet back, simply by using hand gestures! It's a moment that shines for all silent movies, showing how little sound is needed to communicate - it's a favorite scene of mine. This is a great film, and especially when coupled with "The Kid" (Chaplin's best work, I think, and my favorite film of all time) how could *anyone* refuse?