The Idle Class (1921)

Director:

Charles Chaplin

Writer:

Charles Chaplin (writer)

Release Date:

25 September 1921 (USA)

Genre:

Short | Comedy

Plot:

Chaplin plays a tramp who sneaks into a upper class golf resort. The tramp meets a rich woman (Edna...

Plot Keywords:

Music Score Composed By Director | Golf | Masked Balls | Mistaken Identity | Costume Ball

Cast

Charles Chaplin	...	Tramp and Husband
Edna Purviance	...	Neglected Wife
Mack Swain	...	Her Father
Henry Bergman	...	Sleeping Hobo / Guest in Cop Uniform
Al Ernest Garcia	...	Cop in Park and Guest
John Rand	...	Golfer and Guest
Rex Storey	...	Pickpocket and Guest
Lillian McMurray	...	Maid
Lita Grey	...	Maid
Loyal Underwood	...	Guest
Mrs. Parker	...	Guest
Lolita Parker	...	Guest
Howard Olsen	...	Guest
Edward Knoblock	...	Guest
Granville Redmond	...	Guest
Carlyle Robinson	...	Guest
Joe Van Meter	...	Guest
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Charles Aber	...	Extra (uncredited)
Joe Anderson	...	Extra (uncredited)
Laura Anson	...	Extra (uncredited)
Walter Bacon	...	Extra (uncredited)
Robert Badger	...	Extra (uncredited)
George Bastian	...	Extra (uncredited)
Gladys Baxter	...	Extra (uncredited)
J.A. Beaver	...	Extra (uncredited)
Bruce Belamator	...	Extra (uncredited)
Harriett Bennett	...	Extra (uncredited)
Mary Ann Bennett	...	Extra (uncredited)
Richard Brewster	...	Extra (uncredited)
Carl Brown	...	Extra (uncredited)
Evelyn Burns	...	Extra (uncredited)
Joe Campbell	...	Extra (uncredited)
William Carey	...	Extra (uncredited)
Helene Caverly	...	Extra (uncredited)
Lane Chandler	...	Extra (uncredited)
Ethel Childers	...	Extra (uncredited)
Jim Collins	...	Extra (uncredited)
Marie Crisp	...	Extra (uncredited)
Lottie Cruz	...	Extra (uncredited)
W.R. Denning	...	Extra (uncredited)
Miss Egbert	...	Extra (uncredited)
Bertha Feducha	...	Extra (uncredited)
Joseph Flores	...	Extra (uncredited)
Nell Foltz	...	Extra (uncredited)
Ruth Foster	...	Extra (uncredited)
Miss Grace	...	Extra (uncredited)
William Hackett	...	Extra (uncredited)
Jules Hanft	...	Extra (uncredited)
Art Hanson	...	Extra (uncredited)
E.C. Holkin	...	Extra (uncredited)
Howard Johnston	...	Extra (uncredited)
Harold Kent	...	Extra (uncredited)
Duffy Kirk	...	Extra (uncredited)
Mary Land	...	Extra (uncredited)
Mrs. Ross Lang	...	Extra (uncredited)
Melissa Ledgerwood	...	Extra (uncredited)
Jack Lott	...	Extra (uncredited)
B.W. McComber	...	Extra (uncredited)
Clyde McCoy	...	Extra (uncredited)
Helen McKee	...	Extra (uncredited)
Helen McMullin	...	Extra (uncredited)
Harold McNulty	...	Extra (uncredited)
Charles Meakin	...	Extra (uncredited)
Paul Mertz	...	Extra (uncredited)
George Milo	...	Extra (uncredited)
George Mistler	...	Extra (uncredited)
William Moore	...	Extra (uncredited)
Jack Mortimer	...	Extra (uncredited)
Bob Palmer	...	Extra (uncredited)
Pearl Palmer	...	Extra (uncredited)
Miss M. Parsons	...	Extra (uncredited)
Gertrude Pedlar	...	Extra (uncredited)
R.O. Pennell	...	Extra (uncredited)
Dolly Rich	...	Extra (uncredited)
Margaret Rishell	...	Extra (uncredited)
Hugh Saxon	...	Extra (uncredited)
Anita Simons	...	Extra (uncredited)
C.B. Steele	...	Extra (uncredited)
John Sweeny	...	Extra (uncredited)
L. Swisher	...	Extra (uncredited)
Jack Sydney	...	Extra (uncredited)
Jean Temple	...	Extra (uncredited)
Harry Tenbrook	...	Extra (uncredited)
William H. Thompson	...	Extra (uncredited)
Armand Triller	...	Extra (uncredited)
California Truman	...	Extra (uncredited)
John Underhill	...	Extra (uncredited)
Catherine Vidor	...	Extra (uncredited)
Anita Walton	...	Extra (uncredited)
Gladys Webb	...	Extra (uncredited)
Miss Wicks	...	Extra (uncredited)
Vera Wilder	...	Extra (uncredited)
Fred L. Wilson	...	Extra (uncredited)
Jack Woods	...	Extra (uncredited)

Directed by
Charles Chaplin

Writing credits
Charles Chaplin		(writer)

Produced by
Charles Chaplin	....	producer (as Charlie Chaplin)

Cinematography by
Roland Totheroh

Film Editing by
Charles Chaplin		(uncredited)

Art Direction 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)

Music Department
Eric Rogers	....	orchestrator: new score

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

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

Production Companies

• Charles Chaplin Productions

Distributors

• First National Pictures (1921) (USA) (theatrical)
• MK2 Diffusion (2001) (worldwide) (all media)
• Koch Vision (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Vanity Fair (USA)

Runtime:

32 min | Spain:29 min

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

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

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Charles Chaplin Productions

Trivia:

The film was made by First National Pictures.

Goofs:

Plot holes: The movie begins with "The Summer Season" and yet the telegraph the absent minded husband holds at the beginning is dated November 2.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Big Show (1923)

One of Chaplin's Best Short Features

One of Charlie Chaplin's best short comedies, "The Idle Class" uses some of his favorite themes to very good effect. Charlie has a dual role, playing his usual 'tramp' character and also playing a rich idler. He thus sets up some identity confusion and also the kind of class contrasts that often set up some of Chaplin's best material. There are plenty of good gags in this one, and some memorable scenes, with the hilarious costume party sequence being especially good. This was one of Chaplin's last short comedies, and it is constructed very carefully, with excellent timing in the gags and in the plot. While in a much lighter vein than the full-length pictures he was then starting to make, it has the same level of craftsmanship and is very entertaining.