Reel Life (1916-1917)

CHARLIE CHAPLIN -‘EASY STREET’ 7 he famous comedian Charlie, the Outcast . Charlie Chaplin Edna, the Beautiful Organist . Edna Purviance Eric, the Bully . Eric Campbell appears for the first time as a policeman ASY STREET,” the new Chaplin-Mutual * comedy to be released January 22 is con Kmm sidered by Charlie Chaplin to be one of the * best things he has done, since it affords him 1 opportunity to “make love and fight,” which elements, in a recent magazine article, the comedian declared to be the basis of all good dramatic construction. Chaplin’s love affair in “Easy Street” — a play that deals with the seamy side of life in the poorer quarter of a large city — involves the pretty organist of an East Side mission, Edna Purviance, of course. When the comedian, garbed as a down-and-out tramp, had run the gamut of human ex¬ perience in dives and free lunch emporiums of New York, he turned, as do so many thousands, to the mission, where by good management or a specially pathetic appeal, the des¬ perate may obtain a slice of bread and oleomargarine and a cup of coffee, together with an offer of salvation. Chaplin’s tramp had reached this mission-house coffee stage when he encountered the sympathetic gaze of the pretty organist and forthwith revised his entire outlook on life. When this “down-and-outer” heard the voice of the charming young religious devotee, and witnessed the in¬ effable grace of her movements, he formed a conclusion that there must remain certain hope of grace in a world capable of producing this transcendental beauty. He de¬ termined once more to face the struggle for an honest living. Charlie’s principal embarrassment for the time being was that at the moment when these virtuous thoughts as¬ sailed him, he had, concealed under his coat, the mission collection box, which he had “lifted” on entering, as a mere matter of form, and whch, since encountering the pretty organist with the soulful eyes, he had been unable to restore to its rightful place on the wall. Anyone who knows Chaplin will be able to visualize him under these embarrassing circumstances and to realize that although he appears for the moment to be torn with con¬ flicting emotions, those of love and mammon, the worthier motive will prevail, and “Edna, the organist,” will find her¬ self ere long involved in the throes of a whirlwind courtship with the indefatigable Charlie as Cupid. In fact speculation on this point is at once ended, for Chaplin turned the collection box over to the mission preacher with the nonchalance of a prince bestowing largess, and, having relieved himself of this incubus, at once began the pleasurable task of making love to Edna. The young mission worker, convinced that out of her handsome tramp’s obsession she would be able to work his conversion to paths of permanent righteousness, encouraged Chaplin, who perked up like a wilted sunflower after a rain¬ storm, held his head high and dignified his rags with the radiance of high purpose. What he really wanted, though, was a chance to do the heroic in behalf of his petticoated benefactor — to rescue her from the hands of an assailant, carry her out of a burning building or dive into the river after her. And after waiting patiently at the gate of opportunity Charlie got his chance. Bill Campbell, drunkard and bully, whose pet diversion was “cleaning out” the mission and “beating up” the preacher, approached his periodical task with enthusiasm, only to be met by an athletic young con¬ vert in ragged raiment but filled with the resolve of high purpose, whose hands and feet all seemed to strike and kick simultaneously and before whose vigorous onslaughts Mr. Campbell went down to the oblivion of the whipped bully. The fact that Campbell had whipped several policemen on the Mission beat and admiration for the prowess dis¬ played by the young convert led to Charlie’s being enrolled on the regular force and given Easy Street to patrol. Edna Purviance as the young missionary organist is a revelation. Miss Purviance takes very kindly to the part and is particularly fascinating in it. The scene in which she permits Chaplin’s somewhat rash advances is one char¬ acterized by good acting on the part of Charlie’s able coad REEL LIFE— Page Two