Independent Films, Comedy, Classics
The Fireman
by CharlieChaplin
Charlie is a fireman who always does everything wrong. A man talks the Fire Chief into ignoring his burning home (he wants the insurance money) unaware that his daughter (the love of the Chief) is upstairs in the house. When the house next door catches fire its owner rouses Charlie who rouses the force.
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The Fireman by CharlieChaplin is licensed under a Creative Commons Public Domain 3.0 License.
Poster
Details
Language: Silent
Year of production: 1916
Length: 26min 37sec
Country: United States
Suggested by:
Baxter Martin
Directors:
Charlie Chaplin
Producers:
Charlie Chaplin
Henry P. Caulfield
Actors:
Charlie Chaplin .... Fireman
Edna Purviance .... Girl
Lloyd Bacon .... Her Father
Eric Campbell .... Foreman of the Brigade
Leo White .... Owner of Burning House
Albert Austin .... Fireman
John Rand .... Fireman
James T. Kelley .... Fireman (as James T. Kelly)
Frank J. Coleman .... Fireman
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Film reviews for The Fireman
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Baxter Martin
“The Fireman” (1916, Chaplin)
“The Fireman” is Chaplin’s second film for the Mutual Corp. is generally not one of the better Chaplin films of this period. There are funny gags such as Chaplin’s use of the fireman’s sliding pole. He goes up AND down! My personal favorite lasts all of a couple of seconds as Chaplin almost drops a stack of dishes before he ‘sets’ the table for the fire chief, played by Chaplin’s best adversary Eric Campbell, and other fireman. Of course, most of the film involves Chaplin running from the fire chief and both giving and taking plenty of ass-kicking. In one scene Chaplin runs into a horse stall in plain view of the chief. He turns around and their eyes meet, and he quickly finishes the last few paces to the corner of the stall whereupon the chief grabs. It’s too funny.
There are clear moments of hilarity in Chaplin’s early films and in most, those fleeting moments are all that can be remembered of them. The ass-kicking, pie throwing crap largely is filler. It’s the looks and body language. “The Fireman” definitely has its moments, but more comes across as 5-10 minutes too long.
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