Chaplin's "The Masquerader"

2007-03-09 21:17:09

“The Masquerader” (1914, USA, Chaplin)

This film marks Chaplin’s 24th as an actor and 10th as director. While this isn’t one of Chaplin’s better films overall, it does have a few highlights. The first and biggest highlight is a scene with Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle who is clearly his comedic equivalent. This scene has Charlie, after being picked to be in a film, sitting at his dressing room table trying to reach around to steal a co-actor’s soda. The co-actor (Arbuckle) quickly realizes what Charlie is attempting and keeps switching the soda, first with a ‘gasolene cocktail’ and then with a few swats on Charlie’s hand. It is a playful scene that matches Charlie’s antics which seems to be a rarity.

“The Masquerader” is one of the few shorts showing Charlie without a mustache but once he gets the initial acting job and applies the trademark abbreviated mustache, despite getting fired, it doesn’t leave. Perhaps a metaphor for Charlie Chaplin the entertainer. We also get another behind-the-scenes short film exhibiting some silent sets at the Keystone Studio where Charlie honed his craft.

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