Google Ads
Login | Sign Up

The Kid Overview:

The Kid (1921) was a Silent Films - Drama Film directed by Charlie Chaplin and produced by Charlie Chaplin.

SYNOPSIS

Chaplin's first feature is a touching comedy about a woman who abandons her child with the intention of committing suicide. Chaplin's Little Tramp finds the kid (Coogan, in the role that made him an overnight sensation) and takes him under his wing. When the woman, Purviance, becomes an opera star five years later, she spends her extra time doing charity work for youngsters who live in the slums, hoping that she will find her son. Eventually, the truth comes out and the authorities take the baby away from Chaplin. He steals the child back, but is soon discovered and separated once again from him. A reunion at the mother's mansion resolves things happily, yet the earlier somber tone prevails, making this sweet and heartwarming story resonate.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

The Kid was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2011.

The Kid BlogHub Articles:

Silents are Golden: A Closer Look at – The Kid (1921)

By Lea Stans on Jul 18, 2019 From Classic Movie Hub Blog

Silents are Golden: A Closer Look At – The Kid (1921) Of all the Charlie Chaplin masterpieces we can name–and from Easy Street (1917) to Modern Times (1936), there’s quite a few–one feature is perhaps extra special: The Kid (1921). One of Chaplin’s earliest features, it’s cert... Read full article

Billy the Kid Versus Dracula (1966)

By Beatrice on Apr 23, 2019 From Flickers in Time

Billy the Kid Versus Dracula Directed by William Beaudine Written by Carl K. Hittleman 1966/USA Circle Productions Inc. First viewing/Amazon Prime Dr. Henrietta Hull: Well, if I didn’t know better, I’d say it was the work of a vampire. William ‘Billy the Kid’ Bonney: Vampire?... Read full article

Watching 1939: The Kid from Kokomo (1939)

on Jan 25, 2018 From Comet Over Hollywood

In 2011, I announced I was trying to see every film released in 1939. This new series chronicles films released in 1939 as I watch them. As we start out this blog feature, this section may become more concrete as I search for a common thread that runs throughout each film of the year. Right now, th... Read full article

The Kid (1921, Charles Chaplin), the director’s cut

By Andrew Wickliffe on Jun 22, 2015 From The Stop Button

Some time after the halfway point in The Kid, it becomes clear the film isn’t going to end badly for its leads. Charlie Chaplin is the tramp, Jackie Coogan is his ward (a tramp in training). Chaplin, as a director, is fairly restrictive. Most of the action takes place on a few streets, primari... Read full article

The Kid with a Bike (2011)

By 4 Star Film Fan on Sep 25, 2014 From 4 Star Films

To say this is a affecting film would be an understatement, because if you want to be honest it is truly heart wrenching and painful to watch. From the beginning moments, this film brought to mind a modern day hybrid of The 400 Blows with a bit of The Bicycle Thief mixed in. However, comparisons are... Read full article

See More The Kid Articles

The Kid Quotes:

No Quote for this film.
The Kid Facts
Charles Chaplin suffered through a divorce from his first wife Mildred Harris while shooting this film.
The Kid was Charlie Chaplin's first full-length movie. It was a huge success, and was the second-highest grossing film in 1921, behind The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
The production company tried to cheat Charles Chaplin by paying him for this six-reel film what they would ordinarily pay him for two-reel film, about half a million dollars. Chaplin took the unassembled film out of state until they agreed to the one-and-a-half million he deserved, plus half the surplus profits on rentals, plus reversion of the film to him after five years on the rental market.
The Kid is notable as being the first feature length comedy film to combine comedy and drama, as the opening title says: "A picture with a smile-and perhaps, a tear."
The shooting ratio (the amount of material shot:what appears in the final film) is 53:1, far higher than any other Charles Chaplin film.
See More Facts about The Kid >>