Charlot #6: A Film Johnnie

My character was different and unfamiliar to the American, and even unfamiliar to myself. But with the clothes on I felt he was a reality, a living person. In fact he ignited all sorts of crazy ideas that I would never have dreamt of…

Chaplin, My Autobiography

I’ve written before about how wearying I find most movies about movies. I hope it’s not hypocritical to say I’m deeply fascinated by older movies, particularly ones from this period, that depict the industry. The medium hasn’t been around long enough to produce writers or directors who know nothing else, and there’s no need for elegiac love letters to an artform in its infancy. (Are there silent films that reminisce about the days of the nickelodeon?)

Self-referential films of this era carry a sense of triumph by the filmmakers. Look at us! We made it in this lawless industry! It makes sense then that this movie also serves as an advertisement for the studio. Look at all the stars we have! Make sure you associate them with the name “Keystone.” But most 1910s studios can get away with that attitude, in my opinion. There is so much competition that the sense of company camaraderie, genuine or not, comes through in the product.

This is the first film where I had difficulty reading the pantomime on the first go. Not knowing what a “Johnnie” was, I initially thought Charlie was going the Thermian route, unable to discern or simply unaware that movies are not real life. Charlie in this short is based on a real type of person actors would be familiar with: the “Johnnie,” who stakes out the exit of a theatre, or studio lot in this case, in order to engineer an encounter with a (usually female) star. The victim of Charlie’s affections is Peggy Pearce, and at the studio he causes trouble for Virginia Kirtley and, of course, Mabel Normand.

The gags are slight and mostly involve Charlie’s overenthusiasm at the concept of famous women. I’m more interested in the fact of his starring role here. He’s not competing for screen time with Ford Sterling anymore. Less than a month since Chaplin’s debut in Making a Living, the reaction to the Tramp was strong enough that he’s now leading pictures. He even gets a close-up at the end!

Chaplin will turn the camera on the movies again later. For now, I can’t end this entry without noting the cameo from Roscoe Arbuckle. We’ll finally get to know him more next time.