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).

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

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 certainly th... 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, tha... 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


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Quotes from

No Quote for this film.

Facts about

For the scene in which the Kid is taken from the Tramp and nearly carted away to a workhouse, Charles Chaplin stated in his autobiography that the young Jackie Coogan was made to cry by his father, who told him that if he would not cry in the scene, he would be sent to an actual workhouse.
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.
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."
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National Film Registry

The Kid

Released 1921
Inducted 2011
(Silent)




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Also directed by Charlie Chaplin




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Also produced by Charlie Chaplin




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Also released in 1921




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