This is 1915's A Night Out, specifically:
This felt like the time to view a Charlie Chaplin short; not as many have been seen in terms of silent comedy shorts as with Keaton or Lloyd. A few days ago, a video was found on YouTube where the account compiled some of the shorts that Chaplin made with the Essanay Film Manufacturing Company after he left Mack Sennett due to a pay dispute.
Chaplin and Ben Turpin (i.e. the fellow who sadly had the worst case of crossed eyes you’ll ever witness) are buds who got obliterated drunk-hopefully, not of you tonight on New Year’s Eve reach this level of intoxication!-and stumble their way into a frou-frou restaurant, causing havoc with their antics. Among the ire that they raise is the head waiter portrayed by Bud Jamison, of course known to me for appearing in a few dozen Three Stooges shorts. They also interact w/ a woman who unwittingly for them was Jamison’s wife. That’s Edna Purviance in her debut; for those unaware, this would begin an 8-year run of her co-starring in more than two dozen Chaplin shorts.
Top-tier Chaplin, it is not. That recognized, this was early in Chaplin’s career and 1915 was early for everyone in cinema. Enough laughs & creative slapstick were present where I had a pretty good time. This wasn’t the first silent short I’ve witnessed which contained a rather abrupt ending, so I won’t be too miffed by that. I’ll hope that everyone had at least an alright 2025 and 2026 will be better for all of us. Hopefully none of us will be so intoxicated on any night that instead of brushing our teeth, we brush our shoes… still on our feet.
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