Tag: Mack Swain

His Trysting Place (1914, Charles Chaplin)

The best thing about His Trysting Place is probably Frank D. Williams’s photography. Chaplin’s athletics are impressive, but he doesn’t have much use for them. They’re most exciting during his food fight with Mack Swain. The food fight itself isn’t particularly funny–until the end–but Chaplin looks like he’s flying at times.

Trysting is about two dumb husbands–Chaplin and Swain–who cross paths to bad effect. Chaplin’s married to Mabel Normand and he’s obtuse. He can’t get his relaxing done at home, what with Normand caring for their baby. Swain’s just a buffoon, even a lovable one.

They mix up their coats after the food fight and Chaplin goes home with a note from Swain’s maid to her lover. Normand finds it… antics ensue.

Trysting is lengthy at twenty minutes. Normand’s not particularly good; her performances hurts the film.

But it’s genial and Williams’s photography makes it beautiful.

2/3Recommended

CREDITS

Written, edited and directed by Charles Chaplin; director of photography, Frank D. Williams; produced by Mack Sennett; released by Mutual Film.

Starring Charles Chaplin (Clarence, the Husband), Mabel Normand (Mabel, The Wife), Mack Swain (Ambrose) and Phyllis Allen (Ambrose’s Wife).

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His Prehistoric Past (1914, Charles Chaplin)

Chaplin opens His Prehistoric Past setting it up as a dream sequence, which lets the viewer know the outcome can’t be too dramatic. But the setup is immediate–Chaplin falls asleep on a park bench–so the more relatable elements in the dream don’t have much substance.

In the dream (the majority of Past), Chaplin is a macho man, who beats up all cavemen and wows all the cavewomen. But there’s no establishing the character as wanting to beat all the men and wow all the women… though I suppose the latter is implied.

The short drags quite a bit after the initial fight scene, as Chaplin pals around with the king (Mack Swain) and make goo goo eyes at the king’s favorite concubine (Gene Marsh). Marsh’s performance suggests Past has subtle depth–at times she’s frightened of Chaplin’s affections.

The production values are strong, but otherwise, it’s mostly undistinguished.

1/3Not Recommended

CREDITS

Written, edited and directed by Charles Chaplin; director of photography, Frank D. Williams; produced by Mack Sennett; released by Mutual Film.

Starring Charles Chaplin (Weakchin), Mack Swain (King Lowbrow), Gene Marsh (Sum-Babee), Fritz Schade (Ku-Ku), Cecile Arnold (Cavewoman) and Al St. John (Caveman).

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