The Floorwalker
This film was noted for the first "running staircase" (escalator) used in films.,There's only one escalator (going up), with none going down--and no visible stairs to boot.,Kino International distributes a set of videos containing all the 12 Mutual short films made by Chaplin in 1915 - 1917. They are presented by David Shepard, who copyrighted the versions in 1984, and has a music soundtrack composed and performed by Michael Mortilla who copyrighted his score in 1989. The running time of this film is 24 minutes.,Edited into The Chaplin Cavalcade (1941),A trip to New York City, the first vacation for Charlie Chaplin after he had signed with Essanay Studios a year ago, revealed to him for the first time how immensely popular he had become. Similar to The Beatles arriving in New York in 1964, the public hysteria greeting Chaplin throughout his month's stay in the city in early 1916 made him realize how famous he really was--and how much his worth had escalated in one year at the studio.

Because of the revelation, Chaplin wanted a $150,000 signing bonus to contract with Essanay, a record amount at that time for cinema. Essanay knew it couldn't afford that amount, so the bidding war was on for the comedian. Mutual Film Corporation came out on top, meeting the demanded bonus as well as $13,000 per week. In February 1916 Chaplin signed for over $670,000 (about $10 million in today's dollars) for one year, as well as a studio for his sole purpose and a support staff, making him the highest paid employee in the nation. That one-year agreement required him to produce one two-reeler every month for a total of 12 movies.

His first Mutual film was May 1916's release, "The Floorwalker." The floorwalker, a department store employee, and the store manager attempt to embezzle $80,000 from the business. The floorwalker is a lookalike to Chaplin, whose tramp makes himself a nuisance in the store when he walks in to browse.

When the floorwalker and Chaplin meet in an office, cinema's first "mirror" sequence is acted. Each mimics the other's movements, which appears like they're looking at a mirror image of themselves. The skit inspired future similar scenes, most notable the Marx Brothers in "Duck Soup" and in director Blake Edwards' "The Pink Panther."

Another famous feature in "The Floorwalker" is film's first moving stair--or escalator--chase scene. The manager chases Chaplin, who knows about the pouch full of cash, in an uproariously hilarious running sequence, all taking place on the store's fast moving escalator. A number of films use escalators in subway stations or office/retail stores as a prop for their chase scenes, all because Chaplin was the first one to show how it is done.

The floorwalker is played by Lloyd Bacon, an actor who turned director four years after making this film. He's noted for his direction in "42nd Street," "Footlight Parade," and "Knute Rockne: All American" with Ronald Reagan playing The Gipper.,