Between Showers
Emma Bell Clifton was hired by Mack Sennet because she resembled Mabel Normand. Some reviews mistakenly list Normand in the credits of this film and another film featuring Chaplin and Clifton called "A Film Johnnie".,Featured in The Funniest Man in the World (1967),Chaplin's fourth short, appearing less than a month after his debut, is good fun. A rival tramp steals an umbrella from a policeman, then sets about seducing a woman with it. Charlie also has his eye on the femme, and soon a battle for both the brolly and the girl ensues. Even though it's so early in his career, Chaplin has most of the Little Tramp mannerisms and tics down pat in this effort (except for the pathos, which would come later), and it's fascinating to see the beginnings of the expressions and gags which he'd be exploring for the rest of his life. Not as polished or imaginative as his later films, but a very early gem.,