Although often regarded as Chaplin’s least funny First National film, A Day’s Pleasure is a
simple but effective two reel comedy which considering the circumstances behind
its creation, is something of a triumph. While Chaplin was busy working on his
first great film, The Kid, the studio
were growing impatient with his lack of output so he hastily put together A Day’s Pleasure, a seventeen minute
romp set around a family outing aboard a boat. While the film lacks the sort of
story and romance of the films Chaplin was capable of producing at the time, it
does feature some clever slapstick and laugh out loud moments.
The movie is notable for two brief cameos. The first is a
shot of The Chaplin Studios, seen in the background of the opening scene.
Although only briefly glimpsed, you can clearly see its isolation, allowing one
to note how L.A has grown over the last ninety years. The second cameo comes
from Jackie Coogan, the boy made famous by his heartfelt performance in Chaplin’s
next film, The Kid. Coogan is barely
seen though and has no role other than to sit in a car and get carried onto the
boat by his father. The only other actor to have much of a part is Tom Wilson,
a man who appeared in four of Chaplin’s films as well as D.W. Griffith’s Intolerance
and Birth of a Nation as well as over two-hundred more. Wilson plays a man with whom Charlie fights
following a spousal mix-up. Even Edna Purviance goes without character here,
perhaps going to show how rushed the production was.
When a workshy farmhand (Charlie Chaplin) misplaces a herd
of cows the local town of Sunnyside
suffers the consequences. The young farmhand has even more trouble on his hands
when a well to do city boy (Tom Terriss) arrives in town and has his eyes
firmly set on the hand’s girl (Edna Purviance). Chaplin’s forth film for First National was preceded by the hugely successful Shoulder Arms and proved to be one of his least successful of the
period. Despite this the film holds up fairly well today and has a first act
which is of some note. Unfortunately though the film misses a step with the
introduction of the romantic plot from which it never truly recovers.
The first thing I noticed about the film is that unlike
almost every Chaplin film to come before, there was an actor on second billing.
Most of Chaplin’s early title cards read something along the line of “Charles
Chaplin in…” or “….. with Charlie Chaplin” but Sunnyside reads “Charlie Chaplin in Sunnyside with Edna Purviance”.
I don’t recall seeing another actor’s name so prominently placed on a title
card before this film and it perhaps shows Chaplin’s ever increasing belief in
his leading lady as an actress. As it turns out, Purviance’s role isn’t really
much larger than in the likes of Burlesque on Carmen, The Vagabond or A Dog's Life but it feels like she is the focus of attention for a larger part of
the film.
Having ended his contract with the Mutual Film Corporation
amicably, Charlie Chaplin signed the world’s first One Million Dollar movie
contract in June 1918. This contract gave him total control over production for
a return of eight films. Chaplin decided to build a new studio off Sunset
Boulevard in Los Angeles.
The famous Chaplin Studios were
designed in the style of English country cottages and contained everything
Chaplin would need to develop, film and cut his movies. Chaplin eventually sold
the studios in 1953 and they are now owned by Jim Henson Company.
Chaplin began work on his first film for First National in
early 1918 and A Dog’s Life was
released in April. Over the next four years Chaplin shot eight films at his new
studio for First National during one of the most turbulent times of his career.
In September 1918 he married the seventeen year old actress Mildred Harris in
what was and still is a highly controversial marriage. Harris lied to Chaplin
about being pregnant and the marriage ended in a messy divorce in 1920. During
the same period the star became frustrated with First National’s impatience and
lack of concern for quality and in 1919, while still under contract with First
National created United Artists with fellow actors and directors Mary Pickford,
Douglas Fairbanks and D. W. Griffith. The venture which was self funded and
offered the Hollywood
stars the chance to work freely and independently although Chaplin himself
didn’t make a film with the company until 1922 as he was still under contract
with First National.
