Charlie Chaplin’s 13th Essanay film is loosely
based on Georges Bizet’s famous opera Carmen
and stars Chaplin as Darn Hosiery, a Spanish Officer on watch at a popular
smuggling point. Local barman Lillas Pastia (Jack Henderson) persuades an
attractive gypsy girl, Carmen (Edna Purviance) to distract the guard while they
smuggle their goods. Despite having no interest in the man Carmen uses her
charms to distract Hosiery who ends up in a love quartet for the gypsy’s heart.
Burlesque on Carmen is
an above average Essanay picture and features some nice subtle comedy as well
as the usual trips, kicks and pokes. It also features the first noticeably
decent performance from Chaplin regular Edna Purviance.
