Chaplin’s first Essanay Picture was released in February
1915. Chaplin is at a film studio looking for a job. After several bits of
humorous business he is hired as an extra but after being a nuisance on set is
instead demoted to Carpenter’s Assistant. Through a mixture of wit and luck,
Chaplin regains his position in front of the camera and ends up accidentally
wearing the lead actor’s costume. All hell breaks loose when he arrives on set
to find Chaplin in his clothes and Chaplin again uses a mixture of wit, luck
and this time also violence to continue in his job and get revenge on several
characters who had wronged him.
The film marks not only Chaplin’s first film with Essanay
but also his first with fellow comic actor Ben Turpin. The two share a couple
of great scenes together, the first of which involves a fight to get through a
door and is excellent. It’s such a shame that the two actors couldn’t find a
way to work together because on screen at least, they made a great partnership.
Unfortunately a mixture of Turpin’s impatience with Chaplin’s methodical
methods and Chaplin’s jealousy of Turpin’s ability to get laughs, their
partnership went no further.
