Product Description

A Chaplin double feature starring Edna Purviance and Jackie Coogan. "The Kid" (1921, 68 min.) was director Charlie Chaplin's first full-length film and is considered one of his best. Co-starring five-year-old Coogan, whom Chaplin discovered on a Los Angeles vaudeville stage, "The Kid" is the story of a child abandoned in a limousine by his unwed mother (Purviance). When The Little Tramp finds him, he tries unsuccessfully to find a home for the boy. Obliged to keep him, The Little Tramp teaches the youngster about life on the streets and just as they have bonded and become a family, the boy's mother returns in a bittersweet finale. "A Dog's Life" (1918, 35 min.) is not only the satisfying story of canine and human underdogs succeeding in spite of the odds against them, it's also a series of side-splitting gags and slapstick routines that are as funny today as they were when the film was released and became an instant hit.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #138309 in DVD
• Released on: 2000-02-08
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Black & White, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 103 minutes

Customer Reviews

The most underrated movie of all time?
The Kid is a wonderful movie, which all too few people have even heard of (even those familiar with some silents). Chaplin's first feature film involves his hilarious and touching adventures after "adopting" an abandonned child (played by a young Jackie Coogan - you'd never recognize the future Uncle Fester). And the portrayal of overzealous child "protectors" ripping apart families unfortunately still rings true today. The one minor misstep in the entire movie is the brief dream sequence towards the end, which slows down the momentum right at the climax. Still, one of the greatest movies ever made, and probably the most underrated. The Idle Class isn't nearly at the level of The Kid, but it's thrown in as a bonus and has some very funny moments.

Well done reissue - sorry to see it out of print
This film was masterfully restored by David Shepherd for the Chaplin family, and was released in this version on Laserdisc and, later, DVD. The quality is awesome, and Shepherd was able to restore several cuts that Chaplin made in later reissues, cuts that changed the motivation of characters at several key moments. The quality of the film is astounding, especially for an 80+ year old film!

As far as the story goes, it is rather lean on gags, but big on heroics, with many amusing situations and a couple of unforeseen plot twists. Even children will like this film, despoite the fact that there's no color and no talking!!

The Kid: With a smile and perhaps a tear
The Kid remains my favorite Chaplin film. The first time I saw it I actually cried. It continues to amuse and move (I show it to college film students each semester and they love it). Consider this: Chaplin stared, directed, produced, wrote the script and even composed the musical score!

Another item that may increase your appreciation of this film: Chaplin and his wife had just had a baby die when he began developing the idea of having his alter-ego, the Tramp, raise a baby. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't have the strength to share my pain with ten million people by turning it into a movie.

This gem belongs in any video collection. Enjoy!