Grading The Chaplin Features...

External Since: Jul 16, 2003 Posts: 671

James Neibaur (jneibaur@wi.rr.com) writes:
> Feuillade 2/19/06 8:50 AM
>
>> Nah -- because if you give a film like "Easy Street" the A it deserves,
>> then what do you give "The Fireman"? Certainly not an A.
>
> Gotcha! Exactly!
>
> A King in New York, then, is not an F. Not when something that is truly
> reprehensible and so much worse would be an F. Same as your criteria
> regarding Easy Street, which is clearly a much better film than The Fireman
> so they could not both get the absolute highest possible grade.
>
> King in NY is an average movie. Chaplin is better than average, so we
> expect more (especially since you likely first saw this, as I did, after we
> were already quite clear as to Chaplin's genius). There are brief funny
> moments in King when Chaplin targets wide screen movies, or loud music in a
> quaint cafe. But it is preachy and uneven. Of course you may
> understandably hate the movie, but I don't see where it would objectively
> rank with the absolute lowest possible grade alongside Manos Hands of Fate.
> If you think about it, by your objective assessment, it would probably get a
> D as being far below the standard set by the filmmaker (I think it is better
> than that, but only average, which is bad for Chaplin, ok for The Ritz
> Brothers).
>
> Ok, the Mutual films, and no kidding this time.
>
> The Floorwalker A

A weak ending. I'd give it a B+

> The Fireman B
> The Vagabond B

In spite of the weak ending, a beautiful, lyrical film. A-

> One A.M. B
> ----note on the above two -- I think they are more interesting than funny

The Murphy bed is very funny. B+

> The Count B

Better than _The Fireman_. B+

> The Pawnshop

Ingenious, but formulaic. A-

> Behind the Screen B
> The Rink A
> Easy Street As

Definitely an A+

> The Cure A
> The Immigrant A

A+

> The Adventurer B

I'd give that one an A-, if for no other reason for the great byplay
with Campbell.

Connie K.

> I would suggest ranking the Essanays next, but everyone runs and hides
> whenever I bring them up. Maybe it's because I like them better than the
> First Nationals, but that's just my wacky opinion. I would try to be a bit
> more objective if we were playing ratings game.
>
> JN
> (who is ready to go off topic and rate the Three Stooges two-reelers, but
> only George would play along and there would be a nasty Shemp argument.)
=

External Since: Jul 16, 2003 Posts: 671

"Richard Carnahan" (rfcsac627n@aol.com) writes:
> James Neibaur wrote:
>> Feuillade 2/19/06 8:50 AM
>>
>> > Nah -- because if you give a film like "Easy Street" the A it deserves,
>> > then what do you give "The Fireman"? Certainly not an A.
>>
>> Gotcha! Exactly!
>>
>> A King in New York, then, is not an F. Not when something that is truly
>> reprehensible and so much worse would be an F. Same as your criteria
>> regarding Easy Street, which is clearly a much better film than The Fireman
>> so they could not both get the absolute highest possible grade.
>>
>> King in NY is an average movie. Chaplin is better than average, so we
>> expect more (especially since you likely first saw this, as I did, after we
>> were already quite clear as to Chaplin's genius). There are brief funny
>> moments in King when Chaplin targets wide screen movies, or loud music in a
>> quaint cafe. But it is preachy and uneven. Of course you may
>> understandably hate the movie, but I don't see where it would objectively
>> rank with the absolute lowest possible grade alongside Manos Hands of Fate.
>> If you think about it, by your objective assessment, it would probably get a
>> D as being far below the standard set by the filmmaker (I think it is better
>> than that, but only average, which is bad for Chaplin, ok for The Ritz
>> Brothers).
>>
>> Ok, the Mutual films, and no kidding this time.
>>
>> The Floorwalker A
>> The Fireman B
>> The Vagabond B
>> One A.M. B
>> ----note on the above two -- I think they are more interesting than funny
>> The Count B
>> The Pawnshop A
>> Behind the Screen B
>> The Rink A
>> Easy Street A
>> The Cure A
>> The Immigrant A
>> The Adventurer B
>>
> I'd give THE ADVENTURER an A. I've never seen a comedy--silent or
> sound--go over better with an audience.

That wouldn't be unreasonable. I think I tend to underrate it slightly
because its source print seems to be a generation or two removed from
the other Mutuals.

Connie K.