Charlie Chaplin at Keystone and Essanay: Dawn of the Tramp [Paperback]

Ted Okuda (Author), David Maska (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 2005

Charlie Chaplin is universally hailed as the greatest comedic talent in the history of motion pictures. And yet Chaplin’s early efforts—which account for more than half of his total output-are often overlooked in favor of his later films. In 1914 Chaplin appeared in a total of 35 films for the Keystone Film Company; the following year he signed with the Essanay Film Manufacturing Company, where he wrote, directed and starred in more than a dozen short comedies. Though the resulting pictures were frequently crude and erratic, they reveal the emergence of a formidable comic genius. Charlie Chaplin at Keystone and Essanay: Dawn of the Tramp is a film-by-film examination of this period in Chaplin’s career, tracing the birth of his beloved “Tramp” character and his evolution as an actor and filmmaker. Also discussed are how these movies have been re-edited, recopied, reissued and retitled over the years, with a special section that matches pseudonym titles to their original source film. Charlie Chaplin at Keystone and Essanay: Dawn of the Tramp is a fascinating look at the first celluloid steps taken by this legendary laughmaker, and is a must for all Chaplin fans, old and new.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ted Okuda is the author of The Columbia Comedy Shorts and The Monogram Checklist, and co-author of The Jerry Lewis Films and The Golden Age of Chicago Children’s Television. David Maska is a film collector/historian whose articles have appeared in Classic Images and Filmfax.

Product Details

• Paperback: 230 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (August 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595365981
• ISBN-13: 978-0595365982
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,648,471 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good, somewhat sparse, December 30, 2007

By 

Mark Pollock "educator" (Davis, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Charlie Chaplin at Keystone and Essanay: Dawn of the Tramp (Paperback)

I'm not sure what I expected, but I assume that, when a book has a narrow focus, such as this one, there should be a very in depth discussion and understanding of the material covered. That, unfortunately, is not the case here. Some of these reviews are just as cursory as the ones in the 40 year old "Films of Charlie Chaplin" book. It's a shame, really, as all of these films are now available in some form (the Keystones on a multitude of cheap crummy ripoff dvds, and the Essanays on the superb series produced by David Shepard.).

Part of the problem with this book is that the audience is undefined. Is this book written for the rapidly diminishing group of fans who are still collecting 8mm films of Chaplin? Then a large portion of the book serves some purpose, as it is a listing of all the known films and their alternate titles. Most people, however, are content to watch this on dvds, so this section of the book is almost useless.

Also, I purchased this book expecting a new insight into the films as I watch them. Instead, many of films are quickly dismissed. I can dismiss a film quite easily by myself, thank you, I need help appreciating them!

It's a good read, but not really what I expected.

Perhaps the wierdest moment of all was realizing that several of my old Amazon reviews had been quoted (and fully acknowledged) in this book! It's a shame, really - they aren't even very good reviews!

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A new, refreshing approach to familiar territory! Definitely not the same old stuff., November 22, 2005

By 

Scott MacGillivray (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Charlie Chaplin at Keystone and Essanay: Dawn of the Tramp (Paperback)

Many books on Charlie Chaplin deal only summarily with his earliest (and often crudest) films, and authors almost apologize for having to mention them at all. This book reminds us that these Keystone and Essanay productions of 1913-16 represent more than half of Chaplin's output, and film buffs will enjoy reading so much new material.

When Ted Okuda and David Maska told this writer about the publication of this book, I was intrigued by their novel approach to the subject: concentrating entirely upon these often neglected comedies, Okuda and Maska viewed the films in chronological order. This is the first time, to my knowledge, that this simple and very effective approach has been applied to Chaplin. The results are praiseworthy.

We can follow Chaplin's screen character (and his own blossoming talents as a filmmaker) during its formative stages, in the proper sequence. The authors even offer some new evidence that certain films were produced or released in a different order than most Chaplin filmographies indicate.

Okuda and Maska examine the "body of evidence" with objective eyes. This isn't the usual pedantic Chaplin discourse; the tone is disarmingly casual, and meets the reader on common ground as a fellow viewer or a video enthusiast. There are so many alternate versions of the early Chaplin films, and so many bad bootleg prints and videos, that the authors take pains to steer readers toward the optimal viewing experience, and warn them about films that are incomplete or not well preserved.

Not everything Chaplin did was golden: Okuda and Maska are sometimes candid about those improvisational films that were simply haphazard fights or pants-kicking festivals. But the authors do show respect for other tastes, by following their own assessments with a variety of critical viewpoints.

Longtime collectors and home-movie enthusiasts will especially enjoy reading about the dozens and dozens of alternate versions of the Keystones and Essanays. There are also some excellent vintage illustrations, including a beauty of a one-sheet poster from the 1914 comedy "The Knockout" -- this 1920 reissue boldly promotes Chaplin over the actual star, Roscoe Arbuckle.

If you like Charlie Chaplin, you'll like this book. If you love Charlie Chaplin, it's essential reading.

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating look at Chaplin's early film career, September 30, 2005

By 

James L. Neibaur - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Charlie Chaplin at Keystone and Essanay: Dawn of the Tramp (Paperback)

The primitive Keystones and transitional Essanays have been terribly overlooked in studies of Chaplin when compared to coverage from the Mutual period and after. Ted Okuda and Dave Maska have done a nice job of examining this early period of Chaplin's career, when crude slapstick evolved into physical comedy with finesse, and primitive acting techniques evolved into a timeless character with substance. Their assessments and accompanying reviews from a variety of disparate sources for each film makes for a fascinating study about some very significant early movies. The only period of Chaplin's career that has gotten little analysis, the Keystone and Essanay films are essential early efforts from perhaps the single most important figure in the history of motion pictures.