Kids Auto Races

Several years back, historian Bo Bergland dug deep into the shooting dates of KID AUTO RACES and MAKING A LIVING and found that Kid Auto Races was shot first (!) but released later. While I don't remember the specifics, it had something to do with checking out puddles of water on the ground (or lack thereof) evident in the two films and then checking weather reports in the local papers of the time. I don't remember if he ever published his findings - but what a piece of detective work!

So by his findings - The Tramp was the first charcater CC ever performed in front of a camera!

'What one loves about life are the things that fade.' - Michael Cimino's HEAVEN'S GATE

I remember Blackhawk released a beautiful print of KIDS AUTO RACES-one of the best quality silent films I ever owned (it was on a reel with A BUSY DAY, and had a piano score). But I noticed some footage was missing that I had remembered seeing in other prints, although I can't remember what specifically.

On a similar note- was Blackhawk's restored print of ONE A.M. missing some stuff that their older version had? I seem to remember a part where Chaplin climbs to the top of the stairs, slips, and slides down to the bottom. I don't think Blackhawk's newer version had this.

I always found Kid Auto Races to be a very interesting example of early Chaplin and early filmmaking. I liked showing that to my junior high students when I taught a History of Film unit in Mass Media class.

I've noticed this phenomena in other silents I own copies of...for example, I have two copies of Keaton's 'Sherlock Jr'; one is from a decent 16mm print, the other is the restored Kino Video version... the Kino version is missing a trick shot Keaton performs in a pool table scene, which is in the 16mm version... I wonder if, perhaps, video companies sometimes do a little 'creative editing' on these old films, in an attempt to protect their product from bootlegging? All the pre-First National Chaplin silents are in public domain...so, anyone can put them out on video...but, what if a company 'fingerprints' its source material by doing what they figure is some unobtrusive editing (not considering what they're doing to us mavens, of course)...

-Unka Denny

'Excuse me a minute, my ear is full of milk...' -Oliver Hardy

No, No... you're misremembering. The piece (in 'Sight & Sound', Spring '89) attempted to show that Mabel's Strange Predicament was filmed before Kid's Auto Races. 'Making a Living' had nothing to do with it.

Anyone who sees this film may sympathize with Doug's annoyance at its failure to maintain a consistent p.o.v. It's definitely an improvised mishmash. In the context of other Keystones, though, it's not that unusual, so we'd have to sit through them all (non-Chaplins included) to be sure it was the worst film ever made.

But if you're intersted in Chaplin's year of apprenticeship at Keystone there's plenty there to see. Since it has no plot, it becomes a series of experiments in playing to the camera. And since CC was new to films, this was probably a skill he was self-consciously developing. I believe David Robinson points out that _A Busy Day_ (another stinker) looks like an exercise in shot-matching. Indeed it is

I loved this movie too,one for it being interesting since it was the beginning of Chaplin's movie career, and also because it's so funny. I also like to watch the crowds reaction to the tramp, which is one of the reasons why I also like Mable's Busy Day.

Ever Smiling, Calvero

I certainly didn't mean to imply the film isn't fascinating - obviously it has great historical interest. I love watching the crowd's reaction to

Why should it be the estate's 'moral duty' to preserve films on which CC never shared any ownership? Although restoring the early Chaplins

I love the fact that NOBODY in the crowd knew who CC was, and 6 months later they'd ALL be bragging about how they were there...

The chances are that they simply had an inferior print. However, your idea wouldn't surprise me at all.