"A Night in the Show" (1915) was the twelfth film made under Charlie Chaplin's contract with Essanay Film Manufacturing Co.
Directed by and starring Chaplin himself, the film was shot at the Majestic Studios in Los Angeles in the fall of 1915.
This is one of the few films in which Charlie Chaplin does not appear in the traditional Tramp costume. He chose to play two different roles in one short: Mr. Pest, a drunk, wealthy, upper-class man dressed in an elegant evening tuxedo, sitting in the front row and disturbing the music section and the artists on stage; and Mr. Rowdy, an equally drunk worker with a huge mustache, sitting in the gallery, disturbing everyone around him, causing chaos, and finally turning on a fire hydrant and, without controlling it, directing a stream of water onto the stage and the audience, and ultimately onto Mr. Pest himself.
Both characters are played by the same actor, Charlie Chaplin, and they wreak incredible havoc during the ongoing theatrical performance—one downstairs, the other upstairs, but they never meet together. In my opinion, Chaplin, through this short comedy, introduces a new form of acting to the world of film, where one actor plays two different roles.
The film was based on the stage play "Mumming Birds"—originally a 1904 sketch by Fred Karno, produced for London's Hackney Empire Theatre, which became the longest-running music hall sketch of its time. Charlie Chaplin appeared in the play from 1908 to 1909, playing the drunkard. The play was extensively performed in theaters, first in London and later in the United States. After arriving in the United States from 1910–1913, Fred Karno's sketch "Mumming Birds," was renamed "A Night in an English Music Hall" for the American tour. It was the most popular music hall sketch, about a drunken audience member disrupting the performances on stage.
By the way, some sources say that the co-creator of this sketch, apart from Fred Karno, was actor and screenwriter William Billy Reeves, who was also a famous actor in Karno's troupe, often playing the role of a drunk spectator.
Charlie Chaplin's biographer, David Robinson, later described this situation perfectly, stating that it was surprising that Chaplin didn't enter into a formal agreement with Fred Karno to adapt the material, especially since the showman was known for jealously guarding his intellectual property. Biographer David Robinson notes that Chaplin expanded on the original, adding new elements that take place both in the auditorium and the theater foyer, and this may have been enough to distinguish Charlie Chaplin's work from Fred Karno's. In later years, many artists used excerpts from this play in their film performances.
In later years, Charlie Chaplin would repeat this trick with even greater effect in his next films: "The Idle Class" (1921) and, most brilliantly, "The Great Dictator" (1940).
Charlie Chaplin often used his old stage tricks, simultaneously perfecting his make-up and, with it, the entire filmic silhouette he so masterfully crafted and perfectly developed, step by step. Early in his career, he experimented with many effects from his early music hall days, which he would soon develop in his later films, giving them a new dimension.
It's clear that Charlie Chaplin took the main theme of his play "A Night in the Show" from Fred Karno's vaudeville play "Mumming Birds," but he took pains to modify the script to avoid violating the law. In 1907, however, someone else emerged who might have inspired Charlie Chaplin to make "A Night in the Show." Who was it? Max Linder and his film "Au Music Hall."
Max enters the theater/operetta completely drunk and completely believes what's happening on stage... so of course he reacts... and thus destroys five acts, ending the brawl with a boxing match with balloons...
Another vaudeville stage destruction. Undeterred, the troublemaker rips off his jacket and gets into a fight with a wrestler, after which he is carried out by the theater manager.
Charlie Chaplin didn't call Max Linder his "professor" for nothing. Linder moved away from the frenetic, theatrical antics popular at the time and created a coherent character: "Max"—a refined, elegant, yet blunder-prone man in a top hat and suit. When they met, they discussed gags and ideas, and Charlie Chaplin admired Max Linder's ability to combine slapstick with charm, often borrowing or adapting concepts from Linder's extensive filmography (some 500 films).
By some coincidence, the film "A Night in the Show" reminds me of a sequel to the comedy "One A.M." (1916). The same drunken rich man in a top hat returns home late at night, drunk, and his attire suggests he's been to the theater for a performance.
After this film, Charlie Chaplin returned to his iconic role as the Tramp, donning his famous too-tight suit, too-large trousers, bowler hat and boots.
The main roles were played by, among others: Charles Chaplin, Edna Purviance, Charlotte Mineau, Dee Lampton, Leo White, Harry Relph, Wesley Ruggles, John Rand, James T. Kelly, Paddy McGuire, May White, Bud Jamison, Phyllis Allen, Fred Goodwins, Charles Insley, Carrie Clark Ward.
The film was produced by Jess Robbins (uncredited).
