His Trysting Place (2 reels) (1914) starring Charlie Chaplin, Mack Swain, Mabel Normand, Phyllis Allen
In His Trysting Place, Charlie’s wife, Mabel Normand, sends him to the store to get a baby bottle of milk; Mack Swain’s wife sends him out, and he offers to mail a letter for a young lady. After the two meet and accidentally swap coats, Mable thinks that Charlie’s having an affair, and Mack’s wife thinks he has an illegitimate child!
The female of the species is more deadlier than the mail.
Setting the stage
At the start of “His Trysting Place“, Charlie Chaplin and Mabel Normand are having a chaotic day at home. Meanwhile, Mack Swain and Phyllis Allen are on their honeymoon. And in the lobby, a young lady starts the conflict unwittingly. She’s written a letter to her “Snooky Ookums” wanting to meet him in “their trysting place” later — and asks Mack to mail it.
Conflict at the Diner
At a diner, Charlie and Mack meet. And with Mack’s sneezing into his soup, and Charlie’s short temper, a fight breaks out! And Charlie leaves, accidentally grabbing Mack’s coat on the way out. Which leads to the wives’ suspicions …
The wives suspect the worst
At their home, Mabel finds the “Snooky Ookums” letter in Charlie’s coat! He’s cheating on her? The cad! So she slaps the innocent Charlie Chaplin in the face! At the park, Phyllis finds a baby bottle in Mack Swain’s coat pocket. Does he have a baby? But they’re newlyweds!
His Trysting Place in the Park?
Finally, things come to a head in the park, where the two couples meet. And the only thing that prevents a fight is a police officer walking by. But, once the two men realize that they’ve got the wrong coats, everything is straightened out. Except for poor Mack, who now has the “Snooky Ookums” letter in his pocket!
Cast of characters
- Charlie Chaplin (Limelight; The Great Dictator) … Clarence – the Husband
- Mabel Normand (Mabel’s Strange Predicament) … Mabel – the Wife
- Mack Swain (The Gold Rush) … Ambrose
- Phyllis Allen (The Vagabond) … Ambrose’s Wife
Additional Cast
- Helen Carruthers (His Prehistoric Past) … Clarice (uncredited)
- Glen Cavender (A Fair Exchange) … Cook / Park Police Officer (uncredited)
- Nick Cogley (Caught in a Cabaret) … Bearded Diner (uncredited)
- Ted Edwards (The Rounders) … Diner with White Shoes (uncredited)
- Vivian Edwards (Dough and Dynamite) … Woman Outside Restaurant (uncredited)
- Edwin Frazee (Those Love Pangs) … Thrown Pie Recipient (uncredited)
- Billy Gilbert (The Music Box) … Diner in Overalls (uncredited)
- Frank Hayes … Diner in Bowler (uncredited)
Trivia
- His Trysting Place is among the 34 short films included in the “Chaplin at Keystone” DVD collection.