Twenty Minutes of Love

Twenty Minutes of Love, starring Charlie Chaplin originally released April 20, 1914

 Charlie Chaplin is quoted as having said, “All I need to make a comedy is a park, a policeman, and a pretty girl.” Twenty Minutes of Love is proof of that statement.   A funny short silent film, Twenty Minutes of Love is, in fact, 20 minutes long, and deals with Charlie Chaplin walking through a park on a summer’s day, observing young people in love.   At first mocking the young couples, Charlie the Little Tramp is soon envious, and trying to get in on the act.

Literally getting pushed off a bench, and then pushing the young man (Edgar Kennedy) off the bench, trying (and failing) to take his place.   The lovebirds succeed in planting the suggestion that he should find his own girl, and off he goes.  

Token of affection

While literally beating the bushes, the audience finds another young couple, with a young man (Chester Conklin) trying to impress his young lady by giving her … something.   However, he doesn’t have the mysterious “something” and so off he goes to procure it, leaving the young lady alone …  As Charlie finds her, and tries to win her heart.   But she still wants some token of affection, so Charlie goes off to find one.

In the meantime, her first suitor has found a man sleeping on a park bench … and steals his pocket watch.   While the pickpocket tries to find the young lady, Charlie finds the pickpocket … and steals the stolen pocket watch.   The situation is set, and is very funny.  As the pickpocket tries to give the young women the stolen watch, only to find he doesn’t have it.  A nervous Charlie has to walk past a police officer, and later gives the stolen watch to the young lady.   This makes the pickpocket very irritated, leading to a fight between himself, Charlie and the woman.

Later, Charlie tries to sell the stolen watch back to its’ rightful owner.  Blissfully unaware that this man is the rightful owner.   The film ends in a free for all fight, with various innocent (and not so innocent) bystanders being knocked into the park’s lake, one or two at a time.   A very funny silent short film, and a good indication of why Keystone was deluged with requests for more Charlie Chaplin films.

Watch Charlie Chaplin in Twenty Minutes of Love for free courtesy of Rumble.

Cast of characters

• Charlie Chaplin … Pickpocket
• Minta Durfee (Cruel, Cruel Love) … Edgar’s Girl
• Edgar Kennedy (The Star Boarder) … Lover
• Gordon Griffith … Boy
• Chester Conklin (Dough and Dynamite) … Pickpocket
• Josef Swickard … Pickpocket’s Victim
• Hank Mann (Tango Tangles) … Sleeper

Trivia about Twenty Minutes of Love starring Charlie Chaplin

Also released as:

• Charlie får vårfeber (Sweden)
• Charlot, de conquista (Spain)
• Cops and Watches
• He Loves Her So
• Love-Friend
• Veinte minutos de amor (Spain)

(updated June 27, 2024)