Making a Living (1914) starring Charlie Chaplin
Making a Living was made in 1914 for the Keystone movie studio. It was Charlie Chaplin‘s first movie role. In many ways, it is a typical Keystone picture, short (15 minutes) with lots of slapstick and energy. Charlie Chaplin is not his well-known tramp clown here.
In Making A Living, Charlie Chaplin plays a swindler who tries to become a reporter, stealing a competing reporter’s camera with a picture of a car going over a cliff, taking credit for the photo himself, and then trying to avoid the other photographer when the picture gets published.
In short, a high-energy film, entertaining though not laugh-out-loud funny. It’s mostly worth seeing for its’ historical interest as Charlie Chaplin’s first film appearance. It’s available on DVD as part of The Actors: Rare Films of Charlie Chaplin
a stereotypical Keystone villain
Trivia for Making a Living
- In addition to Charlie Chaplin, many other early film clowns make an appearance. These include Billy Gilbert, Chester Conklin, and Edgar Kennedy
Cast of characters
- Charlie Chaplin … Edgar English – Swindler
- Emma Clifton … Jealous Husband’s Wife
- Chester Conklin (Between Showers) … Policeman / Bum
- Alice Davenport (Cruel, Cruel Love) … Mother
- Minta Durfee (Twenty Minutes of Love) … Girl
- Billy Gilbert (The Music Box) … Jealous Husband
- Beverly Griffith … Seated Man with Editor
- Charles Inslee (A Night in the Show) … Newspaper Editor
- Edgar Kennedy (From Soup to Nuts) … Wreck Bystander
- Virginia Kirtley … Daughter
- Keystone Kops (Coney Island) … Cops
- Henry Lehrman … Reporter
- Grover Ligon … Bald Man in Newspaper Office
- Edward Nolan (Recreation) … Cop at Apartment Steps
- Tammany Young … Onlooker
Updated June 15, 2022