Making a Living

Making a Living - Charlie Chaplin as a stereotypical Keystone villain

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

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
Released February 2, 1914.