In his autobiography, Chaplin said that before going to work for Keystone, he had seen some of their comedies and didn't care for them. The only thing he liked about them was the girl, Mabel Normand.
Mabel, likewise had liked Chaplin. She had seen his stage act and advised boyfriend, Keystone CEO, Mack Sennett to hire him. When Chaplin and director Pathe Lehrman did not get along on their first film, "Making a Living," Sennett gave Chaplin to Mable to see if she could do anything with him.
This film is a beautiful collaboration between the two of them. As director, Mabel enlarged Chaplin's role which had been a bit part in the script. He was famous for playing a drunk in his karno act, so Mabel lets him play his character drunk here. She just sets up her camera in the hotel lobby and allows Chaplin to do his magic for the camera. In his autobiography, Chaplin mentions that filming these scenes the crew gave him a big ovation. It was the moment that Chaplin realized he could make it in films.
The hotel lobby belongs to Chaplin but the upstairs hotel hallway and opposing rooms belongs to Normand. She is in her pajamas, looking incredibly cute and playing ball with her dog. It should be noted that this was quite a risqué costume for the time. Mable had shocked the world by appearing in a tight Annette Kellerman unitard one piece black bathing suit in "The Water Nymph" two years before. I believe that this is the first pajama scene for an actress. The ball rolls out in the hall. Mabel goes out and pick it up. The dog pushes the door shut behind her. Mabel finds herself locked out of her room wearing only her jammies. Her expressions of embarrassment are hilarious. Today, she seems overacting. Just imagine her being locked out of her room naked and you'll understand the feelings she's trying to convey. Being caught in your pajammas in public in 1914 would have been the equivalent of being caught naked today.
When Chaplin comes up and sees her, she runs into the room across the hall. When people come into the room, she ends up hiding under the bed. Pay attention to her under the bed, when Chaplin enters the room, she gives Chaplin about one minute to do his gags while she watches his legs from the corner of the screen. As director, she had to trust that Chaplin was doing good stuff because she was unable to see him. Only a confident director would do that. Notice also the short close ups of Mabel under the bed. These are great point of view shots which break up the monotony of the stage-audience view that was prevalent until this time. She also uses the mise-en-scene space very well with action often happening in the foreground and deep into the screen's background.
Harry McCoy also does a nice job in the film as Mabel's beau. He gets to play straight man and push Chaplin around a lot. The dog is well trained. The fight action is as well choreographed as any other Keystone film of the time.
Mabel looks absolutely adorable in the last shots where she gets her wedding ring. This is an impressive, solid film by Ms. Normand. She manages to showcase both her own great talents and lets us discover Chaplin's as well. The following year they would be voted the public's favorite screen couple in Photoplay magazine.
We should remember that without her, we possibly would never have had Chaplin.
Mabel, likewise had liked Chaplin. She had seen his stage act and advised boyfriend, Keystone CEO, Mack Sennett to hire him. When Chaplin and director Pathe Lehrman did not get along on their first film, "Making a Living," Sennett gave Chaplin to Mable to see if she could do anything with him.
This film is a beautiful collaboration between the two of them. As director, Mabel enlarged Chaplin's role which had been a bit part in the script. He was famous for playing a drunk in his karno act, so Mabel lets him play his character drunk here. She just sets up her camera in the hotel lobby and allows Chaplin to do his magic for the camera. In his autobiography, Chaplin mentions that filming these scenes the crew gave him a big ovation. It was the moment that Chaplin realized he could make it in films.
The hotel lobby belongs to Chaplin but the upstairs hotel hallway and opposing rooms belongs to Normand. She is in her pajamas, looking incredibly cute and playing ball with her dog. It should be noted that this was quite a risqué costume for the time. Mable had shocked the world by appearing in a tight Annette Kellerman unitard one piece black bathing suit in "The Water Nymph" two years before. I believe that this is the first pajama scene for an actress. The ball rolls out in the hall. Mabel goes out and pick it up. The dog pushes the door shut behind her. Mabel finds herself locked out of her room wearing only her jammies. Her expressions of embarrassment are hilarious. Today, she seems overacting. Just imagine her being locked out of her room naked and you'll understand the feelings she's trying to convey. Being caught in your pajammas in public in 1914 would have been the equivalent of being caught naked today.
When Chaplin comes up and sees her, she runs into the room across the hall. When people come into the room, she ends up hiding under the bed. Pay attention to her under the bed, when Chaplin enters the room, she gives Chaplin about one minute to do his gags while she watches his legs from the corner of the screen. As director, she had to trust that Chaplin was doing good stuff because she was unable to see him. Only a confident director would do that. Notice also the short close ups of Mabel under the bed. These are great point of view shots which break up the monotony of the stage-audience view that was prevalent until this time. She also uses the mise-en-scene space very well with action often happening in the foreground and deep into the screen's background.
Harry McCoy also does a nice job in the film as Mabel's beau. He gets to play straight man and push Chaplin around a lot. The dog is well trained. The fight action is as well choreographed as any other Keystone film of the time.
Mabel looks absolutely adorable in the last shots where she gets her wedding ring. This is an impressive, solid film by Ms. Normand. She manages to showcase both her own great talents and lets us discover Chaplin's as well. The following year they would be voted the public's favorite screen couple in Photoplay magazine.
We should remember that without her, we possibly would never have had Chaplin.