A lot of Charlie Chaplin comedies are overdone with pathos and sentiment. He seemed to think that his public should constantly be reminded of poverty and deprivation in his films. This grows irksome rather quickly and his legacy has been affected. Fortunately, his short films still contain his best work overall. "The Rink" is one of them as there is no pathos, just comedy. Chaplin plays a waiter who after causing utter chaos at the restaurant, does the same at a local roller skating rink. We have Chaplin's usual cast of actors: Edna Purviance, Eric Campbell, Henry Bergen and Albert Austin. The slapstick takes place at the restaurant and roller skating rink and it is excellent. Chaplin uses the various props to the best of his advantage. A masterpiece!
Review of The Rink
