Dual roles in a single setting for Charlie Chaplin, who invades an inept theatrical performance as both a snooty, sneering front-row aristocrat and a woefully drunken hobo up in the balcony. Neither has much interest in the show, what with the search for a fitting seat and/or a roaring good time, but it doesn't look like they're missing much. The rest of the house is far more entertained by the clumsy interruptions of their fellow spectators than the main act, and the whole scene quickly flies way off the handle. Despite playing multiple parts, Chaplin actually saves a fair amount of screen time for his support acts: a bumbling orchestra section, a food-toting man child, a nervous singing duo and many more bite-sized bits. The gags never let up, not even for a second, with several laughs greatly enhanced by the rapid film speed. Not a lot of story to go around, but plenty of material, if that makes sense.
Review of A Night in the Show
