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Burlesque on Carmen Clippings 58/101

George Blaisdell, Moving Picture World, New York, April 22, 1916.

Charlie Chaplin‘s Burlesque on Carmen Scenes

„There is an absence of the snap“

Editorial content. „Charlie Chaplin´s Burlesque on Carmen

      The Long-Awaited Essanay– V–L–S–E Four–Part

      Subject Fails to Yield the Usual Chaplin Spark.

      Reviewed by George Blaisdell.

      Very likely a goodly proportion of the legions

of Chaplin‘s admirers will be disappoined in Charlie Chaplin‘s

Burlesque on Carmen, the four-part Essanay subject

issued through the V-L-S-E on April 10. It is the first release

of the comedian‘s for many months, it is doubtful if there

ever has been a picture about which exhibitors for so long a time

have been on the qui vive, or one that by and large has

been so thoroughly publicized. Adding to the curiosity of every

one who knows films has been the knowledge that the

last three Chaplin subjects, taking those as an example, have

been of unusual Chaplin merit. It is only necessary to

name Shanghaied, A Night Out and The Bank and you will

see sparkle the eyes of the Chaplinitis.

      The Burlesque on Carmen, as we said, is in four reels –

and therein lies one part of the trouble. Were the subject

in two reels or in 2,500 feet it would be vastly stronger. In the

fight near the close between Don Jose and his rival

one situation is plainly duplicated – the inference being

that the stunt was done twice that the better of the

two might be chosen.

      There are laughs, to be sure, but they are far apart.

There is an absence of the snap, the slambang to which we are

accustomed. Chaplin opens his bag of tricks, and so

long as only one of a kind is extracted, all is well. It is only

when two of a kind are drawn that the fount of mirth

runs dry. Edna Purviance as Carmen has never figured

to greater advantage than she does in this role.

She is given abundant opportunity and she goes to it.

      In the final scenes it is a novelty to see Chaplin

in tragedy. In the last meeting slapstick is for the moment

laid aside and we see the apostle of broad farce

in a really serious role, And finely he plays it. It is another

demonstration – just as in one of the situations in

The Bank – that the comedian is not limited to the comedy

division of portrayal.“

      Photo. Charlie Chaplin‘s Burlesque on Carmen Scene.

     Essanay‘s Carmen Fake.

     

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