14. A Busy Day (1914)

Keystone 1914

Synopsis

Chaplin is a garishly dressed wife attending the opening parade at San Pedro harbour with her husband. The parade comes into view. Crowds line the streets. The husband flirts with the young woman to his right. She young woman gets up and walks away and he follows her unnoticed by his wife (Chaplin). The wife, notices that her husband has left and looks for him in all directions, standing on the bleacher seats to get a better view. The wife sees her husband with the girl, and appalled, topples back into the crowd. Dashing across the path of the parade she encounters a newsreel being made and, mesmerised, she poses for a moment in front of the camera. The director brings over a policeman who orders her to go. She kicks him. The director shoves her into a second policeman and a tit for tat fight ensues. In pursuit of her husband again she is momentarily distracted by a band and does an eccentric dance. When she finds husband and girl canoodling on the waterfront she attacks them both and in the melee ends up in the harbour.

chaplin_credits

Director/Scenario:

Charles Chaplin

Cast:

Charles Chaplin (Woman)

Mack Swain (Husband)

Mack Sennett (Film Director)

Billy Gilbert (Cop/Man in white shirt)

Shooting day:

April 11

Negative sent from LA:

April 18

Received in New York:

April 24

Released:

May 4 1914

Length:

.441ft

Keystone working title:

San Pedro

Other titles:

A Militant Suffragette, Busy As Can Be, Lady Charlie