MisterWhiplash Tramp's first appearance and... he's a punk. Fun and meta at first, at least in the way that it's a movie about movie-making at a time when that was a fresh idea, but wears out its welcome as it's a one-note gag. There's not really any of Chaplin's great comically timed physical gags, it's just him being an a-hole getting in the way of a camera crew as they try to get footage of cars racing by. I wish there was more to it as Chaplin clearly already owns the role, but there's none of the charm or innocence yet. Guess these things would take time to alter, though unlike, say, Mickey Mouse's early appearances (comparing to iconic comic figures of the early 20th century), being an ass doesn't suit the Tramp so well, at least not to this extent (if maybe he'd just interacted with another character or built upon something that'd be one thing).

Horst in Translation ([email protected]) But this short film has no chance of making the podium. It's basically slightly more than six (in the original version even eleven) minutes of the Tramp basically getting in the way of everything and everybody: watching bystanders, photographers, race-cars.It gets repetitive pretty quickly and you have to be a huge Chaplin fanatic in order to see the good in this film. Maybe the reason for this lacking the usual charm of the Chaplin movies was that this one was neither written nor directed by the master himself, but by notable silent film director Henry Lehrman, who also took the chance to star alongside Chaplin in a film that gave birth to one of the most notable characters in movie history: The Tramp. Getting started is the hardest part and just like with the cars in "Kid Auto Races at Venice" it proves true and a challenging effort to get the motor going. I think we can forgive him for this one as the majority of what he came up with in the next 25 years purrs like a kitten to this day.

WakenPayne ...But To Be Honest I Don't Particularly Care. After I Saw "The Kid", "The Gold Rush" & "City Lights" I Must've Gone On A Chaplin Craze. I Went To See This. This Movie Overall Doesn't Have Much In The Way Of Laughs...No Let Me Clarify That This Movie Doesn't Have ANYTHING In The Way Of Laughs. This Would Only Be Watched By People Who Are Chaplin Fans & Want To Honestly Say "Yep I've Seen The Tramp's First Appearance On Screen" But To Your Average Joe To Charles Chaplin Movies This Movie Overall (At The Risk Of Sounding Unoriginal) Sucks.The Plot Is Where Chaplin Walks In The Way Of The Auto-Race & Gets Hit & Told To Go Back To His Seat. This Tramp Is Not The Same Character! The Tramp In The Full Length Movies Is Kind & Somewhat Lovable. This One Is Crude & Somewhat Someone That You Never Want To Meet. Overall I Hated This Movie & Nobody Should Ever Have To See It.

JoeytheBrit This was the film which introduced Charlie Chaplin's Tramp character to the world and, while by today's standards it isn't particularly entertaining, given the quality of the competition at that time it's easy to understand why Chaplin (and the tramp) became popular so quickly.Back in the early days of cinema the studios cranked out films at an incredible rate just to keep up with demand, and it's understandable that much of what was produced was well below standard. A director, a cameraman and two or three actors would wander the streets looking for suitable locations, and then, when they found somewhere, just make stuff up and hope it was funny.Most of the time it was pretty lame, but Chaplin here at least shows a modicum of talent and originality as he lampoons the average man's propensity to abandon his dignity and self-respect if it means he can stand in front of a movie camera for a few seconds. It still goes on today - just check out the witless oafs who crouch slightly in the background and wave their arms while grinning inanely while a news reporter delivers his TV bulletin on the streets - and it at least shows a level of observation lacking from most movies of its day. The joke lasts too long - even Chaplin can't wring six-minutes worth of laughs out of such a simple concept - but it's still fairly interesting to watch.