MisterWhiplash There are almost too many pratfalls in this short (then again when is there enough when done right). Chaplin plays a prisoner who escapes (his entrance in the movie is just fantastic on the beach), and is chased for a little while by the guards- as he does daring-do to escape like rushing up a cliff-side or doing a fun way of pulling a gun on someone- and then gets away by helping two women from drowning and is sucked up into their bourgeois existence. There's barely a beat when a gag is missed, and Chaplin takes every one. It was in the style of the 'Keystone Kops" series where there were chases and chases and more chases, and just lots of variations on gags. What makes it work is that it's gut-bustingly funny, from how he saves the pretty woman and leaves the other woman still drowning until he goes back (or how he knocks the big man back into the water, having to use his big fake beard to pull him out!). He also uses sliding doors to great usage here. And if memory serves there's even a fun gag involving ice cream! It's nothing brainy, it's just a really fun comic-book like short that utilizes all of Chaplin's physical prowess and his guts, and his timing running up those stairs in the house is one of the most brilliant things out there.

brando647 Charlie Chaplin's THE ADVENTURER fell a bit flat in my opinion. I love the man's films and I consider myself a fan, but this 1917 short failed to get much of a reaction out of me. In the short, Chaplin is a convict who manages to evade capture from the police and finds himself at a pier where he saves the lives of a beautiful woman, her mother, and her jealous suitor. He is brought to their home and nursed to health in time for an extravagant party where he must evade capture once again when the suitor recognizes him from a newspaper article. It's a promising formula but the movie had more than a few moments when the pace slows to a crawl and I found myself a bit bored. I was also distracted by the over-exposure in some of the outdoor scenes (but I can't fault them for that seeing as how film was still a new medium). There were a few bits I loved, such as the stop-motion used for the police officer falling down the cliff-side, Charlie's constant drinking, and his use of a sliding door as a trap. Unfortunately, for every laugh, there was a long period of mediocrity, be it the run-around on the pier or the drawn-out final chase scene. As usual, Chaplin's ensemble does a great job, including the beautiful Edna Purviance and the goofy Eric Campbell. It's not Chaplin's best moment but it's good for a few chuckles.

rdjeffers Monday October 1, 7:00pm, The Paramount Theater The final episode of Charles Chaplin's Mutual period has more in common with Keystone than with the films that followed. The Adventurer is a silly bit of business involving an escaped convict (Chaplin), who evades the prison guards searching for him, then passes himself off as "Commodore Slick" in the home of Judge Brown (Henry Bergman) who comments, "Your face is familiar, Commodore!" Swimming away from the guards (in a stolen swimsuit), Charlie hears the Judge's daughter (Edna Purviance) crying "Save mother! Save her!" The girl's monstrous suitor (Eric Campbell) looks appropriately foolish after Charlie fishes Mrs. Brown from the water. He recuperates as the Brown's guest, until his true identity is discovered from a newspaper photo. Charlie is again on the lam, racing through the house with a dozen policemen on his heals. Funny bits with a scoop of very cold ice cream and a pocket door are highlights

MartinHafer Charlie Chaplin made a dozen short films for Mutual Films and this is one of them. It's a very good film, but also very odd because the Little Tramp is in this case the Little Jail Bird! Charlie playing an escaped prisoner is not that unusual in his early years, but those used to the sweeter character he played in his full-length films won't really recognize this characterization.Despite being a wanted man, Charlie seems pretty decent as he helps several people who fall into the sea. As a result of his efforts, he is taken back to the home of one of the rich people he saved. When he awakens, he thinks, initially, he's in prison. But, once he realizes where he is, he relaxes and has a good time--until the police arrive and a series of mad dashes and chases occur--much like the very beginning of the film.Cute, fun and, all in all, pretty insignificant fare from Chaplin.