The Tramp

This is the short feature in which Chaplin introduced his famous "Tramp" character, and it would be worth watching for that alone. The character is pretty well-defined, and is already recognizable as the one who would appear in many later films. The movie itself is pretty good, although not one of Chaplin's best, and it features the kinds of material that Chaplin would soon afterward learn to film as well as anyone of his time.

The story takes "The Tramp" through a series of events, from his desperate efforts to scratch up some food, to finding a sympathetic family, to facing up to his lot in life. It has some good comic moments, a little bit of excitement, and also some worthwhile thoughtful moments, just as in all of Chaplin's best movies. Here, the main thing keeping it from being better is that the best material is interspersed with some more routine sequences.

On the whole, there's certainly enough to make it worth watching in itself, and it is also one that all Chaplin fans will want to see so that they can watch the origins of Charlie's trademark role.