Easy Street Clippings 57/81
Peter Milne, Motion Picture News, New York, February 24, 1917
Crowds waiting to attend the first anniversary performance
at the Rialto, New York, S. L. Rothapfel, managing director, and
a view of the big „fireworks“ sign.
(...) What Theater Men Are Doing
AN OPEN FORUM FOR EXHIBITORS
America‘s Classic Picture House
The Rialto, New York‘s celebrated temple of the motion
picture, recently celebrated its first anniversary
in a way to commemorate fittingly a year that has been
successful beyond all expectation.
(…) Motography, Chicago, May 26, 1917
„The bum of the first scene“
Editorial content. „Easy Street
(Chaplin-Mutual – Two Reels)
Reviewed by Peter Milne
CHARLIE CHAPLIN‘S walk was never so funny
as in Easy Street. He seems to be featuring
it again. He brings the wild chase in too, the dodging, the
tripping and the allied slapstick arts. In our innocence
we once thought that the chase of this sort had gone out
of style, so to speak, but when we saw an audience
at the Rialto convulsed over it all our eyes were opened.
There are innumerable highly amusing gags in
Easy Street too. In fact the by-play of Chaplin was never
so amusing. It is appreciated, but no clever
incidental business can ever eclipse the chase in the
fan‘s heart.
A good production was given the picture and the
supporting cast, headed by Edna Purviance, is
equal to any situation. You can use the catch line, ,A laugh
in Every Scene,‘ in advertising Easy Street and your
conscience won‘t hurt a bit.
THE STORY AND PLAYERS
Chaplin is introduced as a member of the dregs of
society. He dozes outside a mission as the strains
of ,Onward Christian Soldiers‘ float out on the air. He goes
in and sees the fair leader of the mission and then
and there decides to reform. He becomes a policeman and
is given Easy street to patrol. You have been shown
before that Easy street is only easy for the toughs. One by one
policemen are brought in to headquarters beaten
to a pulp. But Chaplin meanders innocently down the street.
The gang leader, a big brute of a fellow, he overcomes
by sticking his head in the globe of a lamp post and turning
on the gas. He previously tries hitting him over the
head with a club, but it has no effect. Finally, due to the new
cop, Easy street is made respectable, and the young
mission lady is rewarded for placing her faith in the bum of the
first scene.“
Photo. „Charlie Finds Himself On Easy Street“
Rialto Theatre, Broadway and 42nd Street, New York.
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