Short Film: A brief history February 2, 2007
Posted by Daniel Stephens in : Artfully Deranged, Short Film , trackbackIn 1914, at the age of 24, Charlie Chaplin wanted to create a new persona. Working for Keystone Pictures in Hollywood, he journeyed into the wardrobe department and exited with the costume and make-up of the character he would become famous for. Chaplin’s Tramp, his most iconic comic creation, was born. ‘He had invented many stage characters before, and he would continue to experiment with others on the screen; but no figure that he or any other comedian created would ever be so potent.’ (Robinson, 1997. pg. 84)
He first showcased the Tramp in the film The Kid Auto Races at Venice, which was followed in 1914 with a drunken Chaplin chasing a woman named Mabel, after she locks herself out of her hotel room. The convoluted tale of embarrassment and sexual irony didn’t amount to one of Chaplin’s most popular films, but the slapstick humour such as him falling down stairs and manic brawls with the hotel’s waiters, proved he was eagerly learning his craft. The film entitled Mabel’s Strange Predicament was a stepping stone for Chaplin’s career to blossom. David Robinson writes: ‘Chaplin revealed qualities that were then quite new to film comedy – mime that achieved the highest level of acting art, pathos, and daring commentary on social issues.’ (Robinson, 1997. pg. 85) By 1918 he had built his own studio.
Both The Kid Auto Races at Venice and Mabel’s Strange Predicament were short films. The name derives from its initial use of ‘short subject’ that referred to shorter films that would accompany feature length movies. These short one or two reel films would usually precede the feature and this practice became commonplace in America during the 1910s.
Chaplin wasn’t the only would-be star to profit from Keystone Pictures producer Mack Sennett’s ambitious use of the short film. ‘Sennett continued producing two-reel comedies starring such comics as Andy Clyde and W.C. Fields. He also signed an up-and-coming singer named Bing Crosby for a series of six short films, establishing Crosby’s appeal on the big screen.’ (Eder, 2004)
Many famous actors such as Buster Keaton, and Laurel and Hardy started their careers in this fashion, starring in short films that would be screened before the main feature began. The form was so popular, other genres surfaced such as animation and non-fiction newsreels, and many of the major production companies had outlets that made short films primarily, with some smaller companies working exclusively with the short subject. (Read full essay)
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