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| ~The Pilgrim~ 1923 |
| ~Plot Synopsis~ |
In the final film of his First National contract (an early working title was The Tail End), Charlie Chaplin
spoofs small-town life and morality. Chaplin is an escaped convict who steals the clothes of a swimming
minister. At the railroad station he nearly gives himself away by guiltily running away from an eloping
couple who want him to perform an impromptu wedding. He boards a train and travels to a small town,
Devil's Gulch, Texas, where he is welcomed by his congregation, who have never met the new reverend
they've been expecting. He meets the townsfolk and is enchanted by Edna Purviance, in whose house he
will be boarding. Chaplin arrives just in time for church services and on the way he picks a liquor bottle
from the pocket of a large Deacon, only to have it break when they both slip on a banana peel. The
Deacon thinks that the spilled whisky has come from his pocket. The plucky fugitive goes along with the
ruse and after seeing to the church collection, pitting one side of the congregation against the other in
competition to see who contributes the most, he gives a wonderful sermon in pantomime -- the story of
David and Goliath. His story is so effective that a young boy breaks into wild applause which Chaplin
acknowledges with the aplomb of a seasoned theatrical. At the home of Purviance and her Mother, his
impersonation is severely tested by a visit from a couple with a mischievous child, Dinky Dean Riesner.
(In later recollections Riesner tells of how he had to be cajoled into punching and slapping his "Uncles"
Charlie and Syd, something abhorrent to him in real life). A stroll with Purviance through town brings
him face to face with a former cellmate, who is invited home for tea by the unsuspecting Purviance.
During the visit he observes the hiding place of Mother's mortgage money and Chaplin valiantly but
unsuccessfully tries to prevent the crook from stealing it. When the thief escapes, Chaplin gives chase,
but the sheriff, by now aware of Chaplin's identity as an escapee, causes everyone to believe that the two
are in league. Chaplin however, overpowers the crook and returns the money to Purviance. When the
Pilgrim's true intentions are revealed, rather than arresting him, the sheriff escorts him to the Mexican
border. He orders the fugitive to pick a bouquet of flowers. When Chaplin obeys, the sheriff boots him
across the border and takes off, leaving him stranded between warring bandit factions on one side, and
arrest as a fugitive on the other, slowly walking into the sunset with one foot in Mexico and the other in
the USA.
Plot Synopsis by Phil Posner, AllMovie.com
spoofs small-town life and morality. Chaplin is an escaped convict who steals the clothes of a swimming
minister. At the railroad station he nearly gives himself away by guiltily running away from an eloping
couple who want him to perform an impromptu wedding. He boards a train and travels to a small town,
Devil's Gulch, Texas, where he is welcomed by his congregation, who have never met the new reverend
they've been expecting. He meets the townsfolk and is enchanted by Edna Purviance, in whose house he
will be boarding. Chaplin arrives just in time for church services and on the way he picks a liquor bottle
from the pocket of a large Deacon, only to have it break when they both slip on a banana peel. The
Deacon thinks that the spilled whisky has come from his pocket. The plucky fugitive goes along with the
ruse and after seeing to the church collection, pitting one side of the congregation against the other in
competition to see who contributes the most, he gives a wonderful sermon in pantomime -- the story of
David and Goliath. His story is so effective that a young boy breaks into wild applause which Chaplin
acknowledges with the aplomb of a seasoned theatrical. At the home of Purviance and her Mother, his
impersonation is severely tested by a visit from a couple with a mischievous child, Dinky Dean Riesner.
(In later recollections Riesner tells of how he had to be cajoled into punching and slapping his "Uncles"
Charlie and Syd, something abhorrent to him in real life). A stroll with Purviance through town brings
him face to face with a former cellmate, who is invited home for tea by the unsuspecting Purviance.
During the visit he observes the hiding place of Mother's mortgage money and Chaplin valiantly but
unsuccessfully tries to prevent the crook from stealing it. When the thief escapes, Chaplin gives chase,
but the sheriff, by now aware of Chaplin's identity as an escapee, causes everyone to believe that the two
are in league. Chaplin however, overpowers the crook and returns the money to Purviance. When the
Pilgrim's true intentions are revealed, rather than arresting him, the sheriff escorts him to the Mexican
border. He orders the fugitive to pick a bouquet of flowers. When Chaplin obeys, the sheriff boots him
across the border and takes off, leaving him stranded between warring bandit factions on one side, and
arrest as a fugitive on the other, slowly walking into the sunset with one foot in Mexico and the other in
the USA.
Plot Synopsis by Phil Posner, AllMovie.com
| Written & Directed by: Charles Chaplin |
| ~Cast~ Charles Chaplin ... The Pilgrim Edna Purviance ... Miss Brown Kitty Bradbury ... Mrs. Brown, Edna's Mother Syd Chaplin ... Eloper / Train Conductor / Little Boy's Father (as Sydney Chaplin) Mack Swain ... Deacon Mai Wells ... Little Boy's Mother Dean Riesner ... Little Boy (as Dinky Reisner) Loyal Underwood ... Elder Charles Reisner ... Howard Huntington, Crook (as Chuck Reisner) Tom Murray ... Sheriff Bryan Henry Bergman ... Sheriff on Train / Man In Railroad Station Phyllis Allen ... Congregation Member (uncredited) Frank Antunez ... Bandit (uncredited) Sarah Barrows ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) Monta Bell ... Policeman (uncredited) Edith Bostwick ... Congregation Member (uncredited) George Bradford ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) William Carey ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) George Carruthers ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) Mickey Daniels ... Sniffling Kid in Church (uncredited) Marion Davies ... Congregation Member (uncredited) Laddie Earle ... Congregation Member (uncredited) J. Espan ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) Miss Evans ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) Callie Frey ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) Della Glowner ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) Lee Glowner ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) Theresa Gray ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) F.F. Guenste ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) Charles Hafler ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) Mary Hamlett ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) Cecile Harcourt ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) Martha Harris ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) Anna Hicks ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) Harry Hicks ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) Carl Jensen ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) Mrs. C. Johnson ... Congregation Member (uncredited) Ethel Kennedy ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) Emily Lamont ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) Florence Latimer ... Congregation Member (uncredited) Raymond Lee ... Boy in Congregation (uncredited) Frank Liscomb ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) Agnes Lynch ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) Paul Mason ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) Jack McCredie ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) Beth Nagel ... Congregation Member (uncredited) Donnabelle Ouster ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) Catherine Parrish ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) Mildred Pitts ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) Tom Ray ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) Carlyle Robinson ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) Edna Rowe ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) Georgia Sherart ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) Mabel Shoulters ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) James J. Smith ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) Robert Traughbur ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) Louis Troester ... Congregation Member (uncredited) Joe Van Meter ... Bandit (uncredited) Rose Wheeler ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) S.D. Wilcox ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) Paul Wilkins ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) S.W. Williams ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) H. Wolfinger ... Bit Part in Church Scene (uncredited) |
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| ~Remaining Credits~ Produced by: Charles Chaplin Productions Released by: Associated First National Pictures Produced by: Charles Chaplin Cinematography by: Roland Totheroh Film Editing by: Charles Chaplin Art Direction by: Charles D. Hall Assistant Director: Charles Reisner Second Camera Operator: Jack Wilson Seamstress: Mother Vinot Mr. Chaplin's Driver: Toraichi Kono Mr. Chaplin's Secretary: Nellie Bly Baker Unit Publicist: Elsie Codd Mr. Chaplin's Assistant: Tom Harrington Length: 4 Reels Runtime: 47 Minutes Released: February 26, 1923 Filmed at Chaplin Studios - 1416 N. La Brea Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA Filmed on Location in Santa Clarita and Saugus Train Depot, Saugus, California, USA |
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