Kid (1921)

The Bad: Chaplin re-released many of these films in the '60s and '70s and the Chaplin family obviously considers these as the final word since they've included them here. I'm assuming this is a good thing because it would allow MK2 to work from newer prints rather than the old film masters from the '20s and '30s. Unfortunately, Chaplin also added new music in many cases and made some minor scene deletions. I haven't seen the earliest versions to be able to compare musical scores. And the scores used here worked fine for me. Still, it would've been nice if they included the original film instead of tacking the brief deleted scenes on separately. This was done perfectly with "The Gold Rush" set in the first Chaplin DVD collection which includes the original film and the reworked modern version with Chaplin's narration. There are several spelling mistakes on the packaging of "The Kid" - the title has dropped out somewhere along the line in its production - an error which should've been caught, considering all the care they've put into this package. There are also some isolated spelling mistakes in the title cards during "The Chaplin Revue" shorts they could've easily caught. The "Woman" disc lists that it includes movie posters on the box's contents - however, they've forgot to include them here. The box is also rather flimsy paperboard. I recently bought the Monty Python boxed set which comes in a hard cardboard box. This is another minor point but it would've been nice to get a solid housing considering the cost of this set and care put into the materials. In addition, the FBI warnings on all the movies and documentaries appear for about five minutes in several languages - which is fine - but unfortunately, you can't fast forward through any of them. The only thing you can do is stop the DVD and reboot to get back to the main menu or wait the warnings out until the menu comes back. This inconvenience could've been corrected as well.

The Ugly: In their haste to put this thing out, possibly to coincide with the current Jeffrey Vance coffee table book "Chaplin - Genius of the Cinema," they've made a few glaring errors. In the case of the A King in New York / A Woman of Paris two disc set, both discs work properly - but they've been mislabelled. (Disc One is actually Disc Two and vice versa.) I purchased this set in Canada at HMV so this is not strictly an issue with the sets Amazon are selling. What's worse is they've also made the same mistake with "The Chaplin Revue" two disc set. Again, both discs play fine but are mislabelled. These sloppy errors will probably be corrected in future print runs. But it's such a bonehead mistake - particularly making them twice in one collection - they really should've caught them.

But all in all, even these minor points still can't obscure the fact this is a really phenomenal DVD set with all the prime, sublime glory of Chaplin. You just wish they hadn't been asleep at the switch with all these careless little errors.

Edna Purviance plays a unmarried woman, who abandons her new child, when she leaves him in a strangers limousine, with a note. It was stolen by thieves, and when they discover the child, they take him out and leave him. When the Little Tramp (none other than Chaplin) discovers this child, he tries unsuccesfully leaving him places, with the cop coming past, trying to leave the kid with another woman, etc. Until he gives up, and takes care of the kid himself. When the kid is a little older (he was a baby when the tramp first took him) he goes around throwing rocks at windows, breaking them, so that just on time the little tramp can come along and get paid to fix it. Through these years, Edna has become a huge star, and does work for charitys for poor children, in hope of finding her son again. She does come across the kid a few times, but does not immediately realize its him. The boy is sick, and she has a doctor come to see him. The doctor discovers the note, that Edna had left with the child, upon abandoning him, and he discovers that the tramp is not his father, and so he sends for some people to take the kid away to an orphanage. There is a lot of struggle on the way, and the tramp takes the kid back, just before they get there. The tramp and the kid, go to rest in this place, where the person who works there is reading that there is a reward for this kid. While the tramp is asleep, the man takes the kid, and takes him to his mother, Edna (who by now knows, of course). The tramp is awoken by a policeman, and takes him to Edna's mansion, to see the kid again. And, yeah, the end.

This DVD is presented on 2-Discs. A part of the Chaplin Collection. The print of the actual film looks stunning, and the score, composed by Chaplin himself, is wonderful. The extras on the 2 discs, include another film, again lasting around 50 minutes "My Boy". Another Jackie Coogan one, from 1921 (came after "The Kid"). The print for this is watchable, but nothing has really been done for it. No score. Another extra, is "How to Make Movies". A 1918 short where Chaplin shows the building of his brand new studio, and how he makes movies. Again, no score, which is the only bad part to these extras. "Nice and Friendly" is also included. Its a home movie from 1922 with Lord and Lady Mountbatten, Jackie Coogan and Charlie Chaplin, which is great to be able to have on DVD. Among these, are tons of other little things too. This is essential for any Chaplin fan to have in their collection.