Behind the Screen

For short-lived 1980s soap opera of the same name, see Behind The Screen (TV series).

Behind the Screen
Directed by	Charles Chaplin Edward Brewer (technical director)
Produced by	Henry P. Caulfield
Written by	Charles Chaplin Vincent Bryan Maverick Terrell
Starring	Charles Chaplin Edna Purviance Eric Campbell
Cinematography	Roland H. Totheroh George C. Zalibra
Editing by	Charles Chaplin
Distributed by	Mutual Film Corporation
Release date(s)	November 13, 1916
Running time	15 minutes
Country	USA
Language	Silent film English intertitles

Behind the Screen is a 1916 short silent film written by, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin, and also starring Eric Campbell and Edna Purviance. The film takes place in a movie studio; Chaplin plays a stagehand named David while Campbell, a large man, plays Goliath, his supervisor. Much of the film is slapstick comedy involving Chaplin manhandling large props, but other plotlines include a strike by the stagehands, and Purviance, who is unable to become an actress, dressing as a man and becoming a stagehand.

Chaplin kissing Purviance in "Behind the Screen"

The film is significant to the history of homosexuality in the cinema, as it contains a joke about the subject, which was relatively unusual at the time. After Chaplin learns that Purviance is really a woman, he kisses her while on the set; at this point, a male stagehand enters and, thinking that Chaplin has kissed a man, starts acting in an overtly effeminate way until Chaplin kicks him.^[1]

The documentary series Unknown Chaplin revealed previously unseen footage from this movie, including an alternate take where Purviance's character is shown playing a harp, an outtake in which Edna, playing the guitar, starts laughing (the documentary supports the belief that Purviance and Chaplin were romantically involved at the time), and several takes of a scene in which Chaplin's character narrowly misses having his feet chopped off by an axe (accomplished by filming the scene backwards) -- this scene was never used in the final film.

1 Cast
2 Media
3 References
4 External links

Cast

Charles Chaplin - David (Goliath's assistant)
Edna Purviance - The Girl
Eric Campbell - Goliath (a stagehand)

Media

Behind the Screen - 1st part

Behind the Screen - 2nd part

Behind the Screen - 3rd part

Behind the Screen - 4th part

Behind the Screen - 5th part

Behind the Screen - 6th part

Behind the Screen - 7th part

Behind the Screen - 8th part

References

^ The Celluloid Closet, DVD documentary (1995); Kenneth S. Lynn, Chaplin: His Life and Times (2003).

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Behind the Screen

Behind the Screen at the Internet Movie Database

v • d • e Films directed by Charlie Chaplin

Keystone Studios (1914)	Twenty Minutes of Love • Caught in the Rain • A Busy Day • Her Friend the Bandit • Mabel's Married Life • Laughing Gas • The Face on the Bar Room Floor • Recreation • The Masquerader • His New Profession • The Rounders • The Property Man • The New Janitor • Those Love Pangs • Dough and Dynamite • Gentlemen of Nerve • His Musical Career • His Trysting Place • Getting Acquainted • His Prehistoric Past

Essanay Studios (1915-1918)	His New Job • A Night Out • The Champion • In the Park • A Jitney Elopement • The Tramp • By the Sea • His Regeneration (uncredited) • Work • A Woman • The Bank • Shanghaied • A Night in the Show • Burlesque on Carmen • Police • Triple Trouble

Mutual Film Corp (1916-1917)	The Floorwalker • The Fireman • The Vagabond • One A.M. • The Count • The Pawnshop • Behind the Screen • The Rink • Easy Street • The Cure • The Immigrant • The Adventurer

First National (1918-1923)	A Dog's Life • The Bond • Shoulder Arms • Sunnyside • A Day's Pleasure • The Professor • The Kid • The Idle Class • Pay Day • The Pilgrim

United Artists (1923-1952)	A Woman of Paris • The Gold Rush • The Circus • City Lights • Modern Times • The Great Dictator • Monsieur Verdoux • Limelight

Later productions	A King in New York • The Chaplin Revue • A Countess from Hong Kong • The Freak

See also	Charlie Chaplin filmography • Roy Export Company Establishment

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Behind the Screen

Contents

Cast

Media

References

External links