Monday, April 23, 2018

The Floorwalker (1916)

Charlie Chaplin becomes a prototype Captain Peacock in this short silent movie. It is set in a department store which is being ripped off by it's manager (Eric Campbell) and floorwalker (Lloyd Bacon). Chaplin unwittingly foils their plan and, as he looks almost identical to Bacon, takes his place as the floorwalker while Bacon is arrested.

There then follows much slapstick as Campbell tries to get his bag of money back. Much of the mayhem involves an escalator, the film being the first to employ the running staircase gag (where people running on the escalator remain in the same spot).