Triple Trouble
About Triple Trouble
Charlie takes a janitor's job in the house of Colonel Nutt, who is experimenting with explosives. He dumps garbage, tangles with the maid, the cook, and a count who is thrown out after plotting against Nutt. At a flophouse he is robbed, disguises himself to get the money back, and steers a pickpocket toward the Nutt house. Police raid the place. Nutt's device goes off and blows the officers away. Charlie climbs out of the kitchen stove.
Cast & crew
More about Triple Trouble
Essanay assembled the two-reeler after Chaplin had left. It uses scenes meant for the unfinished Life, outtakes from Police, and the ending of Work (1915), plus new footage directed by Leo White in 1918. Jess Robbins produced it. Harry Ensign is credited as cinematographer. It was released on August 11, 1918, and runs 23 minutes. Chaplin had no legal control over Essanay films and could not stop it. He still listed Triple Trouble in the filmography of his 1967 autobiography.
Themes
Background
By 1918 Chaplin was a First National star. Essanay was still cutting leftovers from his 1915 contract into features it could advertise under his name.
Making
White shot bridging scenes so Essanay could sell a 'new' Chaplin a year after he had gone to Mutual and then First National. The explosion at the end is borrowed from Work.
Look
Harry Ensign is the credited cinematographer. The finished reel mixes his Essanay material from 1915 with Leo White's 1918 bridging shots.
Music
Silent.
Preservation
The film is in the public domain and survives in many prints. A 35mm-derived copy is on the Image DVD Chaplin's Essanay Comedies, Volume 3.
Notes
- Edna Purviance plays the maid. Leo White plays both a count and a flophouse keeper. Billy Armstrong is the cook and a pickpocket.
- James T. Kelley is a singing drunk. Bud Jamison, Wesley Ruggles, Albert Austin, and Snub Pollard appear.
- On August 10, 1918, Moving Picture World printed Chaplin's telegram: the picture was not a new Chaplin but discarded portions of Police, and First National should stop the misleading ads.
- The Image DVD Chaplin's Essanay Comedies, Volume 3, comes from a 35mm print and includes a shot missing from other copies.
- It circulated for years on 8mm and 16mm home-movie reels.
Scenes
- Charlie, as janitor, slops garbage through Colonel Nutt's house while the count schemes.
- Nutt's explosive goes off, the police are blown clear, and Charlie emerges from the stove.
Influenced by
- Outtakes from Police (1916) and scenes from the unfinished Life and from Work (1915)
Also available
- Internet Archive (CC_1918_xx_xx_TripleTrouble)
- Image DVD: Chaplin's Essanay Comedies, Volume 3
Quotes
THIS IS NOT A NEW CHAPLIN BUT FROM THE ADVERTISING LAYOUT IN TRADE REVIEW MUST BE NOTHING BUT THE DISCARDED PORTIONS OF POLICE THE LAST PICTURE MADE BY CHARLIE CHAPLIN FOR ESSANAY.
