Charlie Chaplin: The Kid

While it will move people to uproarious laughter and keep them in a state of uneasing delight, it also will touch their hearts and win sympathy, not only for the star, but for his leading woman, and little Jackie Coogan.

a fantastic and brave work, forging new ground in its mixing of comedy and pathos and fully earning its opening title card, which promises "a picture with a smile-and perhaps, a tear."

[VIDEO ESSAY] "The Kid" is significant in cinema history because it is one of the first films to combine comedy and drama as a succinct filmic form. It is a nurturing comic movie that never gets old, regardless of how many times you watch it.

Timeless silent film blends humor with hardship.

Critics at the time praised the film for its effortless combination of comedy and pathos, which is not as easy as it looks.

Never so sweet that the comedy suffers, and never so funny that the drama comes off as shallow.

Slapstick funny and sentimental, in equal doses.

Beautifully reflecting his growing maturity as a filmmaker as well as his ardor for the work, The Kid stands as a splendid introduction to Chaplin's movies.

A beautiful film.

Projects such emotional veracity while getting such constant giggles that if there ever was a legitimate use of the cliché "you'll laugh, you'll cry," this is it.

Chaplin's first feature shows his undeniable touch and his brilliant mixture of slapstick and sentiment.