Supposedly wearing Alice Davenport's dress, this split reel comedy was Chaplin's first onscreen attempt at female impersonation. However in A Busy Day, Chaplin portrays a female character (the jealous wife of Mack Swain), not a man disguised as a woman. This is also another Keystone that was filmed during an actual event--a military parade in San Pedro--and like Kid Auto Races At Venice, Charlie's character obstructs a newsreel camera and gets into a scuffle with the director (this time played by Mack Sennett).
Strange, but true, I love his drag impersonations. A Woman is one of my very favourites of all his films. The best part is the close up where he's making eyes at the camera! It's almost disturbing.
ReplyDeleteCharlie Chaplin's drag impersonations make my question myself sometimes. He looks absolutely gorgeous in A Woman. The funny about this one is that he is supposed to be a girl but looks more like he just wearing woman's clothing. Yet in A Woman he looks more like an actual girl when he is just supposed to be a guy wearing a woman's dress.
ReplyDeleteAt parties, Chaplin would often do French pantomime sketches of women undressing or primping themselves for their lovers. Not surprisingly, his movements and facial expressions were spot on. He could be very convincing as a woman.
ReplyDeleteI get the feeling that the "primping and undressing" segments where conglomeration of both his master pantomime skills and naturally a little bit of his first hand experience as a spectator.
DeleteI loved how much he looked like Geraldine in A Woman :) But my favorite is The Masquerader; in that film he's one of prettiest girls I've ever seen!
ReplyDelete