Syd Chaplin in Gussle's Wayward Path (1915)

The character of Gussle was created by Syd and is a version of Archibald Binks the character he (& Charlie) played in a number of Fred Karno productions (including Skating). Despite claims that the character was based on his brother's Little Tramp persona, Gussle was really the opposite of the Tramp. As Syd's biographer Lisa Stein Haven notes: "He was obviously bourgeois middle class, a homeowner, employed, and with a wife and sometimes a dog, although no children. The British might refer to the character as a fop--a sort of pretentious and pompous individual who wears the adornments of affluence in such a way as to show their particular hilarity and who attempts to behave with an upper-class decorum that is not so much ill-fitting but employed with a sense of rogue entitlement that results in violence, insult and outright thoughtlessness." (Syd Chaplin: A Biography, pg. 48-49)  Syd made roughly a dozen movies as Gussle during his year with Keystone. This film is noteworthy for being Syd's first stint as co-director (along with Charles Avery). You'll also see a familiar face or two including Phyllis Allen who plays Gussle's wife.

Happy birthday, Syd.