Free Zoom Event: ‘The Kid’ at 100
The Kid (1921) is one of Charlie Chaplin’s finest artistic achievements, and it has just reached its 100th anniversary. To celebrate, Chaplin scholar Dan Kamin is offering a free presentation on the film over Zoom on Tuesday, April 20th. The event in sponsored by the Monroeville (PA) Public Library.
Dan Kamin is uniquely qualified to analyze and break down Chaplin’s body movements, as he is a professional comedian and mime who developed the physical comedy sequences for the films Chaplin (1992) and Benny and Joon (1993) and who trained both Robert Downey Jr. and Johnny Depp for their roles. He also wrote my favorite book on the comedian, The Comedy of Charlie Chaplin: Artistry in Motion, and there have been more than a few books written on Chaplin.
Here are the full details on the Zoom presentation from the event website:
‘The Kid’ at 100
In 1921 Charlie Chaplin’s The Kid took the world by storm. The story of a penniless tramp who adopts an abandoned infant struck a powerful chord in the aftermath of a devastating war during which millions died and thousands of children were left orphaned. In this presentation renowned mime artist and comedy choreographer Dan Kamin will reveal what keeps this film fresh, funny and incredibly moving to this day. Author of The Comedy of Charlie Chaplin: Artistry in Motion, Dan trained Robert Downey, Jr. for his Oscar-nominated performance in Chaplin, after which Downey said, “Dan’s insights are amazing.” Participants should view the film in advance here*, as it will not be shown during the program.
* I also embedded the film above.
