Chaplin's last film for the Mutual Film Corporation is perhaps his best film up to that time. By now, Chaplin had become a perfectionist in shooting and editing his films. The Adventurer is no exception. Chaplin plays a convict on the run from police chased up and down a beach with steep cliffs. He swims away from the cops and runs into a rich family on a pier. The matriarch is having trouble staying afloat, and the daughter, played once again by Edna Purviance, tries to save her. She too finds herself in trouble and Chaplin saves both while the behemoth boyfriend, played by Eric Campbell, cries for help. After several miscues, everyone loads up in the car and Chaplin is taken to live with the rich folks. He tries romancing Edna Purviance, of course, while Eric Campbell figures out who Chaplin really is and notifies the cops. Chaplin uses the most ingenious props to create comic situations in this film, including a very cold scoop of ice cream, sliding doors, and a lampshade. The film demonstrates meticulous planning, editing, and writing. The film is reminiscent of Chaplin's Keystone films for Mack Sennett; in that, the most tenuous of circumstances are thrown together to make us laugh. The film is a complete riot with a distinct beginning, middle, and end. Each section gets funnier than the previous section; the pace quickening until the uproarious finale when Chaplin is chased up and down staircases by the police who must be direct descendants of the Keystone clan. **** of 4 stars.
Review of The Adventurer
