TaPS MASTER CLASS RESOURCE PACK: Analyse this - Chaplin's humour
by Margie Duffield
October 2012, New York
TaPs Master Class Resource Pack
Master Class: Analyze this – Chaplinʼs humour
by Marjorie Duffield
Outline
By looking at the early work of Charlie Chaplin, we will begin to analyse
the elements of humour that form the basis of comedic writing. Through
physical work, lazzi, and group writing exercises, we will create a series of
comedic moments that will give students a rich backdrop for their own writing
and comedic interpretations.
Master Class Overview
In this master class we will study moments from a selection of films by
Charlie Chaplin and analyse the genre and style of silent film comedy and
Chaplinʼs performance in particular. From narrative set-up, stock characters
and the role of the underdog, to slapstick and exaggerated facial/body
expression, we will break down the elements of his silent film performance in
an effort to embody them from the inside. Simultaneously, we will deconstruct
Chaplinʼs famous “Little Tramp” character by examining the historical context
of his work in an attempt to understand the on-going worldwide appeal of this
character - a dreamer ever hopeful for love living in a world of adversity. From
there, we will work on signature moves made famous by the Little Tramp –
tipping a hat, wrangling food, comedic escape, hoping for love, looking to the
sky for explanation. At the end of the workshop, each participant will create a
Chaplin moment featuring a Little Tramp inspired moment of silent
performance.
Introduction
Born in London in 1889 (died 1977 in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland),
Charlie Chaplin was the worldʼs first super star. His success helped to build
Hollywood and to popularise the medium of film. In 1916 when Chaplin was
only 27, he signed an annual contract to make films for $670,000 a year –
nearly 15 million dollars in todayʼs terms.
In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Chaplin the 10th greatest
American male screen legend of all time. In 2008, Martin Sieff, in a review of
the book Chaplin: A Life, wrote, "Chaplin was not just 'big', he was gigantic. In
1915, he burst onto a war-torn world bringing it the gift of comedy, laughter
and relief while it was tearing itself apart through World War I. Over the next
25 years, through the Great Depression and the rise of Adolf Hitler, he stayed
on the job. It is doubtful any individual has ever given more entertainment,
pleasure and relief to so many human beings when they needed it the most.”
Chaplin was the product of cross traditions. His parents were both
English music hall performers - a genre that borrowed from numerous
Analyse this – Chaplinʼs humour
© Marjorie Duffield October 2012, New York
TaPs Master Class Resource Pack
traditions including Commedia dellʼ Arte (a form that borrowed heavily from
Roman comedies no less). As an English stage actor from a rich European
tradition of stage performance, Chaplinʼs life intersected with a new art form
that would dominate the 20th century – film. And Chaplin made film in
America – a country that helped grow and establish the medium like no other
and that dominates much of the world market today. Chaplin borrowed
Arlechino-esque character traditions – mixing lazzi and his own personal
biography – and morphed them into a modern hero, the Little Trap, the worldʼs
favourite everyman and champion of the little guy.
“A splay footed, bowler hatted, down and out with a mustache and walking
cane, he railed against authority and evil, endured romantic disappointments
and endeared himself to a vast global audience as an elementary
embodiment of the common man. In scores of silent shorts, he established
the grammar and ground rules of screen comedy using his physical dexterity
and pantomime skills to create expertly choreographed, visually humorous
entertainment that mixed irreverence, romance, chases and pathos.”
On his second appearance in front of cameras and under pressure to
make the director laugh, Chaplin selected the costume with which he became
identified. He described the process in his autobiography:
"I wanted everything to be a contradiction: the pants baggy, the coat tight, the
hat small and the shoes large ... I added a small moustache, which, I
reasoned, would add age without hiding my expression. I had no idea of the
character. But the moment I was dressed, the clothes and the makeup made
me feel the person he was. I began to know him, and by the time I walked on
stage he was fully born."
The Lumiere Brothers created Chaplinʼs first film made for projection in
1895 - called Workers Leaving the Lumiere Factory – and it was only oneminute long. Twenty years later, a slight man with a bowler hat dominated the
entire form, and was given complete artistic control of his work and helped
build Hollywood into what it is today.
Glossary
For the purposes of this workshop, we established a glossary of
comedic terms.
Slapstick
A type of physical comedy characterised by broad humour, absurd
situations, and vigorous, usually violent action. The slapstick comic, more
than a mere funnyman or buffoon, must often be an acrobat, a stunt
performer, and something of a magician—a master of uninhibited action and
perfect timing.
Analyse this – Chaplinʼs humour
© Marjorie Duffield October 2012, New York
TaPs Master Class Resource Pack
Outrageous make-believe violence has always been a key attraction of
slapstick comedy, and, fittingly, the form took its name from one of its favorite
weapons. A slapstick was originally a harmless paddle composed of two
pieces of wood that slapped together to produce a resounding whack when
the paddle struck someone. The slapstick seems to have first come into use
in the 16th century, when Harlequin, one of the principal characters of the
Italian Commedia dellʼ Arte, used it on the posteriors of his comic victims.
The rough-and-tumble of slapstick has been a part of low comedy and farce
since ancient times, having been a prominent feature of Greek and Roman
mime, in which bald-pated, heavily padded clowns exchanged quips and
beatings to the delight of the audience.
The Renaissance produced the athletic zanies of the Commedia dellʼ
Arte and even rougher clowns, such as the hunchbacked, hook-nosed, wifebeating Pulcinella, who survives today as the Punch of childrenʼs puppet
shows.
Slapstick reached another zenith in the English and American music
halls and vaudeville theatres of the late 19th century; such English stars as
George Formby and Gracie Fields carried its popularity well into the 20th
century. Motion pictures provided even greater opportunities for visual gags,
and comedians Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, and Mack Sennettʼs Keystone
Kops introduced such classic routines as the mad chase scene and pie
throwing, often made doubly hilarious by speeding up the camera action.
Their example was followed in sound films by Laurel and Hardy, the Marx
Brothers, and the Three Stooges, whose stage careers predated their films
and whose films were frequently revived beginning in the 1960s and were
affectionately imitated by modern comedy directors. The best of the slapstick
comedians may be said to have turned low humor into high art.
Visual/Sight Gag
In comedy, a visual gag or sight gag is anything that conveys its humor
visually, often without words being used at all. The gag may involve a physical
impossibility or an unexpected occurrence. The humour is caused by
alternative interpretations of the going-on. Visual gags are used in magic,
plays, and acting on television and in movies.
Lazzo
Lazzo, Italian for “joke” (plural Lazzi), is improvised comic dialogue or
action in the commedia dellʼ arte. The word may have derived from lacci
(Italian: “connecting link”), comic interludes performed by the character
Arlecchino (Harlequin) between scenes, but is more likely a derivation of le
azioni (“actions”). Lazzi were one of the prime resources of the commedia
actors, consisting of verbal asides on current political and literary topics,
manifestations of terror, pratfalls and other acrobatics, and similar actions.
Analyse this – Chaplinʼs humour
© Marjorie Duffield October 2012, New York
TaPs Master Class Resource Pack
Arlecchino, a character particularly congenial to lazzi, might throw cherry
stones in another servantʼs face or mime the catching and eating of a fly. The
ability to improvise ingenious and engaging lazzi contributed to the reputations
of many actors; many lazzi were frequently performed with slight variations
and became part of the commedia repertoire. Lazzi were implicit in many of
the comedies of Molière and those of William Shakespeare, in which they
came to be called jigs.
Chaplin on Film & Exercises
For this workshop, we viewed a number of Chaplin clips. Following
each clip we discussed and hypothesized about the construction of his
specific brand of comedy.
Discussion Questions
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
How does Chaplin construct a comic moment?
What is the context?
What is the scenario and set-up?
What is the build?
What is the punch?
How does he use the pattern of threes in his comedy structure?
What does he do to make you empathize with the Little Tramp?
How does Chaplin develop and reveal the Little Trampʼs moral code?
How does he use lazzi, sight gag and slapstick in his work?
In addition, in the middle and at the end we “physicalised Chaplin” - an
explanation of those exercises is on the following page.
We watched the Chaplin clips in this order and followed each with discussion:
Boxing scene, City Lights, 1931
Discovering the baby, The Kid, 1921
Escaping a punch, The Floorwalker, 1916
Discussion - Physicalising Chaplin exercise part I
Taking the babyʼs food, The Circus, 1928
Stealing rolls, A Dogʼs Life, 1918
Cooking and eating his shoe, The Goldrush, 1925
Escaping the boss, Modern Times, 1936
Confetti lazzi, City Lights, 1931
Martini lazzi, The Idle Class, 1921
Roll dance lazzi, The Goldrush, 1925
Thieving thieves lazzi, A Dogʼs Life, 1918
Double identity lazzi, The Floorwalker, 1916
Discussion - Physicalising Chaplin exercise part II
Analyse this – Chaplinʼs humour
© Marjorie Duffield October 2012, New York
TaPs Master Class Resource Pack
Explanation of Exercises
Discussion Questions
• How does Chaplin construct a comic moment?
• What is the scenario and set-up?
• What is the build?
• What is the punch?
• How does he use the pattern of threes in his physical comedy?
• What does he do to make you empathise with the Little Tramp?
• How does Chaplin develop and reveal the Little Trampʼs moral code?
Physicalising Chaplin I Exercises
Warm - up:
Shake out – 5
Reach up – energy and release
Explain performer positions
Shake knees/loosen up – then tighten them – then loosen them
Walk with loose knees – walk with tight knees
Walk that way faster
Toes in – walk with toes in – tight and loose
Toes out – walk with toes out – tight and loose
Discovering the Little Tramp walk:
Tramp walk – tighten thighs, toes out, loose knees, shake and flap foot.
Heal toe and slap foot – then freeze.
Then turn feet out again with loose knees.
Sink your hips in and walk how we walk now.
Then go back to tightening thighs….
Discovering the Little Tramp gestures and speed:
Head snap. Sharp right, left and center.
Eyes left, right, up and down.
Shoulder/torso – left, right, up and down.
Think of speed (fast) and precision
The Little Tramp had elegance
Discovering the Little Tramp elegance:
Chest – elegance; up with his head back
Slump over as compared with arms back - inhale up and exhale out to open
chest.
Analyse this – Chaplinʼs humour
© Marjorie Duffield October 2012, New York
TaPs Master Class Resource Pack
Put shoulders to ears and drop - alignment
Use “soldier” walk to put chest out.
Walk with a string pulling your chest forward. Walk with elegance.
Force chin out and then pull back.
Putting the Little Tramp together:
Walk as Chaplin – small strides – move more quickly – thighs close together.
Pick up a “baby” – straight back with pirouette. Keep it elegant.
(Small moves in a big way.)
Make gesture - sharp and fast as Chaplin:
1. Hail someone
2. Arms out to vest left
3. Arms out to vest right
4. Tip your hat
Working in pairs and referencing the first Floorwalker scene (where Chaplin
balletically tries to avoid a punch) two students face each other and create an
escape using the rule of threes.
Presentation/reflection - students present their escapes and discuss the
scaffolding of their work and why.
Physicalising Chaplin II Exercises
Working in groups of two and four, students choose/devise a scenario, set-up,
build and punch for a scene. They then collaborate by writing up their idea
either on the page or in “space.” Groups utilize the rules of threes, a lazzi, a
sight gag and at least one piece of slapstick. Students were given a list of
types lazzi (below) to inspire the construction of their scene.
Presentation/reflection - students present their scenes and discuss the
scaffolding of their work and why.
ACROBATIC LAZZI
Running-Around-The-Balcony Lazzo
Arlecchino, pursued, or to prove his identity as Arlecchino, leaps from the
stage to the first spectator box and runs around the railing or the three sets of
balconies.
Lazzo of Unspilled Wine
Startled, Arlecchino, holding a full glass of wine, executes a complete
backward somersault without spilling the wine.
Analyse this – Chaplinʼs humour
© Marjorie Duffield October 2012, New York
TaPs Master Class Resource Pack
Slapping Lazzo
A Zanni, with either his hands bound or holding plates of food, slaps another
character in the face with his foot.
VIOLENT LAZZI
Shield Lazzo
Arlecchino, about to be hit, grabs the nearest other character to use as a
shield.
Chair Lazzo
Arlecchino (or Pierrot) pulls the chair away from the Captain just before he is
to sit down.
Or the Captain's cape is pulled, so he is forced from the chair.
FOOD LAZZO
Tasting Lazzo
A zanni is cooking a pot of something for dinner. He continually seasons the
dish, then tastes it, then adds more seasoning, tastes again, and this goes on
until there is no food left in the pot.
Cherries Lazzo
While Scapino is speaking, Arlecchino shows his indifference by taking
imaginary cherries out of his hat, eating them, and throwing the pits at
Scapino.
__________________________________________________________
Bibliography
Books
Chaplin C. (1961) My Autobiography ISBN-13: 978-0452270787
Gordon, M (2001) Lazzi: The Comic Routines of the Commedia dellʼArte
ISBN-13: 978-0933826694
Lynn K. (2002) Charlie Chaplin and His Times ISBN-13: 978-0815412557
Robinson D. (1985) Chaplin: His Life and Art [Hardcover] SBN-13: 9780070531819
Weissman S. (2008) Chaplin: A Life ISBN-10: 1559708921
Analyse this – Chaplinʼs humour
© Marjorie Duffield October 2012, New York
TaPs Master Class Resource Pack
Articles
Martin Sieff, Review of Chaplin: A Life, The Washington Times, December 21,
2008 http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/dec/21/his-gift-of-comedyfor-a-weary-world/?page=all
Charlie Chaplinʼs Films and American Culture Patterns, Harry A. Grace, The
Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Vol 10, No. 4 pp. 353-363
(Jstor.org/stable/426065
Online
The Little Tramp: Frequently Down, Never Out
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18659688
Charlie Chaplin, in the Lens of History
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5574520
_________________________________________________________
Practitioners Pathway
For some reason in my grandmotherʼs living room when I was growing
up, I would play Charlie Chaplin to my cousinʼs ballerina and we would
perform vignettes of some kind. I canʼt for the life of me remember what our
routine consisted of, but for sure I walked around with a cane, a Chaplin walk
and a bowler hat. This would have been the early 1970ʼs - a time when
Chaplin had been living outside of this country for almost 20 years. (In 1952
he was effectively branded a communist agitator and not allowed to return to
America from a tour of Europe where he was promoting his latest film Monsieur Verdoux - the first film in which Chaplin did not appear as the Little
Tramp. Chaplin was essentially exiled from the United States for the rest of
his life.)
Why would I have been taken by Chaplin at this time? There must
have been a series of Sunday afternoon reruns - which is exactly what
captured my imagination over thirty years later during the summer of 2010
when Turner Classic Movies ran Chaplinʼs The Great Dictator, and then a
series of his other films including A Dogʼs Life, The Idle Class, The Goldrush,
Modern Times and Soldier Arms.
I have been studying and teaching comedy for almost twenty years,
and after watching them I suddenly knew that I had to teach comedic
performance in a silent form and use Chaplin as a model. So much of
comedy is visual and without words. As a performer Chaplin provides a
Analyse this – Chaplinʼs humour
© Marjorie Duffield October 2012, New York
TaPs Master Class Resource Pack
profound template of comedic styles all informed by story – and not just any
story, story that is human and deeply relatable.
In the last two years I have studied Chaplin in depth - both by watching
his films and understanding the evolution of his work, but also by digging deep
into his autobiography. When you do, you understand the birth of the Little
Tramp as his primary persona. In addition, when one studies the early days of
Hollywood and the film industry, one can also understand how a performer
like Chaplin could stand out. He had such finely tuned comedic stage
technique. He also brought empathy and a more modernist acting approach.
Chaplin seems almost method onscreen when compared to his early
contemporaries who traded on over-exaggerated melodrama.
In addition to studying Chaplin in two dimensions, I wanted to work with
him in the flesh – to find Chaplin and his comic genius by physicalising him.
For a short time I worked closely with a choreographer who dissected his
moves and discovered the essence of his walk, posture and gesture.
Together we created a number of exercises that might allow a performer to
know him from the inside out – to experience Chaplin through the discovery
and actualisation of the physicality that Chaplin employed.
This point and counter point - from observation to actualization became the foundation of my study of Chaplin and this workshop. In essence,
one can only know comedy by experimenting with making comedy, whether it
works or not. And as Charlie Chaplin said, “Failure is unimportant. It takes
courage to make a fool of yourself.”
Analyse this – Chaplinʼs humour
© Marjorie Duffield October 2012, New York