Sunnyside (1919) User Reviews

On the sunny side of the farm

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 22 June 2018]

Am a big fan of Charlie Chaplin, have been for over a decade now. Many films and shorts of his are very good to masterpiece, and like many others consider him a comedy genius and one of film's most important and influential directors.

From his period after Mutual, 'Sunnyside' is not one of his very best and not even among the best of this particular period. As said with many of his post-Keystone efforts, it shows a noticeable step up in quality though from his Keystone period, where he was still evolving and in the infancy of his long career. The Essanay and Mutual periods were something of Chaplin's adolescence period where his style had been found and starting to settle. After Mutual the style had properly settled and the cinematic genius emerged. Something that can be seen in 'Sunnyside' though other efforts do it better.

The story is slight and a bit too busy and manic in places. It does get bogged down at times by padding and a few scenes that don't serve a lot of purpose. Not all the sequences work either.

It is agreed that the nymphs scene in particular is bizarre and doesn't fit with the rest of the content and story, that was a scene that could easily have been left out and it would not have affected anything at all.

On the other hand, 'Sunnyside' looks good, not amazing (though the opening shot for early Chaplin is remarkable) but it was obvious that Chaplin was taking more time with his work and not churning out countless shorts in the same year of very variable success like he did with Keystone. Appreciate the importance of his Keystone period and there is some good stuff he did there, but the more mature and careful quality seen here and later on is obvious.

'Sunnyside' is very funny and charming, if not one of Chaplin's substance or pathos-filled. Its best moments (like with the horse doctor) are hilarious with some clever, entertaining, remarkably inventive and well-timed slapstick and the charm doesn't get over-sentimental. It generally moves quickly and there is little dullness in sight. The second half is both hilarious and enchanting and the message isn't laid on too thick and has more potency than one would think.

Chaplin directs more than competently and the cinematic genius quality is emerging. He also, as usual, gives a playful and expressive performance and at clear ease with the physicality and substance of the role. The support is good and the chemistry charms.

Overall, good but not great. 7/10 Bethany Cox

"etc, etc, etc"

[Steffi_P · 7/10 · 19 August 2010]

Charlie Chaplin's satirical streak was not reserved solely for pompous authority figures with big bellies and wispy beards. He was not averse to turning his wit outwards and directing it at the very production style and process he himself was a part of. Sunnyside does not lampoon the movie industry – rather it makes a joke out of the Chaplin brand which the comic, eager to move on to more sophisticated feature films, was beginning to grow weary of.

Chaplin had practically invented the narrative slapstick comedy, but here he belittles the storytelling aspects that were now a comedy standard, curtailing descriptions of characters and places with "etc, etc, etc" and using a title card to bluntly announce the romantic subplot. Throughout the picture he makes use of his now most clichéd plot devices – the abused employee, the sophisticated love rival, the "it-was-all-a-dream" revelation – and, of course, numerous examples of his stock slapstick manoeuvre, the kick up the arse.

And yet, it appears Chaplin was incapable of deliberately making a bad picture. There are plenty of decent gags here, especially those at the beginning where Charlie thwarts his employer's attempts to get him out of bed. And even at the height of his sarcasm and hyperbole it seems Chaplin cannot help but work in gags and sub-gags which are genuinely funny. And for all its narrative laziness, Sunnyside is actually strong in its visual storytelling, beginning with the iris on the church spire to set the tone, then opening up the iris to reveal an exquisitely balanced shot of the village. And even the rushed ending is among Chaplin's sweetest in its delicate imagery.

And there's more; the all important statistic – Number of kicks up the arse: 24 (2 for, 22 against – can this be a record?)

Cliched but Still Fun

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 9 April 2018]

When one considers this to have been made in1919, it's a remarkable effort. Chaplin plays his little tramp who seems to work on a farm. But he works at a hotel which sells groceries. He is quite dreamy and incompetent and so suffers punishment at the hand of his boss. How many times can a man be kicked in the rear? There is a wonderful dream sequence where Charlie imagines some nymphs on a bridge. He shows off his incredible grace and dancing skills Of course, he has been knocked unconscious and the reality isn't that great. He also has a love interest. She is very tolerant of him. But factors enter in. The conclusion is quite unsatisfying. But it's OK when one considers all the fun we get to see.

Somewhat Uneven, But Worth Seeing

[Snow Leopard · 13 January 2003]

It's somewhat uneven, and you'd probably say that it's interesting rather than good, but "Sunnyside" is still worth seeing if you like Charlie Chaplin's short comedies. A couple of the sequences are very enjoyable, but others don't really work that well, and just take up time.

Rather than his usual tramp character, Charlie plays a put-upon farmhand and handyman who has some of the same characteristics, and the story combines some conventional slapstick with some more imaginative sequences. Some of the material is quite good, especially the sequence with Charlie and the horse doctor treating a patient. But not all of it comes off equally well, and it bogs down at times. It's only average among Chaplin's many short comedies, and not quite as good as most of the later ones, but it has enough to be worth seeing.

Chaplin experimenting.

[Anonymous_Maxine · 7/10 · 7 April 2007]

Sunnyside reminds me of some of the early films in Alfred Hitchcock's career, like Rich & Strange or The Skin Game, which are curiosity pieces both because they come from such massive directors and are still so empty and disappointing. Like some of Hitch's early films, Sunnyside for Charlie Chaplin represents to me a point in his early career when he was testing the waters and still trying to find out what he is really best at doing.

Some people were disappointed that Chaplin forced the Tramp into the unlikely role of a farmhand, forgetting that the very nature of the Tramp is that he is such an everyman that he can be placed in virtually every different kind of situation, from brick-layer to World War I soldier, and Chaplin can use his particular brand of comedy to deliver his clever political themes and brilliant slapstick.

Some of the situations and sequences don't work so well or run as smoothly as many of Chaplin's more famous ones, and there is a bizarre sequence involving some dancing nymphs, but it is interesting to consider how this early, experimental film foreshadows the work that Chaplin did later in much more famous and highly superior films like City Lights and The Kid. Throughout the film are what may be taken as examples of the exasperation that Chaplin has admitted to having during the production of the film, but to call is a total loss is missing the mark completely. Certainly not the best of Chaplin's early short films, but I don't think Chaplin ever made a real failure.

Uneven Sunnyside Is Somewhat A Disappointment

[CitizenCaine · 6/10 · 27 September 2008]

Chaplin edited, wrote, and directed this film in which he stars as a put upon farm hand who earns extra money by working in a hotel. The film opens promisingly enough with Chaplin being brow-beaten to get out of bed to get to work. He brings in a cow to put milk in the coffee cups. He works in a hotel, which is a bit run down also. He rides a bull out of town and gets thrown into a gully where he dreams of four nymphs serenading him, as he's trying to regain consciousness. Four men rescue him and take him back to town. From here on, the film becomes disjointed with both the plot and editing. The first half is supposed to be about the put upon Chaplin and the second half is supposed to be about a romance with Edna Purviance. She seems to be pursued by a rich dandy type, whom Chaplin ends up dispatching from the hotel in the end. The film has maybe too much in it for a Chaplin film at this point in time. Most of his films were simple and increasingly constructed in expert fashion up to this point in time, so this is somewhat of a disappointment to have what could have been two different films thrown together. Of course, Chaplin had personal turmoil during the time this film was made and that could be the reason. Nevertheless, the film still entertains if you don't expect too much. **1/2 of 4 stars.

Respectable

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 16 June 2016]

Charlie works on a farm from 4am to late at night. He gets his food on the run (milking a cow into his coffee, holding an chicken over the frying pan to get fried eggs). He loves the neighbor's daughter Edna but is disliked by her father.

All I know about this film comes from two things: one, watching it. And two, the work of legendary professor Wes Gehring. From watching it, I find that the film is good, with a few amusing bits, but far from Chaplin's best work and it is no surprise that this is not one of his championed films.

From Gehring, I learn that this film (and "A Day's Pleasure") were made while going through a nasty divorce (something Chaplin would do a few times). So if it is not his best work, it may be because he was far from in the best of moods.

Chaplin comedy

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 2 April 2019]

Sleepy farmhand (Charlie Chaplin) works hard to stay in bed. He mows the grass in the lobby of the Hotel Evergreen. He prepares breakfast the natural way. He's walking the cows when he loses them causing havoc in town. He falls under a bridge and awakens to find four beautiful nymphs. It's actually a dream. He woos the town beauty (Edna Purviance) getting rid of her brother. A well dressed city chap crashes his car and brought into the hotel where Chaplin is working. Purviance and the city chap go off together. Chaplin decides to imitate him. When she still rejects him, he tries to commit suicide but he's still dreaming. He wakes up at the Hotel with his boss kicking him. This time he gets the girl and the city chap leaves town.

For all the good comedic work, one moment delivers a truly hilarious moment for me. Chaplin finally sees that he lost the cows and as he walks back to town, he double checks a man walking along the road. It's Chaplin making sure that the man isn't a cow. It's gloriously ridiculous and fun. The movie is mostly slapstick. Chaplin does do a Tramp imitation when he dresses in city garb. This may not be one of his iconic movies but it's a good second tier work.

Gags in the farm: a must-see among numerous Chaplin's short films

[guisreis · 8/10 · 29 April 2020]

This is one of the best of Chaplin's 10's short films. Besides hilarious gags in life and food in the farm, and the usual socially engaged portrayal of exploited enployee/poor people, Sunnyside may be highlighted for two additional and uncommon traits in Chaplin's filmography: 1) there is more dark humour, and 2) Méliès-like special effects are perfectly used to simulate transitions from reality to dream. A must-see among numerous Chaplin's short films.

just an okay short from Chaplin

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 3 May 2006]

While this is certainly not a bad film and is entertaining to watch, compared to other Chaplin shorts, it's a bit of a let-down. Part of this is because there aren't as many laughs as usual and part of it was that the characters just didn't seem that engaging--something a little unusual for a Chaplin short made this late in his career. Plus, for me, it was a little hard to accept the Little Tramp as a farm hand--he just seemed really out of place and a bit lost. Later, when the rich guy appears and Charlie thinks he's going to lose his girl to this dandy, the movie seems a little more familiar, but still it failed to grab hold of my attention. Not a bad film, but Chaplin certain did better.

"Sugar's to sweeten, not to thicken"

[classicsoncall · 5/10 · 10 December 2018]

Like another Chaplin film short titled "A Day's Pleasure", this one is put together as a series of vignettes with no discernible complete story line, yet will resonate with Chaplin fans who enjoy his Little Tramp character with that trademark bowleg walk used for comic effect. The title of the picture is actually it's setting in the little village of Sunnyside, opening with Charlie as a handyman on a farm who does a shift at a nearby hotel doing odd jobs. As writer and director, Chaplin throws in a head scratcher of a dream sequence in which he cavorts with nymphs on a wooden bridge, who transition into men as he comes out of his reverie. I don't know when it was first tried in a film, but Charlie's village belle (Edna Purviance) casts a quick fourth wall look at the camera that suggests disapproval with his attempt at courtship. And when a rival suitor intrudes it makes him rather despondent, though by the time the short come to a conclusion, it appears that the jaunty musical accompaniment suggests even that interlude was nothing but a dream.

Ode to Chaplin, part six

[jamesjustice-92 · 10/10 · 6 April 2022]

In the beginning of 1919 Chaplin, together with Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and D. W. Griffith, established the new motion picture company - United Artists, which allowed to have full creative control and funding over movies made by filmmakers themselves. Charlie, still being under contract, with First National, therefore wanted to buy himself out of it but they refused because he still owed them six more movies. His frustration with the company and failed first marriage altogether influenced his next movie greatly.

"Sunnyside" that came out in June of 1919 showed a somewhat unconventional Chaplin character - a farm boy who lives in a small village and works as Jack of all trades for a mean old little man whose only purpose is to kick his servant in the back. But Charlie doesn't mind all that beating and disrespect being completely head over hills about a girl, played magnificently by Edna Purviance - with each role Charles gave her she gave all her heart and soul back and without saying a word, just playing with her eyes the viewer can feel the romance, drama and love.

The father of Edna's character is against Charlie's fondness towards his daughter like any other father would be if his daughter were seeing someone as poor, carefree and unprosperous as Chaplin's character. But love works in mysterious ways and a person who cherishes another person for who he is, not what he has, deserves all the love in the world.

It's funny how a 100-year-old and a 28-minute-long movie can make you appreciate the place you live in and the people around you when most of the new ones can't. Thanks to the genius of Charlie Chaplin I was able to have become a better person and human being and I only hope that his movies would have the same impact on others.

Typical but Political

[caspian1978 · 7/10 · 23 September 2004]

This is another one of Chaplin's comedies. The Tramp is the butt of the joke by the start of the movie and turns the tables on the jokers by the end of the movie. There is a love interest that The Tramp falls in love with and by the end of the movie, wins over. Like many of Chaplin's movies, the use of extras and supporting actors add to the comedy. So often, Chaplin casted very large people or very small people. Usually we see a very over weight and tall man standing next to a very skinny and short man. For a silent film, Chaplin is good is using the eye candy to create laughter. Also, if you look closely, all of Chaplin's films have a political message. By the time Chaplin was producing full length features in the 1930's and 1940's, he was clearly making an attempt to throw large political messages at his audience. Although it is a tiny and is easy to miss if you are not looking, the message given by Chaplin is successful. The hotel owner in the movie has a framed sign on his bedroom wall that reads: Love thy Neighbor. Pointing the finger at the ignorant Christian, Chaplin showcases a man who reminds himself to love his fellow man, but manages to treat The Tramp like dirt. Very nice and to the point, Chaplin does it again.

Not among Chaplin's best

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 16 August 2015]

This is a film that Charlie Chaplin made in 1919. He was probably the biggest movie star at that point and it's somehow strange to see that the 100th anniversary of this movie is actually not that long anymore. It's silent, of course, black-and-white and also written and directed by Chaplin. And Edna Purviance is on board as well as in so many other Chaplin films. Chaplin was almost 30 when he made this. However, there is nothing really new or refreshing about this 33-minute film. I am not sure why IMDb lists a runtime of over 40 minutes. Maybe the version I watched just had more frames per second. Anyway, back to the movie. It's pretty generic for its time. Clumsy young man falls in love with girl and her father disapproves. On the way to winning her heart, our hero has to go up against people three times his size and the slapstick by Chaplin here is not really that innovative. The most interesting aspect is possibly the inclusion of dream sequences. Still, all in all not a good movie, maybe also because it's difficult to like the protagonist with the way he treats his brother. Thumbs down.

Interesting Failure

[Cineanalyst · 29 August 2005]

"Sunnyside" and "A Day's Pleasure", the two films Chaplin made before his early masterpiece "The Kid", are two of his worst--probably since his days at Essanay. The most evident problem with "Sunnyside" is how uneven and poorly constructed it is. There's a lot going on in the film (maybe too much), and it seems more inspired than the lackluster "A Day's Pleasure", but it's a mess. Chaplin knew it, too; reportedly, he spent much time trying to make it into a coherent picture, and he contributed the film's failure to his personal problems at the time surrounding his failed marriage. In this light, the "etc., etc., etc." in the intertitles seems an expression of exasperation from the director.

In the film, the Tramp works overtime as a farmhand and employee of the adjoining hotel; his only solace being in his love for Edna Purviance's village belle. That sounds simple enough, but its construction and the fluency of the gags are off-kilter, as is the balance between slapstick and pathos. As a result, much of the hilarity and emotional involvement is forsaken.

Perhaps, "Sunnyside" was instructive for Chaplin. His subsequent films, especially "The Kid", would contain pathos and slapstick harmoniously. One may view the film as an experiment in this light. Furthermore, the dream sequence in "The Kid" is a more fully developed construction than that in "Sunnyside". The dancing nymphs interlude here in homage to ballet dancer and choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky might've worked better if placed in a better construction. Nevertheless, There are some funny moments here, as well as some hints at moments of poignancy. I especially liked the opening scenes where the Tramp won't get out of bed and brings a chicken and a cow into the kitchen to make breakfast. But, such moments are often lost within the ultimate hodgepodge that is "Sunnyside".

Paraphrasing the famous song, "Don't dance over the prickly pear . . . "

[oscaralbert · 6/10 · 18 August 2020]

" . . . with anyone else but me" sums up the lost opportunities of SUNNYSIDE. Each of the four nymphs making up the "farm handyman's" bridge quartet are far more comely than this live action short's so-called city belle. The latter fickle wench is not cracked up to deserve any dude's Liberty, especially one as efficient in the kitchen as the mislabeled hotel gopher. This film should have included a lot more footage of the nymphs, and fewer sour notes from the belle.

Not as memorable as other Chaplin movies

[jordondave-28085 · 6/10 · 17 May 2023]

1919) Sunnyside SILENT ROMANTIC COMEDY 24 minute short produced, edited, music, written, directed and starring Charlie Chaplin, centering on the little tramp getting up and getting to work with the owner taking him under his wing, physically harassing him by frequently kicking his behind at 4 o'clock in the morning. At first I thought the little tramp must be working in a farm and in this film he's sort of is, but after directing some cattle- he then comes back to the owner. He is late because he was busy seeing girl he's attracted to, for minding some sort of motel, and the owner continues to berate him. A young wealthy man then gets into an automobile accident nearby as a result of driving fast and they bring him in to the closest location which was the motel. Chaplin then competes for this girls affection with the wealthy young man as she stops by into the store. Chaplins best films are supposed to be his short ones because they're short crammed with many comical slap sticks but in this case it consists to have very few slap sticks, but as viewers watched this it's sidetracked with love advances instead better shown and felt on Chaplins later movies.

It's Always Sunny in Sunnyside

[nukisepp · 6/10 · 29 January 2021]

A sunnier side of life in the Sunnyside village. Charles Chaplin stars as the Farm Handyman, hotel busboy, and shop clerk in the same person (it seems his boss got quite a big enterprise going on in there), who has to fight for the heart of the woman (Edna Purviance).

I can't say 'Sunnyside' is a particularly good or funny movie. It is interesting, and there are a couple of clever plot development elements used. The film is well structured and Chaplin's performance has both, a little bit of a trickster and then there is the more emotional side. Chaplin's own performance might be the strongest side of the film.

Not Chaplin's funniest, but even pacing and well-structured plot together with fine acting jobs by Chaplin and Purviance make 'Sunnyside' a pleasant watching.

A Long Process For Chaplin

[springfieldrental · 7/10 · 27 September 2021]

Despite "A Day's Pleasure" taking six months to release, the production was surprisingly efficient compared to Chaplin's previous short, June 1919's "Sunnyside." The comedian hadn't released a movie since October 1918's Shoulder Arms." Throughout "Sunnyside's" filming, Chaplin took several days off at a time for what he called mental breaks. He bounced around ideas with friends and played out several skits that he felt could fit his plot of his character employed under a mean boss at a hotel. The production took 151 days for the 30-minute short. Chaplin claimed in his autobiography the making of the film was "like pulling teeth." But knowing his marriage to Mildred, 12 years younger than him, was a disaster soon after he married the 16-year older, and that divorce proceedings were imminent, Chaplin had his sights on his most ambitious project yet. Inspired by Jackie Coogan, he formulated what would become his first feature film, 'The Kid.'

A kick in the pants

[gbill-74877 · 6/10 · 18 August 2020]

By my count there are 26 times when Chaplin is kicked in the butt in this film, and he himself doles out 3 butt kicks himself. The version I saw was 30 minutes long, so it's an average of nearly one butt kick per minute. If you do the drinking game for it, you may end up in a hospital. On top of that Chaplin pokes people in the butt with his cane accidentally and intentionally twice, sits on a cactus, and a big man gets his butt stuck in a chair. The backside was really big humor in 1919 I guess.

I liked the interesting ending, suggesting suicide (via, of course, getting hit in the butt by a car) and a fantasy in death. I also liked the scene where after taking a fall, in his daze Chaplin imagines four winsome young girls frolicking about with garlands of flowers and dances after them, though I have to say, it was hard not to think of his unfortunate real-life penchant for underage girls during this scene. His brief marriage to first wife Mildred Harris (who he started dating when she was 16) was unraveling, prompting him to say in his autobiography that making this film was "like pulling teeth," and I think it shows. Unfortunately a lot of the film isn't all that great, tramp character waddle/scurry notwithstanding, e.g. the romance and having to deal with her simple-minded brother as well as a city slicker, the goats at the piano, the runaway bull, etc. It was amusing to see a doctor gouge a patient with a $10 charge ($150 in 2020 dollars) for a brief checkup, I guess that's something that hasn't changed.

Chaplin's Turn as a Maligned Farm Hand is Uninspired

[drqshadow-reviews · 4/10 · 8 June 2020]

Every day's a grind for the hired help, especially when a tyrannical boss is on the prowl. Charlie Chaplin plays the former, doing everything in his power to slack off and inconvenience the customers when the latter isn't literally putting a boot to his ass. Which, suffice to say, isn't often. Chaplin is relentlessly hounded by the owner of this strange little farm / grocery / hotel hybrid, a catch-all oasis in the heart of a tiny rural village.

That setting does have potential, and one or two lighthearted moments shine through, but most of the act seems uninspired and regurgitated; a rare instance of quantity-over-quality from the prolific silent movie idol. Frequent costar Edna Purviance is here, as the object of infatuation and jealousy, but the two don't share much spark this time around and the fuzzy resolution to their contested courtship leaves the climax hanging on a sour note. Chaplin would later confess that producing this short, in particular, felt more like work than pleasure. Another example of the star's tumultuous personal life affecting his output: the combination of a contentious contract negotiation and a failing marriage (his first of several) was obviously draining his once-fiery spirit.

Not the best Chaplin

[scsu1975 · 5/10 · 29 November 2022]

Charlie works at a hotel in the town of Sunnyside. His boss treats him like crap, and Charlie gets into a few mildly amusing situations. Charlie is also smitten with Edna, but then a stranger arrives in town and gives Edna the eye. Who will win out?

I'm not a big fan of Chaplin, although I don't dislike him. He just doesn't make me laugh in this, unless you enjoy seeing him kicked in the butt over and over.

I sat through this fairly short film (it runs around 32 minutes) and didn't change my expression the whole time. In one scene, Charlie falls off a cow, gets knocked unconscious, then dreams he is dancing with four fairies. I had no idea how this tied in with the plot.

Edna Purviance does a nice job as the romantic interest, and her serious scenes with Charlie are touching. The film could have used more of this, and less of the wacky situations.

This was not a bad film by any means; just not my cup of tea. Along with the copies on YouTube, there is also about an eight-minute sequence, with Charlie shaving someone. At least one contemporaneous reviewer mentioned seeing a version over 40 minutes, so the scene was probably included in 1919 and cut later. Some newspapers reported that Chaplin spent seven months and $1,000,000 making the film, and had actually filmed sixteen reels before whittling down the released product.

For trivia fans, there is a scene showing a man reading a Hebrew newspaper. The newspaper is the Jewish Daily Forward, which was published in Chicago. When newspaper officials discovered their paper was highlighted in the film, they were delighted and decided to cash in. They printed thousands of advertising cards, with the movie scene recreated on one side. The other side of the card featured the phrase "In Reel Life as in Real Life, The Forward, a Jewish newspaper, takes part in Charlie Chaplin's latest hit, 'Sunnyside.'" Supposedly this sparked some interest in Chicago's Jewish community, boosting attendance for the film.

Moments that stick out in the Chaplin canon

[gring0 · 22 February 2009]

Although not a success when it was released in 1919, scenes to look out for in his third film for First National Pictures is Chaplin again showing off his stunt skills by riding rampaging cows, and the classic scene involving "Blind Man's Buff', his brother 'Willie', and a car. The dream scene featuring the prepubescent girls foreshadows Chaplin's own private (for now) daemons. I deeply appreciated the thrill of Glen David Gold's Carter Beats the Devil, and his follow up was titled Sunnyside which is about I should say that the book is about Chaplin, following several story lines all looping back, thematically, to that change in character that you witness in "A Day's Pleasure," the first section. tracesofevil.blogspot.com