There's a story about comedian Billy West that may or may not be true. It's said that West, who was the best known and most successful of all the Charlie Chaplin impersonators, was shooting a scene on the streets of Los Angeles. A crowd gathered to watch, and when the filming was done a man stepped out of the crowd and approached the star. The man was Chaplin himself, who allegedly told West: "You're a damned good imitator, but that's all you are." Whether or not this actually happened, the recently restored two-reeler Rolling Stone demonstrates one thing: Billy West was indeed a damned good imitator. His "Charlie" is so well observed that some viewers might be fooled into thinking they're watching the real McCoy, although viewers who've seen a lot of Chaplin comedies quickly recognize the differences. West was scrupulously careful to create films that were as Chaplin-like as he could make them. During the opening sequence, when Billy shares very humble lodgings with his pet dog, the dog closely resembles Scraps, Charlie's companion in A Dog's Life. When Billy comes into conflict with a crazed Bolshevik the latter is portrayed by Leo White, who appeared in a number of Chaplin comedies for Essanay and Mutual. And it's quite likely that a number of gags in this film were contributed by director Charles Parrott (i.e. Charley Chase), a gifted comedy craftsman who also worked with the real Chaplin back at Keystone.
In Rolling Stone, Billy is a tramp who takes a job as driver of a tour bus. When his tour group visits a prison Billy flirts with the warden's daughter. Soon afterward, however, he is mistaken for a dangerous Bolshevik whom he resembles; Billy is thrown into jail while the Bolshevik commandeers the bus and robs the passengers. The warden, a big bearded man who resembles Chaplin's nemesis Eric Campbell, gives Billy a hard time but eventually realizes that a mix-up has occurred. When Billy saves the warden's life, he is rewarded with the hand of the warden's daughter.
That's it in a nutshell. The same premise might have served other comedians of the day such as Larry Semon or Bobby Vernon, but not Chaplin. By 1919 he was working in a more realistic vein, and had outgrown the sort of haphazard plotting found here. Billy West also favored the kind of cartoon-y gags that Chaplin was no longer using, although it must be said that a lot of the routines in Rolling Stone are pretty funny. There's a bit where the warden shows off for the tourists by selecting convicts to step out of their cells to perform "specialties": one tap dances, another growls and strikes frightening poses, etc. In a similar bit later on the warden observes 'lights out' by marching to each cell, summoning each convict to the doorway, and giving him a good choking. I have to add, however, that I found it disturbing that actor Stanton Heck, who played the warden, was made up to resemble Eric Campbell for this role. Campbell was killed in a car accident in December 1917, about a year before this film was made. I feel that impersonations of the late performer should have ceased at that point, out of respect.
If Chaplin had used this story he probably would have come up with a better motivation for the hero to get a job driving the tour bus (Billy is simply grabbed off the sidewalk and given the job on the spot), and a better resolution to the subplot involving the Bolshevik, who is captured only when he breaks back INTO the jail to avenge himself on the warden! Also, Billy's heroism in saving the warden's life is entirely accidental; Chaplin would have devised a better climax, too.
In sum, this is a lightly amusing and somewhat unusual comedy that will be of interest to buffs who enjoy Chaplin, Charley Chase, and silent comedy in general, but it's no substitute for the real thing. If you want to see Charlie Chaplin as a convict then take a look at The Adventurer or The Pilgrim. If you want to see the man that Chaplin (allegedly) considered a damned good imitator, then take a look at Rolling Stone.
In Rolling Stone, Billy is a tramp who takes a job as driver of a tour bus. When his tour group visits a prison Billy flirts with the warden's daughter. Soon afterward, however, he is mistaken for a dangerous Bolshevik whom he resembles; Billy is thrown into jail while the Bolshevik commandeers the bus and robs the passengers. The warden, a big bearded man who resembles Chaplin's nemesis Eric Campbell, gives Billy a hard time but eventually realizes that a mix-up has occurred. When Billy saves the warden's life, he is rewarded with the hand of the warden's daughter.
That's it in a nutshell. The same premise might have served other comedians of the day such as Larry Semon or Bobby Vernon, but not Chaplin. By 1919 he was working in a more realistic vein, and had outgrown the sort of haphazard plotting found here. Billy West also favored the kind of cartoon-y gags that Chaplin was no longer using, although it must be said that a lot of the routines in Rolling Stone are pretty funny. There's a bit where the warden shows off for the tourists by selecting convicts to step out of their cells to perform "specialties": one tap dances, another growls and strikes frightening poses, etc. In a similar bit later on the warden observes 'lights out' by marching to each cell, summoning each convict to the doorway, and giving him a good choking. I have to add, however, that I found it disturbing that actor Stanton Heck, who played the warden, was made up to resemble Eric Campbell for this role. Campbell was killed in a car accident in December 1917, about a year before this film was made. I feel that impersonations of the late performer should have ceased at that point, out of respect.
If Chaplin had used this story he probably would have come up with a better motivation for the hero to get a job driving the tour bus (Billy is simply grabbed off the sidewalk and given the job on the spot), and a better resolution to the subplot involving the Bolshevik, who is captured only when he breaks back INTO the jail to avenge himself on the warden! Also, Billy's heroism in saving the warden's life is entirely accidental; Chaplin would have devised a better climax, too.
In sum, this is a lightly amusing and somewhat unusual comedy that will be of interest to buffs who enjoy Chaplin, Charley Chase, and silent comedy in general, but it's no substitute for the real thing. If you want to see Charlie Chaplin as a convict then take a look at The Adventurer or The Pilgrim. If you want to see the man that Chaplin (allegedly) considered a damned good imitator, then take a look at Rolling Stone.
