The Floorwalker
1916 · 26m · USA
Directed by Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin's Tramp character wreaks havoc in a department store and stumbles into an embezzlement scheme hatched by the store manager and floorwalker, leading to a case of mistaken identity and a frantic chase involving the first escalator ever featured in a film.
Picked by Zoe
The scouts
The first escalator gag in cinema is genuinely clever, but at 26 minutes it's a lot of mistaken-identity store-manager runaround. Chaplin on cruise control.
The first cinematic use of an escalator is registered with a gag that Lubitsch would have applauded; otherwise a competent Mutual production. Historically pivotal, comedically routine.
First film to use an escalator — Chaplin builds the chase around the upward motion staying-in-place gag, which depends on choreographing actors against the rising stair speed. 28:07 runtime gives him room to stage multiple gag variations on the device.
Reviews
Chaplin proved he was 'the world's greatest comedian' through his performance on the escalator and overall film production quality.
The first of Chaplin's twelve two-reel films for the Mutual Company, which are perhaps the best series of two-reel silent comedies ever made.