Sunnyside

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.