The Bank (1915)

SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

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 Essanay period after leaving Keystone, 'The Bank is not one of his very best but is one of his best early efforts and among the better short films of his. 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, from 1914, The Essanay period is something of Chaplin's adolescence period where his style had been found and starting to settle. Something that can be seen in the more than worthwhile 'The Bank'. The story is still a little flimsy, there are times where it struggles to sustain the short length, and could have had more variety.On the other hand, 'The Bank' looks pretty good, not incredible 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.While not one of his most hilarious or touching, 'The Bank' is still very funny with some clever, entertaining and well-timed slapstick and is one of his first to have substance and pathos. It moves quickly and there is no dullness in sight. Chaplin directs more than competently, if not quite cinematic genius standard yet. He also, as usual, gives an amusing and expressive performance and at clear ease with the physicality and substance of the role. The supporting cast acquit themselves well.In summary, very good and one of the best from Chaplin's Essanay period. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Charlie works as a janitor at a bank.But when Charlie is holding the mop it means only more mess.Edna is the secretary of the bank and Charlie has a big crush on her.But she has a fiancé, the cashier that's also called Charlie.A big misunderstanding happens but Charlie gets to safe the day when he gets to rescue Edna from the bank robbers.But then he wakes up and realizes it was only a dream.The Bank from 1915 is Charles Chaplin's tenth picture for Essanay films and it's a departure from the tramp character.Tramp or no tramp, Charlie does his thing good.It's great to watch him mopping the floors and constantly hitting those big shots with his mop.It's most tragicomic when Charlie finds Edna's message to Charlie, that other Charlie, and he thinks it's for him.He gets her a rose and writes her a message and then finds out it's not him she loves.Chaplin works with his usual cast here.Edna Purviance is naturally the woman he loves.Leo White is Clerk.Billy Armstrong is Another Janitor.Lloyd Bacon plays Bank Robber.Carl Stockdale is Charles, the Cashier.This Chaplin short will make you laugh...after more than 90 years.

"The Bank" (1915, Chaplin) "The Bank" was one of Charlie's 1915 Essanay films. While these group of films are more watchable than their 1914 counterparts, this one seems a bit below average. The gag with the janitorial double combo-locked vault and the tough-luck ending that has Charlie waking up from a dream, in which he is stroking the lead lady's hair, only to be stroking the head of a mop he had used as a quasi pillow, are both classic Chaplin moments. They are both ironically the beginning and the end. The middle is filled in with fighting with the rival co-worker janitor and busting up a bank robbery to win the girl. The mop is probably the greatest physical prop of this movie and Charlie uses it to expert comedic effect whether while it is the intention of his character or not. The mop seems to be Charlie's alter-ego doing things he wishes he could do but wouldn't with his own two hands. Interesting stuff but there's better.

Apart from the very end of this short, I think this might be one of the very best Chaplin shorts I have seen. The pacing was excellent, the story cute and involving and everything seemed to fit together just right--until the ending. MAJOR SPOILER ALERT!!!Some may like the way the film ended, but I felt REALLY disappointed and irritated at the way they chose to conclude the film. You see, Charlie is a janitor and when the bank is later robbed, Charlie foils the robbers and gets the girl--this works out so well and everything is perfect. However, this all turns out to be a dream! I think Chaplin did this because of his infatuation with pathos in many of his films and while this did make the ending very poignant and sad, it also seemed to undo and ruin everything that occurred before he awoke and found he was just a lowly janitor and not a hero after all.