A growing source of silent era film information. This listing is from The Progressive Silent Film List by Carl Bennett. Copyright © 1999-2026 by Carl Bennett and the Silent Era Company. All Rights Reserved.

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	Charles Chaplin. Photograph: Silent Era image collection.

Cast: Charles Chaplin [the tramp], Merna Kennedy [the circus rider], Allan Garcia [the ringmaster], Harry Crocker [Rex, the tightrope walker], George Davis [the magician], Henry Bergman [old clown], John Rand [assistant property man], Steve Murphy [the pickpocket]; Albert Austin [the tall clown], Heinie Conklin [a clown], Armand Triller [a clown], Betty Morrissey [the vanishing lady], Bill Knight [a policeman], Jack P. Pierce [the man operating ropes], Charles A. Bachman, Eugene Barry, Jack Bernard, Stanley Blystone, Toraichi Kono, H.L. Kyle, L.J. O’Connor, Hugh Saxon, Max Tyron, [?] Stanley Sanford (Tiny Sanford)?

Charles Chaplin Productions production; distributed by United Artists Corporation. / Produced by Charles Chaplin. Scenario by Charles Chaplin. Cinematography by Roland H. Totheroh. Camera operators, Jack Wilson and Mark Marklatt. / Released 7 January 1928. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format. / A restaurant scene featuring Doc Stone as twin prizefighters was deleted before release. Chaplin won a special Academy Award for “versatility and genius in writing, acting, directing and producing” the film. Chaplin composed music for the 1970 reissue of this film. / Silent film, with synchronized music and sound effects.

Comedy.

Survival status: Print exists [35mm positive].

Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].

Keywords: Animals: Horses, Monkeys - Circuses - Circus tents - Ringmasters - Tightrope walkers - Synchronized sound film

Listing updated: 20 May 2018.

References: Film credits, film viewing : Baer-Film p. 47; Bardèche-History pp. 258b, 294, 295, 297; Basten-Technicolor p. 39; Bohn-Light p. 100; Brownlow-Parade p. 503; Dardis-Keaton p. 128; Everson-American pp. 266, 270; Fell-History p. 97; Jacobs-Chaplin pp. 82, 83-84, 88, 114a, 136; Kerr-Silent pp. 33, 185, 264, 338, 339-343, 349; Lahue-World p. 149; Leish-Cinema p. 61; Limbacher-Feature p. 45; Maltin-Classic pp. 122-123; McGhee-Wayne p. 118; Miller-Comedies p. 7; Paris-Brooks p. 110; Schelly-Langdon pp. 112, 126, 129; Shipman-Cinema p. 98; Sinyard-Silent pp. 99, 108, 109; Sklar-Movie pp. 110, 114; Skretvedt-Magic p. 440; Vermilye-Twenties p. 112 : ClasIm-220 pp. C6, C8; ClasIm-223 p. 49 : Website-IMDb : with additional information provided by Lynna Kay Shuffield.

Home video: Blu-ray Disc, DVD.