
Charlie Chaplin's brilliant short about the immigrant experience — and one of the most perfectly constructed comedies of the silent era. The Little Tramp endures a rough Atlantic crossing, arriving in America full of hope, only to face hunger, humiliation, and the casual cruelty of a system that treats newcomers as an inconvenience. The genius is in the balance: Chaplin wrings uproarious physical comedy from a restaurant scene where he can't pay his bill, then turns on a dime to deliver moments of genuine tenderness with Edna Purviance as a fellow immigrant. Made when Chaplin himself was still only a few years removed from his own arrival from England, the film carries an emotional authenticity that elevates it far above mere slapstick. Funny, moving, and more relevant than ever.
Charlie Chaplin's brilliant short about the immigrant experience — and one of the most perfectly constructed comedies of the silent era. The Little Tramp endures a rough Atlantic crossing, arriving in America full of hope, only to face hunger, humiliation, and the casual cruelty of a system that treats newcomers as an inconvenience. The genius is in the balance: Chaplin wrings uproarious physical comedy from a restaurant scene where he can't pay his bill, then turns on a dime to deliver moments of genuine tenderness with Edna Purviance as a fellow immigrant. Made when Chaplin himself was still only a few years removed from his own arrival from England, the film carries an emotional authenticity that elevates it far above mere slapstick. Funny, moving, and more relevant than ever.

Charlie Chaplin
Immigrant

Edna Purviance
Immigrant

Eric Campbell
The Head Waiter

Albert Austin
A Diner / Immigrant

Henry Bergman
The Artist

Tom Wilson
Gambler (uncredited)
Tom Harrington
Marriage Registrar (uncredited)

John Rand
Tipsy diner

Kitty Bradbury
Mother (uncredited)
Janet Sully
Passenger (uncredited)

Loyal Underwood
Passenger (uncredited)

James T. Kelley
Shabby Diner (uncredited)

Frank J. Coleman
Thief / Cashier (uncredited)

William Gillespie
Violinist (uncredited)
cinematographer
writer
writer
cinematographer
cinematographer
writer