King, Queen, Joker
| King, Queen, Joker | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Sydney Chaplin |
| Produced by |
Adolph Zukor Jesse Lasky |
| Written by | Sydney Chaplin |
| Starring | Sydney Chaplin |
| Cinematography | Murphy Darling |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release dates | May 15, 1921 |
Running time | 5 reels; 5,137 feet |
| Country | United States |
| Language |
Silent English intertitles |
King, Queen, Joker is a 1921 American silent feature farce written and directed by Sydney Chaplin, the elder half-brother of Charlie Chaplin. The picture was produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed through Paramount Pictures. The film was shot in England, France and the United States.[1][2]
Less than a reel of this film, the barbershop sequence, survives at the British Film Institute. It was included in the 2011 Criterion DVD special two disc edition release of The Great Dictator.
Plot
Based upon a description in a film publication,[3] an imaginary kingdom is in a state of unrest due to the extravagance and oppression of the king, who refuses to sign a people's charter. A humorous barber who resembles the king falls in with some terrorists and agrees to take the king's place after he is kidnapped. The barber then plays the king, and there are several humorous episodes. The real king escapes and the barber is sentenced to be shot, but is saved by the queen and escapes in a bag. The film ends with an automobile chase and a transfer to an airplane.
Cast
- Sydney Chaplin - The King / The Joker
- Lottie MacPherson - The Queen / Chief Plotter
References
- ↑ The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States 1921-30 by The American Film Institute, p. 407 c.1971
- ↑ The AFI Catalog of Feature Films:King, Queen, Joker
- ↑ "King-Queen-Joker: Comedy Given Good Production and Well Acted". Film Daily. New York City: Wyd's Films and Film Folks, Inc. 16 (65): 15. June 5, 1921. Retrieved 2014-03-26.