The Rink

1916

Comedy

10
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 71% · 2 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 71% · 250 ratings
IMDb Rating 7.0/10 10 4594 4.6K

parent child relationship marriage restaurant roller-skating lunch break rollerskates

Plot summary

After amusements working in a restaurant, a waiter uses his lunch break to go roller skating.

Director

Charles Chaplin Photo
Charles Chaplin

Top cast

Charles Chaplin Photo
Charles Chaplin as A Waiter - Posing as Sir Cecil Seltzer
Frank J. Coleman Photo
Frank J. Coleman as Restaurant Manager
Edna Purviance Photo
Edna Purviance as The Girl
Leota Bryan Photo
Leota Bryan as Edna's Friend
720p.BluRay 1080p.BluRay
229.14 MB
1280*960
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
12 hr 24 min
Seeds 1
425.22 MB
1440*1080
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
12 hr 24 min
Seeds 12

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by lugonian 7 / 10

Charlie on the Roll of Skates

THE RINK (Mutual Studios, 1916), written and directed by Charlie Chaplin, offers the legendary comedian an opportunity in playing something other than a tramp. In fact, though identified mostly as the little tramp, there are numerous times he'd assume other characters in the Charlie Chaplin tradition, but the little tramp is what stays in memory. This time, Charlie plays a waiter with a talent for skating at a rink or social function as well as serving up trouble at the restaurant where he works. On his off hours, he does sport is trademark attire of derby, cane and tramp clothes he keeps in the stove rather than a locker. For his eighth comedy short for the Mutual Studio (Lone Star Corporation in most title card introductions), Chaplin resumes the fine comic support of his staff players of Edna Purviance, James K. Kelley, Frank J. Coleman, Albert Austin, Lloyd Bacon, Charlotte Mineau, and his most frequent adversary of the Mutual days, the late, great Eric Campbell.The slight plot provides many antics involving a waiter (Chaplin) in a local restaurant writing the bill for one of his customers, Mr. Stout (Eric Campbell), a businessman who's as much of a flirt with the women as his manly looking wife (Henry Bergman in drag) is with the men. At the nearby rink, Stout is seen skating with a young socialite (Edna Purviance), but their union is soon interrupted by the waiter taking a break from his job. As he skates at the rink with Edna, he offers his calling card which reads Sir Cecil Seltzer, C.O.D. Before returning to work, Cecil is invited to social function skating party at Edna's home. As Mr. Stout makes his entrance at Edna's party, he not only encounters his wife with an male escort, but trouble along the way with the rolling skating Cecil.More in the Mack Sennett slapstick tradition than Chaplin's more familiar technique of his latter years, THE RINK is brisk and funny regardless of its limitation in character development and plot outcome. Best moments occur as waiter Charlie, a/k/a Cecil, unwittingly serving a live cat to one of his customers. Another is the Charlie and Eric encounter, especially at the skating party. Interestingly, however, in Chaplin's other comedy short, THE IMMIGRANT (1917), the tables are turned with Eric playing the waiter and Charlie the customer, to better results. Since good comedy material is often reused and improved upon, Chaplin would recreate his skating technique in his final silent feature length comedy of MODERN TIMES (1936), where he also assumes the job as a singing waiter at one point of the story.Formerly presented on a frequent level on public broadcast television in the sixties and seventies or beyond, THE RINK did play part of educational television's THE SILENT YEARS (1975), hosted by Lillian Gish, as the second half to the 90 minute timeslot following the 52 minute comedy, PECK'S BAD BOY (1921) starring Jackie Coogan, Chaplin's discoverer and co-star to their classic union of THE KID (1921).Scoring and length to THE RINK vary, depending on distributor controlling the rights to it. Some prints come with piano scoring: Blackhawk/ Republic Video dating back to the 1980s-90s acquired orchestration and sound effects from 1930s reissue for its VHS releases. Restored prints, from KINO VIDEO, consist of new orchestration and slower silent correction speed. Broadcast history for cable television of THE RINK consists of Arts and Entertainment (1980s)along with Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: December 13, 1999), as prime examples. Next Chaplin Mutual Comedy: EASY STREET (1917) with Charlie playing a policeman, but without the use of skates. (***)
Reviewed by drqshadow-reviews 7 / 10

Light but Bright; Chaplin is a Marvel on Skates

A raucous day's work for Charlie Chaplin, who waits tables (poorly) when he isn't absconding to the neighboring roller rink to generate chaos and steal kisses. These two-reel comedies aren't long enough to get much deeper than that, but there's no glaring need to. The spotlight is always, rightfully, on Chaplin's well-orchestrated bits of frenetic energy and fluid pandemonium, a hectic machine-gunning of highly polished comic routines that can adapt to fit the frequent changes of scenery.In the restaurant, Chaplin bounds wildly between kitchen and dining room, spreading ruin in his wake but always, somehow, skipping out on the punishment. He's more assertive in the rink, sabotaging a rival in pursuit of a pretty girl while showing off his premier skill on a pair of skates. That particular aspect is the short's most striking attribute, a brilliant display of mastery that's just as remarkable in a 1916 film as it would be, twenty years later, in Modern Times.The Rink may be slapstick through and through - lots of accelerated head-over-heel spills and broken plates - but it's efficient, crafty, and takes great care not to repeat itself. Silly and shallow, perhaps, but also highly entertaining.
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