THE KID
Answers the following questions in a sentence
or two.
1) Why did Chaplin sit before his stock
company often?
Ans: Chaplin sat before his stock company often to get an idea for the
next picture. And their presence and reactions were a stimulus.
2) Who is Roscoe Arbuckle?
Ans: Roscoe Arbuckle was renowned director.
3) Who is a rival of Chaplin?
Ans: Roscoe Arbuckle is a rival of Chaplin
4) What was the idea behind a new picture
featuring four year old Jackie Coogan?
Ans: Chaplin thought that Jackie
Coogan would enumerate his possibilities, the gags and the stories.
5) What was the news brought by the publicity
man that electrified Chaplin and his company?
Ans: Jackie Coogan wasn’t signed up by Arbuckle it was his father Jack
Coogan, this was the news brought by the publicity man Carlisle Robinson that
electrified Chaplin and his company.
6) What was Jackie’s father’s reaction to the
offer of a film role to his son?
Ans: Jackie’s father was surprised when he heard about the offer of a
film role to his son.
7) Why could not Chaplin shoot Jackie’s swing
on a door?
Ans: Chaplin could not shoot Jackie’s wing on a door because there was
nothing else on Jackie’s mind, he became self-conscious.
8) What part was played by Jackie’s father in
the flop house scene?
Ans: A pickpocket part was played by Jackie’s father in the flop house
scene.
Explain the following statements with
reference to their context.
1) My god! Why didn’t I think of that?
Ans: Lesson: The Kid
Author: Charlie Chaplin
Context: Charlie
Chaplin was at his wits end for an idea. He was struggling for it but he was
not getting any idea. He went to the Orpheum for distraction, so that he would
relief in that state of despair. While he was observing a performance a little
boy, an infant of four had dragged attention of him by seeing his eccentric
dance. Even audience went into an uproar, so that the child was made to come on
again, that time doing quite a different dance. Jackie Coogan was the kid, who
was charming and the audience thoroughly enjoyed his act. He had an engaging
personality. Charlie didn’t think about the boy for the following week but
still he struggling to get an idea for the next picture. So, he sat on the open
stage with his stock company, as their presence and reactions would stimulate
him. Charlie mind wandered, and he talked about the acts he had seen playing at
the Orpheum and about the little boy, Jackie Coogan, Who had come on and bowed
with his father. Meanwhile someone said
that he had read in the morning paper that Jackie Coogan had been signed up by
Roscoe Arbuckle for a film. The news struck Charlie like fork lightning.
Charlie said, “My God! Why didn’t I think of that?” He thought that he would be
marvelous in films. Then he went on to enumerate his possibilities, the gags and
the stories he could do with him.
2) ‘It’s not Jackie Coogan that Arbuckle’s
signed up, it’s the father, Jack Coogan’
Ans: Lesson: The Kid
Author: Charlie Chaplin
Context: Charlie
mind wandered, and he talked about the acts he had seen playing at the Orpheum
and about the little boy, Jackie Coogan, Who had come on and bowed with his
father. Meanwhile someone said that he
had read in the morning paper that Jackie Coogan had been signed up by Roscoe
Arbuckle for a film. The news struck Charlie like fork lightning. Charlie said,
“My God! Why didn’t I think of that?” He thought that he would be marvelous in
films. Then he went on to enumerate his possibilities, the gags and the stories
he could do with him. He sat and wasted a whole day elaborating on the story,
describing one scene after another, while the cast looked askance, wondering
why he was waxing so enthusiastic over a lost cause. Even someone suggested
that he should try and find another boy, but Charlie refused to do it. Round
about eleven thirty, Carlisle Robinson, his publicity man, came hurrying on to
the stage, breathless and excited. He said that Jackie Coogan was not signed up
but his father Jack Coogan was signed for the movie. Charlie leaped out of his
char. He asked to get his father on the phone and to come there at once. Even
the news electrified everyone. Some of the cast came up and slapped him on the
back, they were so enthused.
3) Of course you can have the little Punk.
Ans: Lesson: The Kid
Author: Charlie Chaplin
Context: Charlie
leaped out of his char. He asked to get his father on the phone and to come
there at once. When Charlie got information from Carlisle Robinson, his
publicity man came hurrying on to the stage, breathless and excited. He said
that Jackie Coogan was not signed up but his father Jack Coogan was signed for
the movie. Charlie office members came on to the stage and congratulated him.
Charlie told Robinson to be cautious what he said over the phone not to mention
anything about kid, not even to the father until he got there. For two hours he
was excruciating suspense, at last surprised and bewildered, Jackie’s father
showed up. Charlie grabbed his arm and He said him that his son would be a
sensation and the greatest thing that ever happened, all he had to make was
that one picture. Charlie thought he was insane that moment. Charlie requested
Jack to allow his son to work in his movie. When Jack Coogan got that news he
was surprised and he asked his son to him. Once again Charlie said yes, your
son, let him have for that one picture. Jack Coogan exclaimed of course he
could have the little punk. Charlie was so much excited when he got chance to
work with Jackie Coogan.
3) ‘Don’t frighten or hurt the boy’.
Ans: Lesson: The Kid
Author: Charlie Chaplin
Context: Charlie
was happily proceeding in his picture’s casting. As Jackie’s father also
terminated is agreement with Arbuckle and he played a role of pick pocket in
the flop- house scene. He was very helpful at times. Once there was a scene to
which he wanted Jackie actually to cry when two workhouse officials take him
away from Charlie. He told him all sorts of harrowing stories, but Jackie was
in a very gay and mischievous mood. After waiting for an hour, Jack said that
he would make him cry. At that Charlie addressed him didn’t frighten or hurt
the boy. Without that he wanted Jackie to cry for that scene. And Jack said
that he would not hurt him.
4) ‘Daddy was only fooling’.
Ans: Lesson: The Kid
Author: Charlie Chaplin
Context: Once there
was a scene to which he wanted Jackie actually to cry when two workhouse
officials take him away from Charlie. He told him all sorts of harrowing
stories, but Jackie was in a very gay and mischievous mood. After waiting for
an hour, Jack said that he would make him cry. At that Charlie addressed him
didn’t frighten or hurt the boy. Without that he wanted Jackie to cry for that
scene. And Jack said that he would not hurt him. Jack made him cry and it was a scene where
Charlie rescued the boy from the workhouse officials and while he was weeping.
He hugged and kissed him. When it was over he asked Jack, how he got him to
cry. Jack replied that if he did not do that act then they’d take him away from
the studio and send him to the workhouse. After hearing it, Charlie went to
console Jackie and he said him that they would not take him away. At that
moment the boy whispered that his daddy was only fooling him.
Answer the following questions in 300 words.
1) How did Chaplin react to the eccentric
dancer’s performance at the Orpheum?
Ans: Charlie
Chaplin was at his wits end for an idea. He was struggling for it but he was
not getting any idea. He went to the Orpheum for distraction, so that he would
relief in that state of despair. While he was observing a performance a little
boy, an infant of four had dragged attention of him by seeing his eccentric
dance. Even audience went into an uproar, so that the child was made to come on
again, that time doing quite a different dance. Jackie Coogan was the kid, who
was charming and the audience thoroughly enjoyed his act. He had an engaging
personality. Charlie didn’t think about the boy for the following week but
still he struggling to get an idea for the next picture. So, he sat on the open
stage with his stock company, as their presence and reactions would stimulate
him. Charlie mind wandered, and he talked about the acts he had seen playing at
the Orpheum and about the little boy, Jackie Coogan, Who had come on and bowed
with his father. Meanwhile someone said
that he had read in the morning paper that Jackie Coogan had been signed up by
Roscoe Arbuckle for a film. The news struck Charlie like fork lightning.
Charlie said, “My God! Why didn’t I think of that?” He thought that he would be
marvelous in films. Then he went on to enumerate his possibilities, the gags
and the stories he could do with him.
2) What was Chaplin’s idea about the window
mending tramp and window breaking little kid?
Ans: Charlie
thought that Jackie would be marvelous in films. Then he went on to enumerate
his possibilities, the gags and the stories he could do with him. Ideas flew in
his mind. He thought that a tramp who was a window mender, and the little kid
going around the streets breaking windows, and the tramp coming by and mending
them. The charm of the kid and the trap living together was having all sorts of
adventures. He sat and wasted a whole day elaborating on the story, describing
one scene after another, while the cast looked askance, wondering why he was
waxing so enthusiastic over a lost cause. For hours he went on inventing
business and situations. Then he suddenly remembered what the use was, Arbuckle
had signed him up and probably had idea similar to him.
3) What possibilities and difficulties about
baby actors are given by Chaplin?
Ans: Chaplin was
struggling to get an idea for the next picture. So, he sat on the open stage
with his stock company, as their presence and reactions would stimulate him.
Charlie mind wandered, and he talked about the acts he had seen playing at the
Orpheum and about the little boy, Jackie Coogan, Who had come on and bowed with
his father. Meanwhile someone said that
he had read in the morning paper that Jackie Coogan had been signed up by
Roscoe Arbuckle for a film. The news struck Charlie like fork lightning.
Charlie said, “My God! Why didn’t I think of that?” He thought that he would be
marvelous in films. Then he went on to enumerate his possibilities, the gags
and the stories he could do with him. Ideas flew in his mind. He thought that a
tramp who was a window mender, and the little kid going around the streets
breaking windows, and the tramp coming by and mending them. The charm of the
kid and the trap living together was having all sorts of adventures.
4) Narrate the scene of the kid with the
policeman and how Jackie was asked to play it?
Ans: There was a
scene in The Kid where the boy was about to throw a stone at a window. A
policeman would steal up behind him, and as he brought his hand back to throw,
it touched the policeman’s coat. He looked up at the policeman, then playfully
tossed the stone up and caught it, then innocently threw it away and ambled
off, suddenly bursting into a sprint. Having worked out the mechanics of the
scene, Charlie told Jackie to watch him, emphasizing the points. Jackie
rehearsed the scene three or four times. Eventually he was so sure of the
mechanics that his emotion came with them. The scene was one of Jackie’s best,
and was one of the high spots in the picture.
