In this comedy written, directed, and starring Charlie Chaplin, he portrays an escaped convict. After he escapes the police, he saves a beautiful girl (Edna Purviance), her mother and her suitor (Eric Campbell) from drowning. Afterward he is invited into their home and treated as an honorable guest at their swanky party. At this party, the suitor finds that Chaplin is an escaped convict from reading the newspaper, and calls the police to come arrest him. This short film concludes with the implication that Chaplin escapes yet again from the police.
The Adventurer is Chaplin's last film produced by Mutual Film in 1917. It is a very fun short film with an emphasis on Chaplin's physical comedy. When he escapes the police, he uses seemingly silly methods and lots of running which ultimately prove his wit and freedom. As he saves the girl, her mother, and her suitor from drowning, a comical rivalry between him and the suitor arises. My favorite moment is when he lifts the suitor's gurney and unknowingly tosses him back into the water. The party is full of this same comedy, featuring discreet butt-kicking between the convict and the suitor. The convict's last escape from the police is another good laugh. By the end of the film, I was satisfied that he escaped and will likely have more of these adventures. (Below is a link to the short film on YouTube.)
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