Battling Butler (Silent) - DVD

A bush-league baseball pitcher is given a chance at the big leagues but lets success go to his head in this charming silent comedy-drama starring Charles Ray, Colleen Moore, and John Gilbert.

Having just signed to First National Pictures, Charlie Chaplin was anxious to turn his satirical eye on World War I. The studio insisted that the conflict was no laughing matter, but Chaplin persisted, finally directing the movie himself (his first time behind the camera). In Shoulder Arms , Charlie is the clumsiest soldier in his company, dubbed "The Awkward Squad". Once in the trenches, Charlie becomes a hero, capturing German soldier

Charlie Chaplin's first full-length directorial effort, The Kid, which he also wrote, produced and starred in, is widely regarded as one of Hollywood's great enduring masterpieces. "A comedy with a smile -- and perhaps a tear," he successfully blended humor with pathos while launching the career of Jackie Coogan as the irresistible 5 year-old. Due to its cultural, historical and aesthetic significance, The Kid was selected for preservat