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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 937

By the Sea

Video edition
Wikimedia Commons
Original language
No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: English.
This copy runs
13:57
Subtitles
No subtitle track in this language

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · Charlie Chaplin · Public domain

This copy runs shorter than the reference runtime. Editing and playback speed can differ between editions.

Synopsis

A seaside outing becomes a chain of arguments when the Tramp's hat is confused with another man's in the wind. Fighting, flirtation and attempts to appear innocent keep drawing strangers into the dispute. The beach and pier provide an open setting where a minor misunderstanding spreads through the people who have come to enjoy the day.

Cast

Behind the scenes

Chaplin filmed the short around Santa Monica's beach and piers during his move from Essanay's northern California location to Los Angeles. The outdoor setting supplies the changing public background for a comedy built around immediate physical encounters.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 12, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

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