Back to the collection

OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 808

The Fireman

191632 minUnited States

Video edition: Wikimedia Commons
Original language: No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: English.
This copy runs: 25:25
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 fireman struggles with drills, equipment and the demands of station life while his chief considers a dishonest bargain. A property owner wants his house to burn for the insurance money and offers his daughter's hand in return for cooperation. Real emergencies and the young woman's danger force the troublesome subordinate into a role that requires more than obedience.

Cast

Charles Chaplin

Edna Purviance

Lloyd Bacon

Eric Campbell

DirectorsCharles Chaplin

Behind the scenes

Chaplin uses reversed film to make horses, vehicles and bodies perform impossible movements around the station. These mechanical jokes contrast with the real urgency introduced when the planned insurance fire endangers a life.

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.

Wikipedia — film reference Wikidata — film identity and credits

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.

Charles Chaplin — Strauss-Peyton Studio, 1921; published in Photoplay no. 3 (1922); National Portrait Gallery / Wikimedia Commons. · Public domain in the United States (PD-US-expired)
Edna Purviance — Unknown photographer, 1923; J. Willis Sayre Collection of Theatrical Photographs, University of Washington Libraries, SAYRE 8372 / Wikimedia Commons. · Public domain in the United States (PD-US-expired)
Lloyd Bacon — Unknown author Unknown author; J. Willis Sayre Collection of Theatrical Photographs · Public domain
Eric Campbell — Unknown photographer, by 1917; The Moving Picture World (1918), p. 53; Internet Archive / Wikimedia Commons. · Public domain in the United States (PD-US-expired)

Audience rating

Loading ratings…