Charles Chaplin
The Immigrant
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Internet Archive · Charles Chaplin · 1917 · Public domain
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Synopsis
During an uncomfortable Atlantic crossing, a penniless traveler befriends a woman facing the same uncertain arrival. Their paths separate, then meet again in a restaurant where paying for a modest meal becomes an elaborate crisis. Chaplin connects the instability of the ship to the insecurity of life ashore, finding romance and small acts of solidarity amid humiliations.
Cast
DirectorsCharles Chaplin
Historical context
Made during Chaplin's Mutual period, the short combines a romance with a pointed view of the immigrant experience. The welcome suggested by the Statue of Liberty is immediately complicated by officials treating arrivals as a herd. The contrast gives a political edge to a film largely organized around movement, money and food.
Behind the scenes
The restaurant material developed before the sea crossing became the story's opening. Chaplin expanded and rearranged the premise as he worked, making the chance reunion carry details established earlier in the voyage. The chosen circulating print runs about 20 minutes, compared with the commonly listed 22-minute running time.
Sources and availability
The synopsis and editorial text were written for this collection. The references below were cross-checked to identify the film and its copy; each editorial section identifies its reference.
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 11, 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)
- 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)
