film world was found in the May 6, 1916 issue of Harper's Weekly. This review again referred to Chaplin's artistry and comic genius. It was noted that Chaplin's basic style was that of a "buffoon," but that his approach to this type of "vulgar" comedy was one which could be traced back in a noble tradition through Shakespeare and the comic playwrights of ancient Greece. Thus, "vulgarity and distinguished art can exist together . . . when a great buffoon like Chaplin is engaged in making people laugh at the broad and obvious facts of life" (Fiske 70). Almost from the very start of his career, Charlie Chaplin was gaining public recognition for his important contribution to the artistry of film.
Charlie Chaplin was a dynamic actor, noted for his athletic ability and for the use of hilarious sight gags. More importantly, however, he was an innovator in everything that he did during his early years in the cinema. The film industry itself was relatively new at that time in history. Chaplin, with his uniquely humorous outlook on life, soon became an innovator in the field. In terms of expressing humor in film, Chaplin was a technical pioneer. In fact, there are many critics of film history today who claim that Chaplin single-handedly evolved the art of comedy in his time. It may be noted, however, that despite his originality, Chaplin also drew most of his inspiration from situations which he found in everyday life. Of course, his genius forced him to substantially alter the world of real life before placing it on film. In his own words, Chaplin got his film ideas by adding "the slightest twist or exaggeration to incidents and people from everyday life (D. Smith 19). Nevertheless, because his ideas were basically derived from real life, Chaplin's approach to cinema was one which was not only experimental, but popular as well. This has always been a rare combination in the Hollywood film industry, and it is one more testimony...