Description

The Music House Museum presents "The Circus" starring Charlie Chaplin with Andrew Rogers on July 21st with two showings at 5:30 and 7:30 pm. Written, produced, directed and starring Chaplin, it is a gem about circus life, mixing comedy and sentiment in the best Chaplin tradition, ranking this one of his finer yet neglected achievements of the 1920s.

In this classic Chaplin film the Tramp finds himself at a circus where he is promptly chased around by the police who think he is a pickpocket. Running into the Big top, he is an accidental sensation with his hilarious efforts to elude the police. The circus owner immediately hires him, but discovers that the Tramp cannot be funny on purpose, so he takes advantage of the situation by making the Tramp a janitor who just happens to always be in the Big top at showtime.

Unaware of this exploitation, the Tramp falls for the owner's lovely acrobatic stepdaughter, who is abused by her father. His chances seem good, until a dashing rival comes in and Charlie feels he has to compete with him.

Andrew Rogers is one of our favorite performers and frequently accompanies our silent films. His brilliance as a theater organist makes it difficult not to watch him instead of the film! A Detroit native, he is an organist at the Michigan Theatre in Ann Arbor. He also scores and performs silent films, and performs concerts throughout the U.S. and Internationally.

There will be two showings of the film at 5:30 pm and 7:30 pm. The Music House Silent Film Series is popular. Reservations are recommended.