Before the Age of Consumerism took hold in the fifties and corporations gained power selling goods directly to the public, 
the real money was made with the monopolistic giants in steel, textiles and rubber by names like Rockefeller, Morgan and Dupont. Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times takes place in that era, during the depression when labor could be fully exploited because people were desperate to work. It marked the end of one era and the beginning of another. In film that is. It was Chaplin's last attempt at a silent film and even then only partially silent. The score was pre-recorded and voices, dialogue and singing could be heard. Even the Tramp is heard for the first time, though in gibberish, in a song.
The film opened to great reviews and surprisingly good box office despite the fact that it was years into the sound era. The New York Post reviewer Thornton Delehanty said, "The picture is a brilliant succession of gags and stunts, strung together on the priceless tradition of Chaplin himself. There is no doubt that Modern Times is the season's motion picture event." But my favorite is New York Times reviewer Frank S. Nugent, who despite his last name was not known for his bow-hunting prowess. He said, "... a rousing, rib-tickling, gag-bestrewn jest for all that and in the best Chaplin manner." There are few things in life better than the gag-bestrewn. Truly. How many times have you left a comedy shaking your head thinking, "It was okay, but it would have been better had it been gag-bestrewn."
And yet despite the box-office success, the great reviews and its official gag-bestrewn status there was no nomination for Best Picture. There's a word for that: Snub. For the next two months leading up to the Oscars (with which I have an embarrassing obsession) I will be highlighting films, directors and actors who got the snub. To get things rolling I present you with the closing scene of Modern Times, which provided one of the most iconic images in movie history, as the Tramp and the girl walk down that lonesome road, headed for the hills. As an added bonus I've included a nice shot of what movie marketing was like back in the day. Enjoy.
