A Night in the Show (1915)
A Night in the Show (1915), directed by Charlie Chaplin, starring Charlie Chaplin and Edna Purviance.
score
Synopsis
Two disruptive theater patrons, the wealthy drunk Mr. Pest (played by Charlie Chaplin) and the rowdy working-class Mr. Rowdy (also played by Chaplin), attend a live vaudeville theater production. Their constant antics, seat-hopping, and physical altercations quickly overshadow the acts on stage and plunge the entire theater into absolutely hilarious chaos.
- Harry EnsignCinematography
- Roland TotherohCinematography
- Charlie ChaplinDirector, Editing, Writer
- Jess RobbinsProducer
About the film
A Night in the Show is a 1915 film and Charlie Chaplin's 12th for Essanay. It was made at Majestic Studio in Los Angeles. Chaplin played two roles: one as Mr. Pest and one as Mr. Rowdy. The film was created from Chaplin's stage work from a play called Mumming Birds (a.k.a. A Night in an English Music Hall in the United States) with the Karno Company from London. Chaplin performed this play during his U.S. tours with Fred Karno's company and decided to bring one of the classic music hall sketches into his film work. Edna Purviance played a minor role as a woman in the audience.
Read the full article (2k characters)
A Night in the Show is a 1915 film and Charlie Chaplin's 12th for Essanay. It was made at Majestic Studio in Los Angeles. Chaplin played two roles: one as Mr. Pest and one as Mr. Rowdy. The film was created from Chaplin's stage work from a play called Mumming Birds (a.k.a. A Night in an English Music Hall in the United States) with the Karno Company from London. Chaplin performed this play during his U.S. tours with Fred Karno's company and decided to bring one of the classic music hall sketches into his film work. Edna Purviance played a minor role as a woman in the audience.
Plot
Mr. Pest tries several theatre seats before winding up in front in a fight with the conductor and, eventually, the entire cast of an evening variety show.
The film concludes when a fire eater takes the stage and Chaplin "heroically" drenches the performer and the audience with a fire hose.
The difference between "Mr. Pest" and "Mr. Rowdy" appears to be that one is pleasantly drunk and the other is obnoxious and sober.
Cast
Charlie Chaplin - Mr. Pest and Mr. Rowdy
Edna Purviance - Lady in the Stalls with Beads
Charlotte Mineau - Lady in the Stalls
Dee Lampton - Fat Boy
Leo White - Frenchman/Negro in Balcony
Wesley Ruggles - 2nd Man - Balcony Front Row
John Rand - Orchestra Conductor
James T. Kelley - Trombone Player and Singer
Paddy McGuire - Feather Duster/Clarinet Player
May White - Fat Lady and Dancer
Phyllis Allen - Lady in Audience
Fred Goodwins - Gentleman in Audience
Charles Inslee - Tuba Player
References
External links
A Night in the Show at IMDb
A Night in the Show is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
Text from A Night in the Show on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Night_in_the_Show
Trivia
- It premiered on November 20, 1915, a Saturday.
- This film's quiz has 10 questions — enough to play more than once without repeats.
Production
- StudiosThe Essanay Film Manufacturing Company
- CountriesUnited States
- LanguagesNo Language
- StatusReleased
Cast
-
Charlie Chaplin
Mr. Pest / Mr. Rowdy -
Edna Purviance
Lady in the Stalls with Beads -
Charlotte Mineau
Lady in the Stalls -
Dee Lampton
Fat Boy -
Leo White
Frenchman / Negro in Balcony -
Wesley Ruggles
Second Man in Balcony Front Row -
John Rand
Orchestra Conductor -
James T. Kelley
Trombone Player and Singer - Paddy McGuire Feather Duster / Clarinet Player
-
Lloyd Bacon
Man in Balcony -
Bud Jamison
Man in Balcony
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Tags
Crew
- Harry Ensign Cinematography
- Roland Totheroh Cinematography
- Charlie Chaplin Director
- Charlie Chaplin Editing
- Jess Robbins Producer
- Charlie Chaplin Writer
Questions about this film
What is A Night in the Show about?
A Night in the Show: Two disruptive theater patrons, the wealthy drunk Mr. Pest (played by Charlie Chaplin) and the rowdy working-class Mr. Rowdy (also played by Chaplin), attend a live vaudeville theater production. Their constant antics, seat-hopping, and physical altercations quickly overshadow the acts on stage and plunge the entire t…
Who directed A Night in the Show?
A Night in the Show was directed by Charlie Chaplin in 1915.
Who stars in A Night in the Show?
The cast of A Night in the Show includes Charlie Chaplin, Edna Purviance, Charlotte Mineau, Dee Lampton and Leo White.
How long is A Night in the Show?
A Night in the Show runs for 24 minutes, or 0h24.
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Page updated on 09/14/2026.
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