The Knockout (1914)
The Knockout (1914), directed by Mack Sennett, starring Roscoe Arbuckle and Minta Durfee.
score
Synopsis
To show his girl how brave he is, Pug challenges the champion to a fight. Charlie referees, trying to avoid contact with the two monsters.
- Frank D. WilliamsCinematography
- Mack SennettDirector, Producer
- Charlie ChaplinWriter
About the film
The Knockout is a 1914 American silent comedy film starring Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. It also features Charlie Chaplin in a small role, his seventeenth film for Keystone Studios. It is one of only a few films in which Chaplin's Little Tramp character appears in a secondary role, not appearing until the second half of the film. It also stars Arbuckle's wife, Minta Durfee, Edgar Kennedy and Keystone owner, Mack Sennett in a minor role as a spectator. The film was directed by Charles Avery.
Read the full article (2k characters)
The Knockout is a 1914 American silent comedy film starring Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. It also features Charlie Chaplin in a small role, his seventeenth film for Keystone Studios. It is one of only a few films in which Chaplin's Little Tramp character appears in a secondary role, not appearing until the second half of the film. It also stars Arbuckle's wife, Minta Durfee, Edgar Kennedy and Keystone owner, Mack Sennett in a minor role as a spectator. The film was directed by Charles Avery.
Plot
Two down-and-out hoboes pretend to be pugilists in order to make some money to eat. One of them claims to be Cyclone Flynn, the boxing champion. In the meantime Pug, a good-hearted local strongman, has fought and defeated several mashers who were bothering his girlfriend. The mashers make up with Pug and propose to enter him to fight the fake Cyclone Flynn at a local theater.
Enter the real Cyclone Flynn, who expels the hoboes and takes over the engagement. The fight starts, comically refereed by Chaplin's character. It quickly deteriorates into chaos, after Pug steals a gambler's revolvers and chases the champion from the ring. A long chase sequence involving the boxers, spectators, Pug's girlfriend, and the Keystone Kops follows.
Cast
Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle - Pug
Minta Durfee - Pug's girlfriend
Edgar Kennedy - Cyclone Flynn
Charlie Chaplin - Referee
Frank Opperman - Fight promoter
Al St. John - Pug's rival
Hank Mann - Tough
Mack Swain - Gambler
Alice Howell – uncredited
Luke the Dog – uncredited
Reception
A reviewer from Moving Picture World wrote, "Roscoe Arbuckle, ably supported, makes barrels of fun in this two-reel comedy release. In its early stages, the story has a particularly well connected plot, but things go to smash a little in this line when a big chase is introduced in the second reel. This chase, as well as a comedy prize fight, is unusually funny."
See also
Charlie Chaplin filmography
Fatty Arbuckle filmography
List of boxing films
References
External links
The short film The Knockout is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive.
The Knockout at IMDb
The Knockout on YouTube
The Knockout at the TCM Movie Database (archived)
Text from The Knockout on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Knockout
Trivia
- It premiered on June 11, 1914, a Thursday.
- This film's quiz has 9 questions — enough to play more than once without repeats.
Production
- StudiosKeystone Film Company
- CountriesUnited States
- LanguagesNo Language
- StatusReleased
Cast
-
Roscoe Arbuckle
Pug (uncredited) -
Minta Durfee
Pug's Sweetheart (uncredited) -
Edgar Kennedy
Cyclone Flynn (uncredited) -
Charlie Chaplin
Referee (uncredited) -
Al St. John
Boxer - Pug's Rival / Desk Sergeant / Cop (uncredited) - Dan Albert Party Guest (uncredited)
-
Charles Avery
Cop (uncredited) - Joe Bordeaux Policeman (uncredited)
-
Glen Cavender
Society Singer (uncredited) -
Charley Chase
Spectator (uncredited) -
Edward F. Cline
Cop (uncredited) - Frank Dolan Spectator / Party Guest (uncredited)
-
Edwin Frazee
Spectator / Society Singer / Cop (uncredited) -
Alice Howell
Spectator / Party Guest (uncredited) - Charles Lakin One of St. John's Gang (uncredited)
- Grover Ligon Tramp in Derby / Cop (uncredited)
-
Wallace MacDonald
Spectator / Party Guest (uncredited) -
Hank Mann
Tramp in Eyepatch / Cop (uncredited) -
Harry McCoy
Society Piano Player (uncredited) -
Rube Miller
Obnoxious Spectator (uncredited)
Quiz about this movie
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Tags
Crew
- Frank D. Williams Cinematography
- Mack Sennett Director
- Mack Sennett Producer
- Charlie Chaplin Writer
Questions about this film
What is The Knockout about?
The Knockout: To show his girl how brave he is, Pug challenges the champion to a fight. Charlie referees, trying to avoid contact with the two monsters.
Who directed The Knockout?
The Knockout was directed by Mack Sennett in 1914.
Who stars in The Knockout?
The cast of The Knockout includes Roscoe Arbuckle, Minta Durfee, Edgar Kennedy, Charlie Chaplin and Al St. John.
How long is The Knockout?
The Knockout runs for 30 minutes, or 0h30.
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Page updated on 09/13/2026.
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