Modern Times

"He stands alone as the greatest entertainer of modern times! No one on earth can make you laugh as heartily or touch your heart as deeply...the whole world laughs, cries and thrills to his priceless genius!"

1936 1h 27m EN

🙌

8.3

BANGER

🔥

98%

CERTIFIED FRESH

💯

METACRITIC

⭐

8.5

IMDB

★8.3TMDB · 4,219🍅98%Rotten Tomatoes●96Metacritic★8.5IMDB · 276,967

ComedyDramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A bumbling tramp desires to build a home with a young woman, yet is thwarted time and time again by his lack of experience and habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time...

“He stands alone as the greatest entertainer of modern times! No one on earth can make you laugh as heartily or touch your heart as deeply...the whole world laughs, cries and thrills to his priceless genius!”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Amazon Prime VideoSubscription

HBO Max Amazon ChannelSubscription

YouTube TVSubscription

Criterion ChannelSubscription

HBO MaxSubscription

Amazon Prime Video with AdsSubscription

Cast

Charlie Chaplin
The Tramp (A Factory Worker)
Paulette Goddard
A Gamin
Henry Bergman
Cafe Proprietor
Tiny Sandford
Big Bill
Chester Conklin
Mechanic
Hank Mann
Burglar
Stanley Blystone
Gamin's Father
Al Ernest Garcia
President of the Electro Steel Corp.

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Charlie Chaplin
Writers: Charlie Chaplin
Languages: No Language
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

87 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $1.5M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

90 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Charlie Chaplin, shot by Ira H. Morgan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Charlie Chaplin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Willard Nico shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard and Henry Bergman carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "He stands alone as the greatest entertainer of modern times! No one on earth can make you laugh as heartily or touch your heart as deeply...the whole world laughs, cries and thrills to his priceless genius!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Charlie Chaplin directs. Ira H. Morgan behind the camera. Charlie Chaplin scores. Willard Nico cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in No Language.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

187 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Shot for just $1.5M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
390 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
4Directed by Charlie Chaplin, shot by Ira H. Morgan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Charlie Chaplin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Willard Nico shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard and Henry Bergman carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "He stands alone as the greatest entertainer of modern times! No one on earth can make you laugh as heartily or touch your heart as deeply...the whole world laughs, cries and thrills to his priceless genius!".
9IMDB entry: tt0027977 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 26 themes, including "factory", "ambulance", "invention", "mental breakdown".
11Released under 15 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Ira H. Morgan
Original score: Charlie Chaplin
Editing: Willard Nico
Production design: Charles D. Hall
Makeup / hair: Elizabeth Arden
Runtime: 87 min · 1h 27m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $1,500,000
Box office: $1,800,000
Return: 120% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): G
IMDB: Modern Times (1936)
Rotten Tomatoes: 98% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 96/100
IMDB rating: 8.5/10 · 276,967 votes
MPAA: G

Awards

6 wins & 1 nomination total

National Board of Review: Top Ten Films

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Charlie Chaplin

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Andres Gomez2013-11-05
★ 8/10
Really good movie from visionary and fun Charlie Chaplin in which industry literally swallows the human being.
CinemaSerf2022-06-19
★ 7/10
I wonder how many people watch this nowadays and sympathise immediately with Chaplin's unskilled worker trying to keep up with the relentless march of technology? It starts with him being an unwilling guinea pig for a gadget that appears as useful for cleaning teeth as it is for feeding him - a cunning invention which allegedly saves time, money and increases productivity... Needless to say, it's a crock of the proverbial - but that's just the start with these wacky, frequently absurd, ideas that sees our hapless hero expend considerable energy and quick-wittedness trying to stay one step ahead of these "advances" - oh, and of just about everyone else he encounters as he struggles, comedically, along! Meantime, a starving, homeless, orphaned woman - Paulette Goddard - is caught pinching a loaf by a rather snooty passer-by, she bumps into Chaplin on the street whist effecting her getaway, and the pair are soon in cahoots together for more engaging escapades. Chaplin is outstanding in this film - his agility, timing and visionary direction - not just of the film, but of the portents for society at large - resonates just as soundly today as when audiences started watching it 85 years ago. It swipes at modernity, but not just for the sake of it , it's not luddite in outlook - just evaluative of what/who gets left behind - and that isn't just the blue collar workers either... The scenes on the ice skates in the department store are a delight to watch; charm, humour and agility all rolled into one - and I love his style consuming the rum! Definitely one for a big screen, there is so much going on...