Mabel's Strange Predicament (1914)

Charlie Chaplin - Mabel's Strange Predicament (1914) - Colorized Comedy

HD Colorized Restoration of the Chaplin/Mabel Normand Keystone Classic

Plot Summary

Set in a chaotic grand hotel, this classic short film features the **Little Tramp** (Charlie Chaplin) in one of his earliest, most drunken, and disruptive appearances. The primary plot revolves around **Mabel** (Mabel Normand), who is attempting to escape a romantic admirer and finds herself locked out of her room while only dressed in her pajamas.

A tipsy Charlie first causes a commotion in the lobby, getting tangled with a woman’s dog leash. Later, he encounters a frantic Mabel in the corridor. When Mabel, in her desperation to hide her state of undress, darts into a nearby room, she hides under the bed of an elderly gentleman. The situation spirals into peak Keystone farce when the gentleman's jealous wife appears, mistaking Mabel for a rival. The Tramp, inevitably drawn into the chaos, wanders in and out of the room, adding to the general confusion and providing trademark slapstick as he avoids detection. It’s a hilarious saga of mistaken identities and frantic bedroom antics.

Film Details

Director
Mabel Normand
Writers
Charles Chaplin, Henry Lehrman
Release Date
February 9, 1914 (United States)
Country of Origin
United States
Genres
Short, Comedy, Slapstick
Runtime
17 minutes (Approx)
Production Co.
Keystone Film Company

Principal Cast

  • Mabel Normand: Mabel
  • Charles Chaplin: The Tramp / Drunk
  • Chester Conklin: Guest in Pajamas
  • Alice Davenport: Jealous Wife
  • Harry McCoy: Admirer / Suitor

A Deeper Look: Mabel Normand, Chaplin, and the Hotel Farce

Released just two days after *Kid Auto Races at Venice*, **Mabel's Strange Predicament** (1914) marks the **second appearance of the Little Tramp** and is a critical entry in Chaplin’s early Keystone filmography. Crucially, this film was **directed by Mabel Normand**, one of the most prominent—and one of the few female—directors and stars of the silent era. Her quick direction and flair for staging chaotic indoor farces perfectly suited the Keystone model.

The Evolution of the Tramp

In this outing, Chaplin’s Tramp is less the quiet pest of the previous film and more a disruptive, often tipsy, outsider whose presence guarantees disaster for the respectable citizens around him. The Tramp's drunken swagger and his signature physical gags, like struggling with the dog leash and falling over furniture, begin to take shape. This short showcases the brilliant energy that could be generated by contrasting Chaplin’s distinctive movements against the established chaos of the Keystone troupe, which included veterans like **Chester Conklin**.

Restoration and the Power of Colorization

For a film revolving around a “strange predicament” in an upscale hotel, the visual fidelity is essential. This **HD colorized and restored** version of the public domain work enhances the viewing experience significantly. The restoration process uses advanced AI algorithms (such as **DeOldify** and **ESRGAN**) to clean up the aged footage, stabilizing the motion and clarifying the image.

The addition of color brings a new depth to the set design and the costumes—particularly Mabel’s brightly colored pajamas against the drab hotel corridor—making the confusion and close calls more visually impactful. By preserving the film's runtime and aspect ratio while enhancing its presentation, this colorized edition ensures that Mabel Normand’s direction and the early, energetic slapstick of Charlie Chaplin can be fully appreciated by modern audiences.

Watch Mabel's Strange Predicament (1914) - Colorized HD

Enjoy the restored, feature-length version of this hilarious Keystone "Hotel Hijinks" comedy.

Chaos, pajamas, and a drunken Tramp in a posh hotel.