Recreation (1914) - Charlie Chaplin Old Colorized Movie

Seven Minutes of Mayhem: Chaplin Directs Himself in Recreation

Released on August 13, 1914, **Recreation** (also known as **Spring Fever**) is one of the shortest films in the entire **Charlie Chaplin** filmography, clocking in at a frantic 7 minutes in its original cut. This film is significant because Chaplin took on the sole directorial credit, further shaping the rapid-fire comedy he was perfecting at the **Keystone Film Company**.

The entire action unfolds in a public park, likely the familiar setting of **Echo Park Lake** in **Los Angeles**, where the Little Tramp is enjoying his "recreation." The plot, thin by design, acts as a mere springboard for a series of classic **slapstick** gags. The Tramp, played by Chaplin, is attempting to flirt with a young woman, played by **Helen Carruthers**, only to be foiled by a persistent rival.

The Shower of Bricks and the River Escape

The comedy quickly escalates into absurd violence, a hallmark of **Keystone** films. The Tramp gets into a physical altercation with the rival, leading to the film's most memorable and outlandish gag: the **Throwing a Brick** sequence. Instead of a single brick, a veritable **Shower of Bricks** rains down on the combatants from an unseen source (or perhaps the **Police Officer** is involved). This gag of indiscriminate, over-the-top assault perfectly encapsulates the anarchic spirit of **Keystone Comedy**.

The climax of the short involves the Tramp and a uniformed **Police Officer** (played by Charles Bennett) in a frantic chase. Chaplin's character, attempting to evade capture, runs toward a body of water, possibly the **River** or the lake itself. In a moment of classic **Short Film** resolution, the Tramp escapes the pursuing policeman, who often winds up in the water himself, marking the short's abrupt and hilarious end.

The Restoration: A Public Domain Treasure

Due to its age and status as a **Public Domain Movie**, *Recreation* often suffers from poor quality prints. However, this version has been expertly **AI colorized** using modern enhancement tools like **DeOldify**, **ESRGAN**, and **EDVR**. The restoration process brings clarity to the muddy backgrounds of the original black-and-white print, making the characters' actions and expressions more discernible. This enhanced, colorized version (approximately **5:11** in runtime) highlights the raw energy and precise comic timing Chaplin was already demonstrating, even in such a condensed format. It is an essential watch for tracing the evolution of the **Tramp** persona.