About A Dog's Life

A Dog's Life is a silent short film written, produced, and directed by Charlie Chaplin. This was Chaplin's first film for First National Films. Released on April 14, 1918, the movie revolves around the story of a tramp who befriends a stray dog and how they navigate through their hardships and adversities together.

Making / Production

For A Dog's Life, Chaplin built sets at his new studio on La Brea Avenue in Hollywood. He invested a lot in the production, hiring top-tier cinematographer Roland Totheroh and constructing detailed sets to create the grim, dark world reflective of the tramp's life.

Actors

• Charlie Chaplin as The Tramp - With his iconic acting skills, he portrayed the empathetic and comedic character of the tramp with finesse.
• Edna Purviance as the Singer - She played the role of the singer who catches the eye of the tramp, her emotional depth contributing to the movie's drama.
• Mutt as Scraps (the dog) - The dog played a considerable part, complementing Chaplin's physical humor and adding to the movie's charm.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• This was the first film Chaplin directed for his new production company, First National.
• A Dog's Life is considered the first film where Chaplin used all the aspects of his filmmaking style.
• Real-life stray dogs were reportedly auditioned for the role of Scraps.

Awards

A Dog’s Life wasn’t nominated for any awards during its time, as the prominent film awards didn’t exist yet during its release in 1918.

Quotes

• "You've been in the hen house again!"
• "They won't let dogs in there."

Music, Soundtrack

As a silent film, A Dog's Life doesn't have a traditional soundtrack. However, there is a piano score typically accompanying the film with light, whimsical, and dramatic tones complementing the scenes.