RetroClips

The Immigrant is one of Chaplin's most acclaimed Mutual shorts, added to the National Film Registry in 1998 for its blend of physical comedy and genuine sympathy for the immigrant experience it depicts. The ship-set opening was filmed on a set mechanically rigged to rock back and forth, sending Chaplin, his fellow actors, and their soup sliding in unison, a practical effect that took real engineering to pull off in 1917. It remains one of the clearest early showcases of Chaplin's gift for turning physical discomfort into pure comic rhythm.