The Kid
A lonely tramp finds an abandoned baby and raises him with love and ingenuity, but their joyful life is threatened when the child's wealthy, guilt-ridden mother reenters their world.
“6 reels of Joy.”
Synopsis
A tramp takes care of a boy after he is abandoned as a newborn by his mother. Later, the mother has a change of heart and longs to be reunited with her son.
Credits
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How many hands made this film
The scale of the collaboration
A crew of 78+ credited
Why a floor?
This is a minimum, not a total. We only count the credits we’ve captured so far, and coverage is uneven — a blockbuster might show a few hundred names while another of the same size shows a couple dozen. The real crews all ran into the thousands. The number here only grows as full credits are enriched — so we frame it as a floor, never a headcount.
Craft leads on file
Edited by Charles ChaplinShot by Roland Totheroh
Box Office
1921 · Box office
💰 Box-office hit — grossed 22× its budget
Why 2.5×?
Cinemas keep roughly half of every ticket sold, and a wide release’s marketing often costs about as much again as the film — so a movie needs to gross around 2.5× its production budget just to break even theatrically. It’s a rule of thumb, not the studio’s ledger (home video and streaming come later).
Worldwide gross
$5.5M
Full synopsis
Versions & cuts
- re-release· 53 min
- DVD· 51 min
- 1971 edit with new Chaplin score· 50 min · 1971
Also known as
- Der Vagabund und das Kindde
- (Flemish)De guit
- (Alternative Title)El chico
- El chicoes
- Le Kidfr
- Il monelloit
Release dates around the world2 countries · showhide
- United StatesJan 16, 1921
- TürkiyeFeb 6, 1921
Companies
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Cast & Crew
78 unique people credited
Top billed cast
Charles Chaplin
as A Tramp
Edna Purviance
as The Woman
Jackie Coogan
as The Child
Carl Miller
as The Man
Albert Austin
as Car Thief, Man in Shelter
Beulah Bains
as Bride
Nellie Bly Baker
as Slum Nurse
Henry Bergman
as Professor Guido, Night Shelter Keeper
Edward Biby
as Orphan Asylum Driver
B F Blinn
as His Assistant
Kitty Bradbury
as Bride's Mother
Frank Campeau
as Welfare Officer
Supporting cast
56Bliss Chevalier
as Extra in Wedding Scene
Frances Cochran
as Extra in Reception Scene
Elsie Codd
as Extra in Alley Scene
Jack Coogan Sr
as Pickpocket, Guest, Devil
Estelle Cook
as Extra in Wedding Scene
Lillian Crane
as Extra in Wedding Scene
Philip D Oench
as Extra in Wedding Scene
Dan Dillon
as Bum
Robert Dunbar
as Bridegroom
Florette Faulkner
as Extra in Wedding Scene
Gloria Faythe
as Little Girl
Rupert Franklin
as Bride's father, Extra in Reception Scene
Sadie Gordon
as Extra in Heaven Scene
Lita Grey
as Flirtatious Angel
Frank Hale
as Extra in Reception Scene
Martha Hall
as Extra in Wedding Scene
Jules Hanft
as Physician
Louise Hathaway
as Extra in Alley Scene
Silas Hathaway
as The Kid as a Baby
Flora Howard
as Bridesmaid
Ed Hunt
as Extra in Reception Scene
Lulu Jenks
as Extra in Heaven Scene
Irene Jennings
as Extra in Wedding Scene
Kathleen Kay
as Maid
Grace Keller
as Extra in Wedding Scene
Sarah Kernan
as Extra in Wedding Scene
Raymond Lee
as His Kid Brother
Walter Lynch
as Tough Cop
V Madison
as Extra in Wedding Scene
Clyde Mcatee
as Extra in Reception Scene
Michael J Mccarthy
as Extra (angel) Heaven & (cook) Alley Scene
John Mckinnon
as Chief of Police
Ethel O Neil
as Extra in Heaven Scene
Lew Parker
as Extra in Heaven Scene
Charles I Pierce
as Extra in Wedding Scene
Laura Pollard
as Extra in Heaven Scene
Evans Quirk
as Extra in Wedding Scene
Esther Ralston
as Extra in Heaven Scene
Granville Redmond
as The Man's Friend
Charles Reisner
as Bully
Henry Roser
as Extra in Heaven Scene
J B Russell
as Extra in Wedding Scene
George V Sheldon
as Extra in Reception Scene
Edgar Sherrod
as Priest
Elsie Sindora
as Bridesmaid
Minnie Stearns
as Fierce Woman
Arthur Thalasso
as Car Thief with gun
Edith Valk
as Lady with Baby Carriage
Mother Vinot
as Extra in Alley Scene
May White
as Edna's Maid
S D Wilcox
as Cop
Baby Wilson
as Baby in Carriage
Tom Wilson
as Policeman
Amanda Yanez
as Extra in Alley Scene
Baby Yanez
as Extra in Alley Scene
Elsie Young
as Extra in Wedding Scene
Directors
1Writers
1Producers
1Other crew
16Charles D Hall
Art Director (uncredited)
H Wenger
assistant camera (uncredited)
A Edward Sutherland
assistant director (uncredited)
Frank Powolny
assistant director (uncredited)
Tom Harrington
assistant: Mr. Chaplin (uncredited)
Charles Reisner
associate director (uncredited)
Roland Totheroh
Cinematographer (uncredited)
Charles Chaplin
Composer, as Charlie Chaplin, written by (as Charlie Chaplin), (as Charlie Chaplin) (1971), Editor
Eric Rogers
conductor: 1971 re-release / orchestrator: 1971 re-release
Lita Grey
Credits
Toraichi Kono
driver: Mr. Chaplin (uncredited)
Eric James
music associate: 1971 release
Parents Guide
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