The Immigrant

One of Chaplin’s most famous early shorts finds the Little Tramp aboard a ship bound for America, mistakenly accused of being a pickpocket.

One of Chaplin’s most famous early shorts finds the Little Tramp aboard a ship bound for America, mistakenly accused of being a pickpocket and then finding true love.

With its class-conscious slant towards the little man against the might of authorities, The Immigrant was controversial in its day and it was later held up as evidence of Chaplin;s perceived anti-Americanism, as he came under scrutiny during the McCarthy era. In modern times it’s been evaluated as one of his most successful shorts and has been preserved as a significant film by the United States National Film Registry.