An early Charlie Chaplin film, thought to have been lost to history but recently rediscovered by a collector at a Michigan antiques sale, will be shown here in Arlington for the first time since its 1914 release.
The movie, a silent Keystone Kops film called A Thief Catcher, will be a centerpiece of the 2010 Slapsticon film festival, being held at the Rosslyn Spectrum Theater from July 15-18. The film will be shown at the festival kickoff on Thursday, July 15, at 7:00 p.m.
Chaplin has a two minute cameo as an incompetent cop in the 10-minute flick. He is seen sporting his soon-to-be-trademark mustache for one of the first times.
The film’s unlikely discovery in Michigan and the Arlington debut has caught the attention of historians and movie buffs.
“I only wish I could attend this year’s Slapsticon in Washington, D.C. and see it on a big screen with a first-time audience,” film critic Leonard Maltin wrote on his blog.
