Charlie Chaplin - Burlesque On Carmen
A Burlesque on Carmen is Charlie Chaplin's thirteenth film for Essanay Studios, initially released as Carmen on December 18, 1915. Chaplin took on the leading role, opposite Edna Purviance as Carmen. The film serves as a parody of Cecil B. DeMille's Carmen (1915), itself an adaptation of Prosper Mérimée's novella Carmen.
Originally a tightly paced two-reeler, Chaplin's initial version was later reworked by Essanay in 1916, after Chaplin had moved to Mutual, into a four-reel version titled A Burlesque on Carmen, or Charlie Chaplin's Burlesque on Carmen. This extended version incorporated discarded footage and introduced new scenes with a subplot involving a gypsy character played by Ben Turpin. However, the longer version suffered from pacing and continuity issues, deviating significantly from Chaplin's original vision. Despite Chaplin's legal efforts to prevent its distribution, Essanay released the extended version.
Chaplin's dissatisfaction with Essanay's alterations, not only in this film but others as well, contributed to his discontent with his time at the studio. The longer version of A Burlesque on Carmen is relatively lesser-known, with critics considering the two-reel original as one of the best films from Chaplin's Essanay period and the longer version as the worst.