Triumphant Return of the World's Supreme Harlequin -- June 23, 2018

Moving Picture World, 15-June-1918

Chaplin was doing big business with his first movie for First National release, "A Dog's Life."

Moving Picture World, 01-June-1918

"A Dog's Life" had been running at a Los Angeles theater for four weeks.  The owner had planned to run it for only two weeks.

Moving Picture World, 08-June-1918

Chaplin had toured the South selling Liberty Bonds to pay for the war.

Moving Picture World, 08-June-1918

A magazine circulated a story that Chaplin had sought an exemption from the draft.  "He has never claimed exemption nor has he sought it, and will willingly respond when called."  The governments of Great Britain and the US generally felt that his movies were more useful for keeping up morale than Charlie would have been as a soldier.

Moving Picture World, 29-June-1918

Chaplin was at work on his second comedy for First National release.  It may have been "Shoulder Arms."

Exhibitors' Herald, 29-June-1918

First National used "A Dog's Life" to help publicize Tarzan of the Apes, the first Tarzan movie and The Fall of the Romanoffs, about the Russian Revolution.  Mme Petrova was a Russian actress who had fled the revolution.

Moving Picture World, 01-June-1918

Meanwhile, WH Productions was rereleasing many of Chaplin's Keystone comedies, many with new names.

Moving Picture World, 01-June-1918

WH Productions was happy with the business generated by the Chaplin reissues.

Moving Picture World, 15-June-1918

WH Productions put out elaborate posters and ads.  Don't look for "The Hula-Hula Dance" in Chaplin filmographies.  It started out as his last Keystone, "His Prehistoric Past."

Moving Picture World, 22-June-1918

"We advertise the old titles, together with the new, so that Public will know how good they are!"

Moving Picture World, 15-June-1918

Essanay was pushing Chase Me Charlie, a feature compiled in Britain from several of Chaplin's Essanay shorts.

Moving Picture World, 22-June-1918

Essanay was also rereleasing individual Chaplin movies, along with the Snakeville Comedies, which are not nearly as funny.

Moving Picture News, 29-June-1918

Unlike WH Productions, Essanay kept the original titles.