A Geni and a Genius (Series 1)

1919
Silent
10m

Remember when Charlie Chaplin went into space? Reality is no obstacle in this endlessly inventive silent cinema cartoon of the 'Little Tramp'

Charlie Chaplin was already silent cinema's biggest star when this cartoon tribute took things one step further and sent him into space. The Little Tramp character had already appeared in over 60 live-action shorts films by the end of WWI. But that only fed the appetite for a number of animated cartoons featuring Chaplin's alter ego which were produced both officially and unofficially across the globe.

Victor Hicks (1893-1946) was a caricaturist and poster artist who dabbled in animated filmmaking with these Chaplin shorts and at least one other film with his own characters 'Spick and Span'. His distinctive style works perfectly with cut-out animation. He builds his characters out of thick lines and shapes rather than just cutting out detailed ink drawings of faces and limbs as most of his contemporaries did. Unfortunately his imaginative spree somewhat ran out of steam. The follow-up episode saw Chaplin continue through space, past Jupiter and the Milky Way but ultimately left him stranded out there, with the series unfinished.

Early Animation

The dawn of a new celluloid art: Britain's animation pioneers at peace and war

When you're creating a new art form, everything is experimental. The pioneers of animation in Britain cast a range of subjects as the stars of their films - the toys of an Edwardian child; insects and animals; Kaiser Bill and John Bull. But even the richest of fantasies on display here offer a window into the turbulent era in which they were made. When the nation went to war, animation was conscripted to meet its propaganda needs. In peacetime, the industry sought success as an entertainer, but found a career in sales.