The Kid is Charlie Chaplin's directorial debut, and is considered by many to be his masterpiece. In addition to directing the film, Chaplin wrote, produced, and starred in it. His directorial flourish can be seen in the complement between the editing and direction of the film, and his iconic performance as The Tramp. Throughout the narrative, he imbues the action with his specific style of physical comedy and timing. The antics in which The Tramp involves himself in The Kid, and the charming way that Chaplin weaves together his simple story, are quintessential Chaplin, and set the precedent for the rest of his much-acclaimed career.
The plot of The Kid had personal origins for Chaplin, who grew up in poverty and hardship himself. Additionally, at the time he was writing The Kid, Chaplin was grieving the loss of his infant son, who died only three days after birth. Chaplin's loss is said to have affected Chaplin's on-screen connection to the charming orphan to whom his character serves as a surrogate parent.
Filming took place over nine months. Chaplin was a perfectionist about getting the shots exactly right, and is said to have shot over fifty hours of footage for what would become an hour-long film. To avoid having the film included in his divorce settlement, Chaplin smuggled the negatives out of California and edited the first cut of the film in a hotel room in Utah, later finishing the editing in New York. The Kid was an instant success, lauded by critics and audiences alike, and remains one of his best-loved films. Grace Kingsley wrote for The Los Angeles Times: "There's really no classifying The Kid. The best one can do is say that it has all the old melodramatic material, but so jazzed up with fun and with its drama so simply and humanly played, that it almost fools you into believing it is like life. In this, Chaplin's supreme art is seen."
