Making a Living (1914) marks Charlie Chaplin’s first film appearance as a charming swindler

Chaplin plays Edgar English, a smooth-talking con artist who tries to hustle money from strangers and flirt with a young woman. When a rival reporter (played by director Henry Lehrman) shows up with flowers, a comical fight breaks out.

Later, the reporter photographs a car accident, but while he’s helping the victims, Edgar steals his camera and rushes to the newspaper to claim the photo as his own. This leads to a classic slapstick chase with the Keystone Kops. Though not yet the “Tramp,” Chaplin’s character already sports a top hat, cane, moustache, and oversized pants—foreshadowing what was to come.