Kenner's The Tramp

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I found this image in an early 70s Kenner catalog, at one point they were trying to market Charlie Chaplin to kids. I was aware of silent movies as a kid (mostly Laurel and Hardy) but this seems a bit of a reach to me, I guess toy buyers felt that way too because I can't find any evidence of Kenner releasing Charlie to the masses (if you've got one let me know).

Honestly, i'd be surprised if this got made.




A couple of years later, Mego licensed the Hal Roach "Our Gang" shorts and made a series of action figures. It didn't take off either, which is strange considering i watched those after school every day for years..

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[jwyblejr]

Heck,I always wondered why it took so long for someone to do Three Stooges figures.

[cjefferys]

I guess I was the weird kid that watched a lot of Chaplin films in my childhood (along with Harold Lloyd, and Buster Keaton, and Laurel & Hardy). I blame my father who is a huge classic movie geek, and passed that down to me. I'm still a big Chaplin fan, I've never heard of this toy, but would love it if Kenner had actually had made this (as doubtful as that probably is).

[HardyGirl]

I was Charlie Chaplin for Halloween when I was 15.

[Earth 2 Chris]

That's kind of an odd toy. I knew who Charlie Chaplin was, but I don't really know why. My parents probably pointed it out in a reference on a TV show, movie or cartoon.

I could definitely see the Stooges getting toys back then. Even in the early 80s, their shorts were in constant rotation on TBS, mixed in with Our Gang/Little Rascals and toons from WB and MGM.

Chris

[Timothy2251]

I could swear I saw a commercial for this way, way back in the day. I even think a friend of mine had one, too. Of course, I might also be going senile.

[ctc]

>this seems a bit of a reach to me

It's the nostalgia time parallax; you produce goods to appeal to the parents of kids, who were given goods that appealed to THEIR parents, etc.

Don C.

[Wee67]

Now had they made a Fatty Arbuckle doll...

[slats7]

Always thought it was weird that Jaws toys were made for kids who weren't even allowed to see the movie.

[toys2cool]

cool, always loved Chaplin

[Werewolf]

I would have found that toy scary as a child.

[cjefferys]

Now had they made a Fatty Arbuckle doll...

Keep him away from your sister's dolls!

[Chris]

That is disturbing. If they make a Poltergiest reboot that doll would fit in nicely.