Triple Trouble

Triple Trouble is a two-reel American silent comedy film that was released in 1918. It stars Charlie Chaplin, Edna Purviance, and Leo White. This film was not an official Chaplin film, even though it has many Chaplin-directed scenes; after he left the studio,Essanay edited it together using outtakes and newly shot footage directed by Leo White. It had already been established in court that Chaplin had no legal control over the films made during his time with Essanay and could not prevent its release. Cast Charles Chaplin as The Janitor Edna Purviance as Maid Leo White as Count and Flophouse keeper Billy Armstrong as Cook and Pickpocket James T. Kelley as Singing Drunk Bud Jamison as Tramp Wesley Ruggles as Crook Albert Austin as Policeman 'Snub' Pollard as Flophouse tramp (uncredited) Synopsis Charlie (Chaplin) takes a job as a janitor in the home of Colonel Nutt (unidentified actor), a munitions manufacturer. As the butler (unidentified actor) introduces Charlie to the ill-tempered cook (Billy Armstrong), Colonel Nutt demonstrates his new wireless explosive device to his daughter (unidentified actress). Meanwhile, agents of the "Pretzelstrass" meet with the Count (Leo White) to devise a plan to get at Colonel Nutt's device. Charlie carelessly dumps garbage all over the maid (Edna Purviance) and her freshly cleaned floor. He takes the trash can and dumps it over the fence, inundating the Count in the process. Back in the kitchen, the maid scolds Charlie, but then she becomes emotional, and he comforts her. The Count enters the house, and is hit by a wet rag thrown by the maid, but intended for Charlie. The Count tosses it off to the side, and it winds up hitting the cook, and when the cook begins to act cruelly towards the maid in return, Charlie sticks up for her. The Count makes his way to the Colonel, who rejects his offers and has the Count ejected by the butler. His day's work done, Charlie makes his way to a flophouse for a night's sleep. At this point, a pickpocket (Wesley Ruggles) holds up the Count, but instead of taking his money he agrees to join the caper to liberate Dr. Nutt of his invention. The conversation is overheard by a cop, who then runs off to inform his fellow officers, who are in an abandoned lot, shooting craps. They storm the Nutt house, disrupting its resident, but explain to him that they "are on the trail of a great robbery."