The Kid
The Tramp cares for an abandoned child, but events put their relationship in jeopardy.
Directed by Charles Chaplin · Comedy · Drama · Family · 68 min · 1921
Trailer
Director
Charles Chaplin
Writer
Charlie Chaplin
Studio
Charles Chaplin Productions
Release
06 Feb 1921
Runtime
68 min
Genres
Comedy, Drama, Family
Full Plot
The opening title reads: "A comedy with a smile--and perhaps a tear". As she leaves the charity hospital and passes a church wedding, Edna deposits her new baby with a pleading note in a limousine and goes off to commit suicide. The limo is stolen by thieves who dump the baby by a garbage can. Charlie the Tramp finds the baby and makes a home for him. Five years later Edna has become an opera star but does charity work for slum youngsters in hope of finding her boy. A doctor called by Edna discovers the note with the truth about the Kid and reports it to the authorities who come to take him away from Charlie. Before he arrives at the Orphan Asylum Charlie steals him back and takes him to a flophouse. The proprietor reads of a reward for the Kid and takes him to Edna. Charlie is later awakened by a kind policeman who reunites him with the Kid at Edna's mansion.
Cast & Characters
Charles Chaplin
the Woman (John's mother)
Edna Purviance
the Kid ("John")
Jackie Coogan
the Tramp
Charlie Chaplin
the Man (John's father)
Carl Miller
the Policeman
Tom Wilson
night shelter keeper/Professor Guido/fat neighborhood man/apostle Peter
Henry Bergman
neighborhood bully/angel's lover
Charles Reisner
bully's little brother
Raymond Lee
flirtatious angel in Dreamland scene
Lita Grey
the country doctor
Jules Hanft
Did You Know?
Made on an estimated budget of $250,000, The Kid has grossed $5.5M worldwide — about 21.8x its budget.
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
Charles Chaplin has directed 5 films in our catalog, including The Gold Rush, The Great Dictator.
Source: theIReview.com catalog · verified 2026-08-02
Charles Chaplin appears in 5 films in our catalog, including The Gold Rush, The Great Dictator.
Source: theIReview.com catalog · verified 2026-08-02
Chaplin wrote, produced, directed, edited and starred in The Kid.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
The Kid is considered one of the greatest silent films of the era.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
The Kid is arguably Chaplin's most personal and autobiographical work.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Coogan became the first major child star of the movies with The Kid.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Critical Assessment
The Kid holds 8.2/10 on IMDb (144,275 votes), 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of August 2, 2026
Where to Watch
United States
United Kingdom
India
Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDb. Availability changes often — confirm on the provider before watching.
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on aggregated scores (8.2/10 on IMDb (144,275 votes), 100% on Rotten Tomatoes), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Kid's Rotten Tomatoes score?+
The Kid holds a 100% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is The Kid's IMDb rating?+
The Kid has a 8.2/10 rating on IMDb from 144,275 votes.
Is The Kid good? What are critics saying?+
The Kid holds 8.2/10 on IMDb (144,275 votes), 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
How long is The Kid?+
The Kid has a runtime of 68 min.
Who directed The Kid?+
The Kid was directed by Charles Chaplin.
Where can I watch The Kid?+
The Kid is available to stream, rent, or buy on fuboTV, HBO Max Amazon Channel, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, YouTube TV, Criterion Channel, MGM Plus, Pure Flix, FlixFling, HBO Max, Great American Pure Flix Amazon Channel, Bloodstream, Cineverse Amazon Channel, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home, Lionsgate Play, Lionsgate Play Apple TV Channel, Lionsgate Play Amazon Channel.
Fan & Critic Buzz
The movie "The Kid" received positive reviews for its storyline and performances. It was released in 1921, which made it stand out compared to other films of the time. The review highlights Chaplin's direction and Jackie Coogan's performance as the child.
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
Cute and funny. It is difficult to say anything new from this movie or Charles Chaplin. He just delivers a complete story with a lot of different elements. Remarkable is also the performance of Jackie Coogan.
Andres Gomez · 8/10If you enjoy this review, please check out my blog, Old Hat Cinema, at https://oldhatcinema.medium.com/ for more reviews and other cool content. Two Little Tramps The most amazing thing about Charlie Chaplin’s The Kid is that it was released in January of 1921. That makes this fi…
barrymost · 6/10An impoverished woman (Edna Purviance) feels compelled to abandon her child in the hope that he might find a better life - so she leaves him (with a short note) in the back of a car. The two men who find the little bundle don't want anything to do with him, so plonk him down behi…
CinemaSerf · 8/10
From the trailer's comments
I would have loved to see this in theaters with a crowd.
@jordanliles · 3 likes
