Dana and Tom with returning 5x Club Member, Kieran B. (Host and Creator of the Best Picture Cast), discuss the silent comedy classic, Modern Times (1936), celebrating its 90th anniversary: written and directed by Charlie Chaplin, cinematography by Ira Morgan and Roland Totheroh, music by Charlie Chaplin, editing by Charlie Chaplin and Willard Nico, starring Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard.
Plot Summary: In Modern Times, Charlie Chaplin returns again as the Little Tramp, a factory worker who struggles to keep up with the fast pace of modern machines. On an assembly line, he tightens bolts all day until the pressure drives him nearly insane. After a nervous breakdown, he is sent to a hospital. When he gets out, he is mistaken for a communist leader during a workers’ protest and is thrown in jail. Even in jail, his clumsy good luck helps him stop a prison break, but once he is free, he finds it hard to survive in a world ruled by machines and money.
During his struggles, the Tramp meets a poor young woman played by Paulette Goddard. She is hungry, homeless, and trying to care for her sisters after their father dies. The two form a close bond and dream of building a simple life together. They face job losses, hunger, and constant trouble with the law, yet they refuse to give up hope. In the final scene, Chaplin and Goddard walk down an open road, determined to keep going despite the hardships of the modern world.
Guest:
Kieran B (15x Member Club)
- Host and Creator of the Best Picture Cast; @bestpicturecast on X, IG, Letterboxd - BPC, Personal Letterboxd
- Previous Episodes (17x): Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1957), Lost in Translation (2003), Gran Torino (2008), Stalag 17 (1953), Shane (1953), A Fistful of Dollars (1964), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) Revisit, 12 Angry Men (1957) Revisit, The Shawshank Redemption (1994) Revisit, Saw (2004), Up in the Air (2009), Bad Day at Black Rock (1955), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), Gladiator (2000), The Lost Weekend (1945)
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Context of Modern Times
07:06 Welcome Back, Kieran B.
10:24 Relationship(s) with Modern Times
20:23 Plot Summary for Modern Times
21:48 What is Modern Times About?
27:50 Did You Know?
35:52 First Break
36:46 What's Happening with Kieran B.?
39:48 The Terror of Tiny Town
48:45 Oscars Preview Live Show Coming Up
51:41 Welcome to Our Newest International Listeners
52:55 Best Performance(s)
01:03:53 Best Scene(s)
01:12:21 Second Break
01:13:00 In Memoriam
01:28:55 Best/Funniest Lines
01:32:57 The Stanley Rubric - Legacy
01:40:56 The Stanley Rubric - Impact/Significance
01:47:52 The Stanley Rubric - Novelty
01:53:52 The Stanley Rubric - Classicness
02:00:48 The Stanley Rubric - Rewatchability
02:04:28 The Stanley Rubric - Audience Score and Final Total
02:05:53 Remaining Questions for Modern Times
02:14:43 Thank You to Kieran and Remaining Thoughts
02:25:59 Credits
You can also find this episode in full video on YouTube.
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For more on the episode, go to: https://www.ronnyduncanstudios.com/post/modern-times-1936-ft-kieran-b
For the entire rankings list so far, go to: https://www.ronnyduncanstudios.com/post/greatest-movie-of-all-time-list
Keywords:
Modern Times, Charlie Chaplin, industrial satire, film history, silent film, cinematic techniques, Robert Duvall, film commentary, movie analysis, podcast, film legacy, humor in cinema, classic films, socio-economic commentary, rewatchability, audience reception, film analysis
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