At the first-ever Academy Awards ceremony, Charles Chaplin was honored with a special statuette "for versatility and genius in writing, acting, directing and producing The Circus." And, it went without saying, for again bringing laughter to packed movie palaces across America.

When we first meet Chaplin's Tramp in this comic gem, he's in typical straits: broke, hungry, destined to fall in love and lust just as sure to lose the girl. Mistaken for a pickpocket and pursued by a peace officer into a circus tent, the Tramp becomes a star when delighted Patrons think his escape from John Law is an act. Classic highlights include a frenetic fun-house sequence, the Tramp turning a magic skit into mayhem and his teetering tightrope walk while monkeys cling to his head. This is comedy without a net!