Original poster artwork · Great Cinema Master List
Spoiler-free premise
The Tramp finds an abandoned baby and raises him for five years until authorities threaten their improvised family.
Read expanded premiseLonger, still spoiler-free+
The Tramp discovers an infant left beside a garbage can and reluctantly becomes his caregiver. Five years later, he and the clever boy John survive through a window-repair scheme, but illness brings welfare authorities who challenge their bond.
Why it belongs
The Kid joins street comedy to parental tenderness, with Jackie Coogan matching the Tramp's gesture, timing, and emotional directness.
Read expanded why it belongsThe fuller editorial case+
Attic rooms, broken windows, shared breakfasts, rooftop pursuit, dream imagery, and synchronized physical business make poverty inventive without romanticizing separation—Chaplin and Coogan perform family through practiced mutual attention.
Major award wins
No verified wins in this six-institution crosswalk.
Awards are reference metadata only · zero points in 40/40/20
Institutional reference ranks
Sight & Sound—IMDb Top 250144AFI 100—
Reference metadata only · not part of the 40/40/20 score
Great Cinema Master List scores
Greatness8.4
Engagement8.8
Ease8.0
English · Not Rated Silent Feature Mood: Funny & Bittersweet
