Directed by Charles Chaplin. With Charles Chaplin, Edna Purviance, Syd Chaplin, Henry Bergman. Charlie and friends illustrate various bonds in life and the most important, Liberty Bonds for the war...
The Bond
Directed by
Charlie Chaplin
Written by
Charlie Chaplin
Starring
Charlie Chaplin
Edna Purviance
Albert Austin
Sydney Chaplin
Distributed by
First National Pictures Inc.
Release date(s)
1918
Running time
11 minutes
Country
United States
Language
Silent film
English intertitles
The Bond is a propaganda film created by Charlie Chaplin at his own expense for the Liberty Loan Committee for theatrical release to help sell U.S. Liberty Bonds during World War I.
Made in 1918 with Edna Purviance, Albert Austin and Sydney Chaplin, the film has a distinctive visual motif set in a simple plain black set with starkly lit simple props and arrangements. The story is a series of sketches humorously illustrating various bonds like the bond of friendship and of marriage and, most important, the Liberty Bond, to K.O. the Kaiser which Charlie does literally.
There was also a British version with Uncle Sam replaced by John Bull and promotes War Bonds.