Burlesque on Carmen

A Burlesque on Carmen is Charlie Chaplins thirteenth and final film for Essanay Studios, released as Carmen on December 18, 1915. Chaplin played the leading man and Edna Purviance played Carmen. The film is a parody of the overacted Cecil B. DeMille Carmen of 1915 which was itself an interpretation of the popular novella Carmen by Prosper Mrime. Composer Hugo Riesenfeld wrote the music for both the DeMille and the Chaplin films, based on George Bizets opera Carmen.

The story of Carmen was very popular in the 1910s, and two films under this title had already been released in 1915, one by Raoul Walsh in which stage actress Theda Bara played Carmen, and one by Cecil B. DeMille in which the part was played by opera star Geraldine Farrar. DeMille had intended to film a musical version of the opera Carmen, but its libretto was under copyright so DeMille instructed his screenwriter brother William to base his scenario on the public domain novella Carmen by Prosper Mrime. William included a cigarette factory fight scene from the book which was not found in the opera. Composer Hugo Riesenfeld arranged the music, based on George Bizets opera Carmen. DeMilles film received positive reviews but Chaplin thought it was ripe for parody.Carmen, a gypsy seductress is sent to convince Darn Hosiery, the goofy officer in charge of guarding one of the entrances to the city of Sevilla, to allow a smuggling run. She first tries to bribe him but he takes the money and refused to let the smuggled goods in. ........

Source: Wikipedia