Charles Chaplin is probably the most important comedian in the history of the cinema. He signed a contract with Essanay in 1915 and the films he directed for them are among his earliest masterpieces, rib-achingly funny and already technically perfect. This edition of sixteen films is the outcome of a worldwide search lasting some ten years. The material has been restored using state-of-the-art digital processes and is accompanied by a completely new music score. Now the "Essanay comedies" can be enjoyed as good as new.