Zepped
Zepped is a 1916 propaganda comedy short film about a German Zeppelin attack on London during the First World War. Charlie Chaplin appears in the film, although it is unlikely he himself was involved in the production. Making use of stop-motion animation, Zepped uses possibly previously unknown outtakes of three or four earlier Chaplin films: His New Profession (1914), A Jitney Elopement (1915) and The Tramp (1915), and according to Bonhams, By the Sea (1915). Two copies are known: one was unknowingly purchased by a collector who bought an old film reel tin on eBay for £3.20 (about $5) in September 2009 and found the nitrate film inside. He put it up for auction in June 2011 but the sole bid did not reach the £100,000 ($160,000) reserve price. The second copy was found in a tin of assorted items bought from a secondhand shop in Sheffield in July 2011.
Insights
Plot Summary
This silent short film depicts a fictionalized aerial attack on London by German Zeppelins during World War I. It focuses on the panic and destruction caused by the bombs, highlighting the vulnerability of civilians to modern warfare.
Critical Reception
As a very early propaganda short, contemporary critical reception focused on its effectiveness in rallying public support and demonstrating the threat of German air power rather than artistic merit. It is considered a historical artifact of wartime cinema.
What Reviewers Say
- A stark depiction of early aerial bombardment.
- Effective as wartime propaganda, illustrating the dangers of Zeppelins.
- Reflects the widespread fear of air raids in London during WWI.
Google audience: Information not available for this early silent film.
Fun Fact
This film was produced at a time when air raids on London were a very real and terrifying prospect for its citizens, making its subject matter highly topical and impactful.
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