THE REEL LESS TRAVELED

The Silent Movie Theatre may no longer screen exclusively pre-sound classics, but it’s still an excellent venue for catching up with the likes of Charlie Chaplin. During the 80th anniversary of the release of “The Circus,” it seems appropriate to appreciate the film as much for what it’s not as what it is.

Less developed and dramatically urgent than Chaplin’s more well-known features, “The Circus” nevertheless holds up to multiple viewings because of its simple devotion to the art of the gag. That it repeatedly makes us laugh, yet doesn’t qualify as one of Chaplin’s best films, makes us realize his genius all the more.

Lingering about the circus’ sideshow area, the familiar Little Tramp is chased by a cop into the main ring, where the crowd eats up his elusive efforts. The opportunistic proprietor hires him to be a clown, but the Tramp is unable to master the basic routines and is fired. Circumstances, and a pursuing donkey, place him again in front of the audience, and the ringmaster re-engages him as a prop man, then conspires to have him chased into the ring during each performance. Blissfully naive, the Tramp is a hit.

Naturally, there’s also a love story, but at its heart, “The Circus” gets at the core of Chaplin’s perennially intrinsic appeal. It screens at 4 p.m. Sunday, accompanied by a shorts program and Bob Mitchell on the organ.

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-- Kevin.Crust@latimes.com