Although the figure had appeared in earlier films, it was Charlot The Tramp that launched the vagabond who would make Chaplin an icon of silent cinema. Charlot saves the daughter of a farmer from thieves and prevents them from robbing the farm. In love with the girl, he is disappointed when her boyfriend appears. For the first time, the director steps back from the formula of pure slapstick and injects pathos and emotion into his comedy, blending humour and melancholy. The film also marks Chaplin’s first use of the soon-to-be-classic fade-out.