In 2009, a collector named Morace Park logged onto eBay and placed a 3.20 bid for a film reel based on the attractive tin it was stored in. Incredibly, it later transpired that he had purchased the only known surviving copy of a rare Charlie Chaplin film called Zepped. Not only are there no other copies, but the film also features some of the earliest animation from the history of cinema. In light of these revelations, the item will now be auctioned on 29 June at Bonham's in Knightsbridge, London, and experts predict that it could fetch upwards of 100,000.
In the film, which lasts just under 7 minutes, Chaplin is seen bringing down a German zeppelin during a bombing raid over London. Historians believe the film was produced as a piece of propaganda to boost the morale of British troops during the war.
Records indicate that the film was classified by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) in 1917, and that it was licensed for export. Towards the beginning of the film, there are censorship frames, which suggest it may have been despatched to troops stationed in Egypt.
Since buying the film via online auction site eBay, Park has heard a range of explanations from several experts about why the film was made and what techniques were used in its production. Was it just a piece of cinematic experimentation? Was it made without Chaplin's knowledge? Nobody seems to have any definite answers.
There has also been disagreement about the zeppelin. Some academics have stated their belief that it's real, whilst others have cited this as an early example of puppet-based animation. Zeppelins were used by the Germans in bombing sorties over England and France during the First World War, and were known as "terrors of the sky".
In the film, which lasts just under 7 minutes, Chaplin is seen bringing down a German zeppelin during a bombing raid over London. Historians believe the film was produced as a piece of propaganda to boost the morale of British troops during the war.
Records indicate that the film was classified by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) in 1917, and that it was licensed for export. Towards the beginning of the film, there are censorship frames, which suggest it may have been despatched to troops stationed in Egypt.
Since buying the film via online auction site eBay, Park has heard a range of explanations from several experts about why the film was made and what techniques were used in its production. Was it just a piece of cinematic experimentation? Was it made without Chaplin's knowledge? Nobody seems to have any definite answers.
There has also been disagreement about the zeppelin. Some academics have stated their belief that it's real, whilst others have cited this as an early example of puppet-based animation. Zeppelins were used by the Germans in bombing sorties over England and France during the First World War, and were known as "terrors of the sky".
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