# Time-traveler in 1928 Charlie Chaplin film **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 25, 2010, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-traveler-in-1928-charlie-chaplin-film/558330 "2010-10-25T20:39:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-traveler-in-1928-charlie-chaplin-film/558330/61 "2010-10-28T02:55:09Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I think she’s either shielding her eyes from the sun, shielding her ears from traffic noise, or shielding her head from wind. She’s not shielding her eyes. The shadow over her eyes is from the brim of her hat, the shadow from her hand is falling across her cheek. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-traveler-in-1928-charlie-chaplin-film/558330/62 "2010-10-28T03:11:34Z")
Toothache! Pressing her hand against her jaw, and moving her mouth to alleviate the pain. The problem with that hearing aid is that the part that matters is the earbud, the rest is for the pocket, much like an iPod. My Dad had something similar in the 70s. ---
**Author:** ![GreedySmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-traveler-in-1928-charlie-chaplin-film/558330/63 "2010-10-28T05:54:24Z")
The real mystery to me is how the hell did this “news” story get top billing? It was the top ‘picture’ story on news.com.au yesterday? (One of the top two Australian online news sites) I knew the quality of journalism has been on the slide but really? Come on! A ‘time-traveller’ in a old piece of film is national news worthy? I give up. Wake me when the revolution starts. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-traveler-in-1928-charlie-chaplin-film/558330/64 "2010-10-28T07:27:36Z")
Are you kidding? Proof of time travel? It’s the biggest news evar!! ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-traveler-in-1928-charlie-chaplin-film/558330/65 "2010-10-28T12:35:17Z")
I’ve seen a lot of people wandering the streets talking to themselves, maybe She started it! ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-traveler-in-1928-charlie-chaplin-film/558330/66 "2010-10-28T12:38:58Z")
This is the front page story on yahoo right now. Incredible. The person in this video could be holding or doing anything. Cell phone is quite a leap. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-traveler-in-1928-charlie-chaplin-film/558330/67 "2010-10-28T13:34:48Z")
> [@brix11](#): > > I think there must be some other explanation, but can’t think of anything more rational. What say you? A woman in a blurry black-and-white move holds her hand up to her face as she walks through the frame, and you believe the most rational explanation is that she is a time traveler, and she’s using a cell phone? I say if you can’t think of anything more rational than this, your logic circuits are fried. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-traveler-in-1928-charlie-chaplin-film/558330/68 "2010-10-28T14:25:12Z")
> [@astro](#): > > That’s so retarded. When you hold a cell phone or whatever your fingers are together for a secure grip, not splayed apart like that. There’s nothing in her hand. She’s holding onto her hat or wig. You can see the breeze moving the plants behind her. not if it is an iphone. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-traveler-in-1928-charlie-chaplin-film/558330/69 "2010-10-28T14:41:21Z")
I find it rather implausible that she would have brought over her cell phone but not the Suburban. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-traveler-in-1928-charlie-chaplin-film/558330/70 "2010-10-28T15:14:04Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > It’s [a time-traveling alien _with horns!_](http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/article/881824--time-travelling-alien-mystery-woman-in-chaplin-movie-clip?bn=1) This guy is a leading time travel conspiracist, but he’s never seen a hat before. That’s excellent. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-traveler-in-1928-charlie-chaplin-film/558330/71 "2010-10-29T18:37:29Z")
It’s an old-timey hearing aid, according to the folks at [LiveScience](http://www.livescience.com/strangenews/time-traveler-chaplin-film-101028.html): > [@](#): > > What Clarke didn’t consider was that a simple ear trumpet could still explain it all, said hearing device historians, who provided LiveScience with images of sample ear trumpets for comparison. [[See the ear trumpets](http://www.livescience.com/php/multimedia/imagedisplay/img_display.php?s=strangenews&c=news&l=&pic=ear-trumpet-1-101028-02.jpg&cap=An+ear+trumpet+dating+from+the+mid+to+late+19th+century.+Credit%3A+Central+Institute+for+the+Deaf-Max+A.+Goldstein+Historic+Devices+for+Hearing+Collection&title=)] > > “As you can tell from these, old-fashioned mechanical or resonating hearing aids were not necessarily long and rounded,” said Philip Skroska, an archivist at the Bernard Becker Medical Library of Washington University in St. Louis. “Short, compact rectangular forms were not unusual.” ---
**Author:** ![C.Montgomery\_Burns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecd19e/32.png) [@C.Montgomery\_Burns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C.Montgomery_Burns)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-traveler-in-1928-charlie-chaplin-film/558330/72 "2010-10-31T12:21:02Z")
She’s saying, “No no no! This sucker’s electrical! The plutonium is needed to generate the 1.21 jiggowatts of electricity necessary to power the flux capacitor!” ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-traveler-in-1928-charlie-chaplin-film/558330/73 "2010-10-31T20:58:09Z")
When I saw on the Beeb that it was discovered by some fellow from East Belfast of all places, I wondered how the idea had gotten any traction. But then when I saw it was [George Clarke](http://georgeclarke.webs.com/), one of Northern Ireland’s top zombie/martial arts director/producers, I guessed it was a bit of decent publicity for the fellow. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-traveler-in-1928-charlie-chaplin-film/558330/74 "2010-11-01T19:18:00Z")
Another time travel story:- [KFC SPOTTED IN CORNER OF ‘THE HAY WAIN’](http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/science-%26-technology/kfc-spotted-in-corner-of-'the-hay-wain'-201010293207/) ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2010, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-traveler-in-1928-charlie-chaplin-film/558330/75 "2010-11-01T21:28:36Z")
Now that is uncanny. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-traveler-in-1928-charlie-chaplin-film/558330/76 "2010-11-03T18:01:13Z")
OK, not really. But this is still kind of interesting: [YouTube clip](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DF8WF3vGUn8) For those who can’t, or don’t want to watch the clip, I’ll post what the YouTube clip poster wrote, but you really have to watch it to see what he’s talking about. > [@George Clarke](#): > > This short film is about a piece of footage I (George Clarke) found behind the scenes in Charlie Chaplins film ‘The Circus’. Attending the premiere at Manns Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, CA - the scene shows a large woman dressed in black with a hat hiding most of her face, with what can only be described as a mobile phone device - talking as she walks alone. > > I have studied this film for over a year now - showing it to over 100 people and at a film festival, yet no-one can give any explanation as to what she is doing. > > My only theory - as well as many others - is simple… a time traveler on a mobile phone. See for yourself and feel free to leave a comment on your own explanation or thoughts about it. > > George - 20th October 2010 Oh, and I tried to do a search to see if anybody posted about this already, but every time I try to use the search function I keep getting an error message. Oh no! Maybe the time travelers are trying to silence me :eek:. ---
**Author:** ![Emily\_Litella](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emily_litella/32/3370_2.png) [@Emily\_Litella](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emily_Litella)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-traveler-in-1928-charlie-chaplin-film/558330/77 "2010-11-03T18:04:33Z")
If there are time travelers I expect this thread will disapear in 3…2…1… ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-traveler-in-1928-charlie-chaplin-film/558330/78 "2010-11-03T18:06:24Z")
Here is another thread on this topic: (Over in the “In my humble opinion” section of the board.) > **[Time-traveler in 1928 Charlie Chaplin film](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=583094)** > > George Clarke has found some footage from the premiere of a 1928 Charlie Chaplin film that he can only explain as a time-traveler talking on a mobile phone. I think there must be some other explanation, but can’t think of anything more rational.... ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-traveler-in-1928-charlie-chaplin-film/558330/79 "2010-11-03T18:06:32Z")
[Previous thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=583094) Damn \*\*mlees \*\*and his time travel machine. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2010, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-traveler-in-1928-charlie-chaplin-film/558330/80 "2010-11-03T18:08:36Z")
What was she using for a cell phone tower? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-traveler-in-1928-charlie-chaplin-film/558330.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-traveler-in-1928-charlie-chaplin-film/558330.md?page=5)