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Time traveler caught in Charlie Chaplin’s 1928 film ‘The Circus’

By Susan Leighton

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A very interesting clip has surfaced on Twitter courtesy of Horror Bible. Apparently, in the background of Charlie Chaplin’s silent film, the Circus there is a time traveler caught on celluloid! We here at 1428 Elm take a look at this mysterious image.

“Let’s do the Time Warp again!” – Rocky Horror Picture Show

Fact or Fiction?

Throughout literature and movies time travel has always been a subject of interest. From HG Wells, The Time Machine to Time after Time to Cloud Atlas this idea has captured the imaginations of people for years. Even Einstein had a theory on the possibility of traversing the space-time continuum.

However, recently, the Horror Bible unearthed some footage of a possible visitor from another era in a silent movie! In Charlie Chaplin’s 1928 film, The Circus, in the background one of the extras clearly looks as if she is talking on a cell phone!

How can this be? I have studied the footage, slowed it down, even paused it and yes, it appears that the woman is talking into some sort of apparatus. Now, in 1928, we did not have the technology for walkie talkies.

We definitely did not have cell phones or even ear buds! More than likely, an enterprising cinephile with master editing skills, probably used CGI to Forrest Gump this woman into the frame. However, if this is the case, the person that did this should be commended and given a job at George Lucas’ ILM.

There are no telltale signs that this is a product of special FX. Her wardrobe looks authentic and it doesn’t look as if she has been “inserted” into the shot. Maybe I have a touch of Fox Mulder in me but what if this were actually possible?

It Must Be Aliens!

I remember watching Ancient Aliens on the History Channel. They devoted an entire episode to time travelers being mistaken as aliens. During the course of the show, they presented pictures from as far back as the Civil War era where people were looking decidedly out of place in their surroundings.

When looking at the photos, you could tell that something didn’t belong. They even spoke to a gentleman who claimed that he was a time traveler and had visited several centuries. Now, I have an open mind but even I had to take pause on this one.

Einstein Was a Genius

Seriously, there have been times when I have felt as if I traveled to another realm but that was usually after several shots of whatever alcohol I happened to have been drinking at the time. Einstein did develop a legitimate theory on the phenomenon called Special Relativity.

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According to spaceplace.nasa.gov, “The ideas of Special Relativity are very hard to imagine because they aren’t about what we experience in everyday life, but scientists have confirmed them. This theory says that space and time are really aspects of the same thing—space-time.”

“There’s a speed limit of 300,000 kilometers per second (or 186,000 miles per second) for anything that travels through space-time, and light always travels the speed limit through empty space.”

“Special Relativity also says that a surprising thing happens when you move through space-time, especially when your speed relative to other objects is close to the speed of light. Time goes slower for you than for the people you left behind. You won’t notice this effect until you return to those stationary people.”

Basically, what this means is if you traveled through space-time at the speed of light, if you were twenty-five at the start of your journey and you had only five birthdays you would be thirty years old.  But your friends would be in their seventies when you returned from your trip. Watch the video.

Then ask yourself is this real? Imagine the possibilities!

Next: Bruce Campbell: Hail to the Chin audio book in time for the holidays!

If you could travel in time where would you go? What would you do? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below. We want to hear from you!

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