Time Travel: 1928 Video Captures A Person Talking Into a Cell Phone?

Speculation abounds about film footage shot for Charlie Chaplin’s movie “The Circus” released in 1928.

In the video, which is believed to be footage of extra scenes from the original movie, a person believed to be a woman is seen holding a mobile phone sized object to her ear and talking, as if she were having a conversation.

Opinions about the nature of the woman and her actions vary. One common explanation suggests that the device may be a 1920’s style hearing aid. During the 20’s hearing aids utilized vacuum tubes, a speaker, batteries and even microphones, so they would be relatively bulky compared to today’s standards.

If the woman was using a hearing aid, however, the question is, why is she clearly speaking while holding the device to her head?

The short film surfaced for the first time at a recent Charlie Chaplin movie premier, prompting some to dismiss the video as a fake. With the technology available in 21st century cinematography, it would not be an unreasonable conclusion.

George Clarke, a film producer from Belfast, is believed to be the first person to analyze the 1928 short after having become interested in the clip while watching DVD movie extras from a Charlie Chaplin movie collection. His conclusion may shock some observers. “I was kind of stumped at what I saw,” remarks Clarke. “Right now, the only conclusion that I can come to, which sounds absolutely ridiculous I’m sure to some some people, but, it’s, a time traveler.”

The footage of the actual Chaplin film short is replayed in the video below several times, at different speeds. One can conclude that the person is holding something in their hand, and that their lips are moving as if they are speaking. What exactly the purpose of this conversation is, what it means, or if it is a conversation at all, remains speculation.

Raw Footage (silent):

George Clarke Analysis and Commentary: