"The Vagabond " (released July 10, 1916), is often pointed to as one of Chaplin's first real masterpieces, representing the blend of comedy and pathos that would define his greatest work in films (e.g, "The Kid, " "City Lights "). The tramp is a traveling violinist who is competing with an artist (Lloyd Bacon) for the hand of the lovely Edna Purviance, a young girl who has been stolen by Gypsies. The way Chaplin mixes the despair of his character over being rejected as a lover with the comedy of accidentally sitting on a stove captures the essence of his genius as a filmmaker.