Chaplin biographer Jeffrey Vance writes of the legacy of Chaplin's "The Kid": ""The Kid" remains an important contribution to the art of film, not only because of Chaplin’s innovative use of dramatic sequences within a feature-length comedy, but also because of the revelations "The Kid" provides about its creator. Undoubtedly, when Chaplin penned the preface to "The Kid", “A picture with a smile--and perhaps, a tear,” he had his own artistic credo—and life—in mind." Mary Pickford said of the film, ""The Kid" is one of the finest examples of the screen language, depending upon its actions rather than upon subtitles".