Here’s a clip from Charlie Chaplin’s movie “A Dog’s Life,” a silent movie from 1918. The soundtrack includes a saw. I think the saw works well with all the crying. The music was composed by Chaplin himself, who specifically indicated that the passages should be played by a saw. You can find out more about Chaplin and his compositions at Timothy Brock’s website listed at the bottom of the page here. Mr. Brock is one of the world’s leading authorities on the musical works of Chaplin.

I found this clip on Katharina Micada’s webpage, and she graciously gave me permission to include it here. Thanks, Katharina!

Timothy Brock’s website:

A Dog’s Life (1918, music restored in 2003, reduction 2004)

Written during the composer’s middle period, it stands as a unique work. The Chaplin Revue is his first silent-film score written after his exile from the United States, and Chaplin now had the opportunity to spend more time composing after completing A King In New York in 1957.