City Lights (1931)

Director:

Charles Chaplin

Writer:

Charles Chaplin (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

6 February 1931 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Plot:

The Tramp struggles to help a blind flower girl he has fallen in love with.

Plot Keywords:

Tramp | Operation | Little Tramp | Benefactor | Love

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Virginia Cherrill	...	A Blind Girl
Florence Lee	...	The Blind Girl's Grandmother
Harry Myers	...	An Eccentric Millionaire
Al Ernest Garcia	...	The Eccentric Millionaire's Butler (as Allan Garcia)
Hank Mann	...	A Prizefighter
Charles Chaplin	...	A Tramp (as Charlie Chaplin)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jack Alexander	...	Extra in boxing scene (uncredited)
T.S. Alexander	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Victor Alexander	...	Superstitious boxer (uncredited)
Albert Austin	...	Street sweeper / Burglar (uncredited)
Harry Ayers	...	Cop (uncredited)
Eddie Baker	...	Boxing fight referee (uncredited)
Henry Bergman	...	Mayor / Blind Girl's downstairs neighbor (uncredited)
Betty Blair	...	Woman at center of table in restaurant (uncredited)
Jeanne Carpenter	...	Extra in restaurant scene (uncredited)
Marie Cooper	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Tom Dempsey	...	Boxer (uncredited)
Peter Diego	...	Man in mix-up with coat and hat (uncredited)
James Donnelly	...	Steet sweepers foreman (uncredited)
Ray Erlenborn	...	Newsboy (uncredited)
Mrs. Garcia	...	Woman at left of table in restaurant (uncredited)
Milton Gowman	...	Extra in street scene (uncredited)
Robert Graves	...	Police Officer (uncredited)
Charles Hammond	...	Extra in street scene (uncredited)
Jean Harlow	...	Extra in restaurant scene (uncredited)
Ad Herman	...	Extra in boxing scene (uncredited)
Joseph Herrick	...	Extra in boxing scene (uncredited)
Mrs. Hyams	...	Flower shop assistant (uncredited)
Austen Jewell	...	Newsboy (uncredited)
Willie Keeler	...	Boxer (uncredited)
A.B. Lane	...	Extra in boxing scene (uncredited)
Eddie McAuliffe	...	Eddie Mason, boxer (uncredited)
Margaret Oliver	...	Extra in street scene (uncredited)
Robert Parrish	...	Newsboy (uncredited)
Mrs. Pope	...	Extra in restaurant scene (uncredited)
John Rand	...	Tramp who dives for cigar (uncredited)
Granville Redmond	...	Sculptor (uncredited)
W.C. Robinson	...	Man who throws away cigar (uncredited)
Cy Slocum	...	Extra in boxing scene (uncredited)
Tony Stabenau	...	Victorious boxer, later knocked-out (uncredited)
Mark Strong	...	Man in Restaurant (uncredited)
Jack Sutherland	...	Tall man at party (uncredited)
Joe Van Meter	...	Burglar (uncredited)
Emmett Wagner	...	Second (uncredited)
Tiny Ward	...	Man in elevator in front of the art shop (uncredited)
Stanhope Wheatcroft	...	Distinguished gentleman in Cafe (uncredited)
Florence Wix	...	Woman who sits on cigar (uncredited)

Directed by
Charles Chaplin

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Charles Chaplin		writer
Harry Clive		uncredited
Harry Crocker		uncredited

Produced by
Charles Chaplin	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Charles Chaplin

Cinematography by
Gordon Pollock
Roland Totheroh		(as Rollie Totheroh)

Film Editing by
Charles Chaplin		(uncredited)
Willard Nico		(uncredited)

Casting by
Al Ernest Garcia		(uncredited)

Set Decoration by
Charles D. Hall		(settings)

Production Management
Alfred Reeves	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Albert Austin	....	assistant director
Henry Bergman	....	assistant director
Harry Crocker	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Theodore Reed	....	sound supervisor (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ralph Barton	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Mark Marlatt	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Frank Testera	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Music Department
Carl Davis	....	conductor (1989 score)
Arthur Johnston	....	music arranger
Alfred Newman	....	musical director
José Padilla	....	composer: theme "Flower Girl"

Transportation Department
Toraichi Kono	....	driver: Mr. Chaplin (uncredited)

Other crew
Harry Crocker	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Carlyle Robinson	....	press representative (uncredited)
Della Steele	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Charles Chaplin Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (1931) (USA) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Film & Teater (1931) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• United Artists Corporation (1931) (UK) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1931) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1950) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Parafrance Films (1972) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
• CBS / Fox Video (1989) (USA) (VHS)
• Key Video (1989) (USA) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (1993) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• CBS/Fox (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Creative Design (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Sandrews (2003) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• MK2 Diffusion (2006) (worldwide) (all media) (non-theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Continental Home Vídeo (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Continental Home Vídeo (2006) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Movies Unlimited (2006) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

City Lights: A Comedy Romance in Pantomime (USA) (copyright title)

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent | Mono (musical score)

Certification:

France:U | Portugal:M/6 (DVD rating) | Spain:T | West Germany:12 (1951) | Germany:6 (re-rating: 1997) | USA:G (1972) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | South Korea:All | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Chile:TE | Denmark:A (2003) | Norway:7 | Sweden:Btl | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Chaplin Studios - 1416 N. La Brea Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Charles Chaplin Productions

Trivia:

Production was delayed on several occasions. In 1929, one break lasted 62 days.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When the man swallows part of the Tramp's soap and starts spraying bubbles, the tube used to spray the bubbles is clearly visible behind him.

Quotes:

The Tramp: Can you see now?
A Blind Girl: Yes, I can see now.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Producers (1968)

Classic Chaplin

City Lights is simply put one of the best movies out there. Every scene is classic and had a huge impact on the history of film-making. Chaplin's last 'silent' film tells the story of a poor little man the tramp played by Chaplin who falls in love with a blind flower girl. He becomes friends with a wealthy man who constantly tries to commit suicide. The man only recognizes the tramp character when he is drunk. To impress the flower girl the tramp uses the man's wealth to make her fall in love with him. The only problem is that when the man is sober he doesn't recognize the tramp anymore. On top of this the flower girl has to pay 22 dollars of rent or she will be thrown out of her apartment. Now the tramp desperately seeks for jobs in the city to help his love. Out of this simple plot great comedy and heart breaking moments come forth.

The outcome of the movie is to almost all people known. It is regarded as one of the best endings ever taped on film. The movie itself still is masterpiece more than 70 years after it's release. I personally rate this as Chaplin's second best I have seen so far. My favorite remains The Gold Rush. Still this movie gets 5/5 stars from me.