City Lights (1931)

User Rating:

8.5/10   

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 | Love | Little Tramp | Benefactor | Operation

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

Also Known As:

City Lights: A Comedy Romance in Pantomime (USA) (copyright title)
Lichter der Großstadt (Austria) (Germany) [de]
Luces de la ciudad (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Byens lys (Denmark) [da]
Kaupungin valot (Finland) [fi]
Les lumières de la ville (France) [fr]
Lichter der Großstadt - Eine Komödien-Romance als Pantomime (Germany) [de]
Luci della città (Italy) [it]
Luzes da Cidade (Brazil) [pt]
Luzes na Cidade (Portugal) [pt]
Orot Ha-Krah (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
Stadens ljus (Sweden) [sv]
Swiatla wielkiego miasta (Poland) [pl]
Ta fota tis poleos (Greece) [el]
Ta fota tis polis (Greece) (reissue title) [el]

Runtime:

87 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:

At the beginning of the film, a town official and a woman dedicating the statue can be heard uttering nondescript words by way of a kazoo. These sounds are the very first "words" Chaplin ever spoke on film, as it is his voice you are hearing through the reed instrument.

Goofs:

Continuity: When saving the man's life, and trying to climb out of the water, the position of the Tramp's hat is inconsistent.

Quotes:

The Tramp: Be careful how you're driving.
Eccentric Millionaire: Am I driving?

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Pervert's Guide to Cinema (2006)

A one-man virtuoso performance …

Once again Chaplin plays his famous creation, the beloved Tramp… The noble Little Fellow meets and falls in love with a blind flower girl… She assumes he is wealthy man and offers him a flower, which he attentively accepts with his last penny…

One night by chance he rescues a drunken millionaire from drowning… The rich gentleman becomes a generous friend when drunk but doesn't recognize the tramp when sober… Chaplin takes the blind girl under his wing, and takes flight with the millionaire's money to cure her blindness…

"City Lights" engaged a true genius in a graceful and touching performance which arouses profound feelings and joy with great simplicity of style and tragic tale… Each scene was the result of hard-working detail and planning…