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:

Star Spangled Banner | Fight | Happy Ending | Male Female Relationship | Rolls Royce

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 / Eddie Mason, a crook (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)

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

Art Department
Charles D. Hall	....	settings

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]
Fota tis poleos, Ta (Greece) [el]
Fota tis polis, Ta (Greece) (reissue title) [el]
Kaupungin valot (Finland) [fi]
Lichter der Großstadt - Eine Komödien-Romance als Pantomime (Germany) [de]
Luci della città (Italy) [it]
Lumières de la ville, Les (France) [fr]
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]

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent | Mono (musical score)

Certification:

USA:G (1972) | West Germany:12 (1951) | Germany:6 (re-rating: 1997) | France:U | Portugal:M/6 (DVD rating) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Spain:T | 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:

In terms of years, this film was Charles Chaplin's longest undertaking. It was in production from 31 December 1927 - 22 January 1931, over three years. It shot for only 180 days, though.

Goofs:

Continuity: When handcuffed to go to jail, the Tramp's left hand is cuffed, but when arriving at the jail, it is his right hand that is cuffed.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Producers (1968)

You can't go wrong with Charlie Chaplin, but City Lights is even better than Chaplin's films usually are.

Chaplin takes himself a little more seriously in City Lights, and the results are spectacular. The musical score which Chaplin composed for the film was one of the many highlights, and even though Charlie's performance is much more dramatic than usual in some scenes, the hilarious comedy for which he is known and loved is still abundant.

City Lights is so well made that it is one of the very few movies in which the obvious flaws can be gladly overlooked. Yes, you can clearly see the string holding Chaplin up in the sidesplittingly funny boxing scene, but who cares? That is such classic slapstick that little things like that really don't matter. Besides, let's keep in mind that this movie was made seventy years ago.

Chaplin does a phenomenal job in his traditional role of the tramp, and develops a perfectly convincing romantic relationship with the blind flower girl on the sidewalk. His friendship with the drunken rich guy is hilarious, but it also makes a significant comment about the problems of alcohol. This is truly a great film, which should not be forgotten.