City Lights
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
City Lights is a 1931 comedy film directed by Charlie Chaplin, starring Charlie Chaplin, Virginia Cherrill, Florence Lee. It drew a wide audience and shaped its genre.
Plot
The unveiling of a new monument to "Peace and Prosperity" reveals the Little Tramp asleep in the lap of one of the sculpted figures. He escapes the assembly's fury and roams the city. The Tramp encounters a flower girl on a street corner. He is instantly smitten and realizes she is blind while buying a flower from her. The woman mistakes him for a wealthy man when the door of an automobile slams shut as he departs.
Production
Written by Charlie Chaplin and Harry Crocker, the film was produced by Charles Chaplin Productions. Charlie Chaplin composed the score. Gordon Pollock handled the cinematography. The film runs 87 minutes. The crew and editing refined every shot.
Reception
On a budget of $1,500,000, City Lights grossed $4,250,000 worldwide at the box office. A critic consensus praised its screenplay and score.
Legacy
The film's influence spread across the century; its narrative and tone echo in much later cinema.
See also
References
- "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time". topfilms100. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
- Ebert, Roger. The Great Movies. Broadway Books.
This article incorporates text from Wikipedia, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.