{"id":43035,"date":"2019-03-13T09:31:20","date_gmt":"2019-03-13T16:31:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=43035"},"modified":"2020-11-28T10:45:53","modified_gmt":"2020-11-28T17:45:53","slug":"city-lights-1931","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=43035","title":{"rendered":"City Lights (1931)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Thank you for your kindness, sir.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/City-Lights-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/City-Lights-Poster-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-43036\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/City-Lights-Poster-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/City-Lights-Poster-85x128.jpg 85w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/City-Lights-Poster.jpg 638w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA noble tramp (Charlie Chaplin) falls in love with a blind flower-girl (Virginia Cherrill) and saves the life of a drunk, suicidal millionaire (Harry Myers) who quickly befriends him, but forgets he knows him once sober. Can Chaplin earn the money to help Cherrill pay for a sight-restoring operation &#8212; or will Myers help him out?\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Blindness<\/li>\n<li>Charlie Chaplin Films<\/li>\n<li>Do-Gooders<\/li>\n<li>Homeless<\/li>\n<li>Millionaires<\/li>\n<li>Mistaken or Hidden Identities<\/li>\n<li>Romance<\/li>\n<li>Silent Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary\u2019s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary writes that this &#8220;hilarious, poignant comedy masterpiece by Charles Chaplin&#8221; is an &#8220;exquisite, infinitely rewarding film&#8221;. He names it Best Picture of the Year in his <em>Alternate Oscars<\/em>, where he notes that Chaplin &#8220;intended his new picture to be a tribute to the art of pantomime and in the vanguard of a new wave of nontalking films&#8221; &#8212; including a &#8220;soundtrack with his own truly exceptional score and sound effects&#8221;. While he was wrong (he took an expensive, $2 million gamble), it &#8220;received tremendous critical acclaim and did exceptionally well at the box office&#8221;. In <em>Alternate Oscars<\/em>, Peary writes that the world presented in <em>City Lights<\/em> is &#8220;confusing&#8221; and &#8220;topsy-turvy&#8221; &#8212; a place where &#8220;the most dignified, noble character is a tramp, where the person with the most money wants to kill himself while a man without anything tells him about the joys of life&#8221;; indeed, the &#8220;identities of both people and props are in question&#8221;. He details the many comedic instances in which props are not what they seem: confetti becomes mixed with spaghetti; Chaplin &#8220;almost cuts into a man&#8217;s bald head that he thinks is a plate of food&#8221;; Chaplin &#8220;washes his face with cheese instead of the soap that finds its way into a coworker&#8217;s sandwich&#8221;; and &#8220;the blind girl unravels the tramp&#8217;s shirt when she mistakenly thinks she&#8217;s rolling string&#8221;. Adding to this confusion, Chaplin almost constantly has &#8220;characters&#8217; arms, hands, and legs interlock, almost as if the characters are hugging, dancing, or wrestling with one another&#8221;. <\/p>\n<p>Cherrill&#8217;s performance &#8212; notoriously earned through hundreds of hours of gruelling retakes &#8212; shows authentic pathos, and Chaplin is at the peak of his game: his &#8220;Little Tramp retains his pride and dignity despite the constant humiliations he endures&#8221;, though &#8220;sadly, few recognize the beauty that is in <em>him<\/em>.&#8221; The numerous slapstick sequences are exquisitely choreographed: Chaplin&#8217;s perfectionism as a writer, director, editor, and actor paid off. Among many memorable scenes are Cherrill tossing water unknowingly in Chaplin&#8217;s face (knowing how hard he worked her, this is especially satisfying to watch); Chaplin gallantly interrupting a passionate nightclub dance that he assumes is domestic violence; the humorously choreographed boxing match, which plays to viewers&#8217; ongoing sense that the referee up there in the ring will <em>surely<\/em> get hurt one day; and, of course, the tear-jerking ending in which Cherrill recognizes the Tramp&#8217;s true identity.   <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Charlie Chaplin as The Tramp<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/City-Lights-Chaplin.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/City-Lights-Chaplin.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"960\" height=\"720\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-43040\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/City-Lights-Chaplin.png 960w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/City-Lights-Chaplin-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/City-Lights-Chaplin-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/City-Lights-Chaplin-768x576.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Virginia Cherrill as The Girl<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/City-Lights-Cherrill.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/City-Lights-Cherrill.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"960\" height=\"720\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-43041\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/City-Lights-Cherrill.png 960w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/City-Lights-Cherrill-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/City-Lights-Cherrill-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/City-Lights-Cherrill-768x576.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Many memorable moments<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/City-Lights-Yarn.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/City-Lights-Yarn.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"960\" height=\"720\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-43038\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/City-Lights-Yarn.png 960w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/City-Lights-Yarn-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/City-Lights-Yarn-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/City-Lights-Yarn-768x576.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/City-Lights-Boxing.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/City-Lights-Boxing.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"960\" height=\"720\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-43039\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/City-Lights-Boxing.png 960w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/City-Lights-Boxing-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/City-Lights-Boxing-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/City-Lights-Boxing-768x576.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Chaplin&#8217;s carefully choreographed and synchronized score and sound effects\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as an enduring classic. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?page_id=1784#classic\">Genuine Classic<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> (<span style=\"color:red;font-weight:bold;\">Listed in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-static\/1001Movies.htm\"><em>1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die<\/em><\/a><\/span>) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0021749\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1931\/02\/07\/archives\/chaplin-hilarious-in-his-city-lights-tramps-antics-in-nondialogue.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.qnetwork.com\/review\/2963\">Q Network Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s4351city.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/324720\/city-lights#articles-reviews\">TCM Articles<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.filmsite.org\/city.html\">Filmsite Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Thank you for your kindness, sir.&#8221; Synopsis: A noble tramp (Charlie Chaplin) falls in love with a blind flower-girl (Virginia Cherrill) and saves the life of a drunk, suicidal millionaire (Harry Myers) who quickly befriends him, but forgets he knows him once sober. Can Chaplin earn the money to help Cherrill pay for a sight-restoring operation &#8212; or will Myers help him out? Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Blindness Charlie Chaplin Films Do-Gooders Homeless Millionaires Mistaken or Hidden Identities Romance&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=43035\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43035","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43035","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=43035"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43035\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55486,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43035\/revisions\/55486"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=43035"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=43035"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=43035"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}