City Lights
1931 · Movie · G · 87 min · ★ 8.3 · 97% critics
A tramp falls for a kind flower girl who is blind. After he forms an on-and-off friendship with a wealthy man, he tries to use that connection to help her, while juggling misunderstandings and comic missteps in the process.
Also known as City Lights: A Comedy Romance in Pantomime
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Details
- Years
- 1931
- Release date
- 1931-02-06
- Language
- English
- Rated
- G
- Runtime
- 87 min
- Max quality
- HD
- Critic score
- 97/100
- TMDB rating
- 8.3/10 (2,458 votes)
- Box office
- $5,000,000
- Budget
- $1,500,000
About
Not for you if you dislike silent comedy-romance, or if you need dialogue-driven storytelling like Modern Times; otherwise, the mix of laughter and sincere feeling should land for you.
Pros: tender romance; classic silent-era charm; memorable slapstick | Cons: bittersweet turns; pacing can drag
Themes
- blindness and impaired vision
- eye operation
- operation
- love of one's life
- suicide attempt
- flower shop
- flower girl
- tramp
- love
- black and white
- millionaire
- silent film
- +6 more
Awards & recognition
- National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
Cast & crew
Charlie Chaplin
as A Tramp
Virginia Cherrill
as A Blind Girl
- FL
Florence Lee
as Her Grandmother
Harry Myers
as An Eccentric Millionaire
Al Ernest Garcia
as His Butler
Hank Mann
as A Prizefighter
Albert Austin
as Street Sweeper / Burglar (uncredited)
Eddie Baker
as Boxing Fight Referee (uncredited)
Henry Bergman
as Mayor / Blind Girl's Downstairs Neighbor (uncredited)
Buster Brodie
as Bald Party Guest (uncredited)
Directed by Charlie Chaplin