City Lights (1931) (GUEST David from The Celluloid Historian) Part 1

Watching Silent Films

The most cherished film by Charlie Chaplin, City Lights is also his ultimate Little Tramp chronicle. The writer-director-star achieved new levels of grace, in both physical comedy and dramatic poignancy, with this silent tale of a lovable vagrant falling for a young blind woman who sells flowers on the street (Virginia Cherrill) and mistakes him for a millionaire. Though this Depression-era smash was made after the advent of sound, Chaplin remained steadfast in his love for the expressive beauty of the pre-talkie form. The result was the epitome of his art and the crowning achievement of silent comedy.

This episode opens with the history behind City Lights, what life was like in the years outside of filmmaking, and mentions Chaplin's other accomplishments and dark times.

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WSF is hosted by YiFeng, Bob and Lily

Recorded August 12, 2020