CHAPLIN C-CITY LIGHTS (DVD/2 DISC) DVD

City Lights
Charles Chaplin was deep into production of his silent City Lights when Hollywood was overwhelmed by the talkie revolution. After months of anguished contemplation, Chaplin decided to finish the film as it began--in silence, save for a musical score and an occasional sound effect. Once again cast as the Little Tramp, Chaplin makes the acquaintance of a blind flower girl (Virginia Cherrill), who through a series of coincidences has gotten the impression that the shabby tramp is a millionaire. A second storyline begins when the tramp rescues a genuine millionaire (Harry Myers) from committing suicide. When drunk, the millionaire expansively treats the tramp as a friend and equal; when sober, he doesn't even recognize him. The two plots come together when the tramp attempts to raise enough money for the blind girl to have an eye operation. Highlights include an extended boxing sequence pitting scrawny Chaplin against muscle-bound Hank Mann, and the poignant final scene in which the now-sighted flower girl sees her impoverished benefactor for the first time. Chaplin's decision to release the silent City Lights three years into the talkie era was partially vindicated when more than one critic singled out this "comedy in pantomime" as the best picture of 1931. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cast Charles Chaplin as The Tramp Virginia Cherrill as The Blind Girl Harry Myers as The Millionaire Allan Garcia as The Millionaire's Butler Hank Mann as The Boxer Florence Lee as Blind Girl's Grandmother

Crew Charles Hall - Art Director Henry Bergman - First Assistant Director Albert Austin - First Assistant Director Harry Crocker - First Assistant Director Charles Chaplin - Director Charles Chaplin - Editor Alfred Newman - Composer (Music Score) Charles Chaplin - Composer (Music Score) Carl Davis - Musical Direction/Supervision Roland H. "Rollie" Totheroh - Cinematographer Charles Chaplin - Producer Harry Crocker - Screenwriter Charles Chaplin - Screenwriter Albert Austin - Screenwriter Henry Bergman - Screenwriter

City Lights
Many critics consider City Lights to be Charles Chaplin's finest film, no small accomplishment considering his long string of great films. The film is a Chaplin tour-de-force, as he has his hand in almost every aspect of its production. He co-wrote, produced, directed, scored and edited the film. Unwilling to bend to the winds of change, which saw the introduction of the spoken word in movies three years earlier, Chaplin's is a silent film. However, he does use music and sound effects cleverly throughout, even employing them pointedly to satirize "the talkies." Other familiar targets are the hypocrisy, prissiness, and arrogance of wealthy "polite society" and cruelty to society's less fortunate, lovable outcasts like The Little Tramp himself. Of course, Chaplin's physical comedy is riotously funny. He dances along the highwire between hilarity and disaster with aplomb. All the while, Chaplin's Little Tramp maintains his dignity and sense of fair play. City Lights's parallel plot lines unfold effectively, as the storyline involving The Little Tramp and the suicidal millionaire presages themes developed more fully in Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life. The pathos-ridden love story with the blind flower girl plays on universal themes, such as the intoxicating blindness of love and the rejuvenating power of selflessness. A graceful, athletic artist of pantomime, Chaplin's Little Tramp moves effortlessly between figures of destitution and wealth, aiding and abetting all around him. City Lights is a paean to our best impulses, a plea for humanitarianism and justice. Most important, it is the work of a master craftsman, in full control of his craft. ~ Dan Jardine, All Movie Guide
 

American Film Institute, 100 Greatest American Movies (winner) Library of Congress, U.S. National Film Registry (winner) National Board of Review, Best Picture (winner)

General Specifications: Language Options: English Subtitle Options: English, French, Spanish, Por, TH, KO Sound Processing: DD5.1: Dolby Digital w/ sub-woofer channel DD1: Dolby Digital Mono Additional Features: cc All-new digital transfer from Chaplin family vault picture and audio elements Soundtrack remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1 as well as original Mono Interactive menus Scene access Subtitles: English, Français, Español, Português, Chinese, Thai & Korean Introduction by David Robinson - Chaplin's biographer discusses the historical and cinematic context of the film Chaplin Today: City Lights - documentary by Serge Bromberg with the participation of the animation artist and director Peter Lord Outtake - Charlie tries to disengage a sliver of wood stuck in a sidewalk grating The Champion (1915) excerpt - Charlie stages a balletic boxing match, 15 years before City Lights Shooting - on the set of the famous scene in which Charlie and the flower girl first meet, filmed by Ralph Barton Georgia Hale screen test - the screen test made by the actress of The Gold Rush when Chaplin thought of replacing Virginia Cherrill as the flower girl The dream prince - a discarded idea for how the flower girl imagines her benefactor Rehearsal - Chaplin works out the staging of a complicated scene Chaplin and boxing stars - Chaplin playfully boxes with professional prizefighters visiting his studios Winston Churchill's visit - Britain's future prime minister visits Chaplin during the shooting of City Lights Chaplin speaks! - in 1931 Vienna during his triumphant European tour, Chaplin speaks for the first time on film Trip to Bali - footage shot when Charlie and Sydney Chaplin visited Bali in 1932 Photo gallery - photos of the production and of the actors Film posters Trailers The Chaplin Collection DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1: Pre-1954 Standard MPAA Rating: G DVD Discs Included: 2 DVD Sides: 2 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 186 min Part of Series: Chaplin Collection   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- The Film 1. Directed by Charles Chaplin [:53] 2. Peace and Prosperity [3:19] 3. Afternoon [2:04] 4. A Flower [2:53] 5. Evening [1:19] 6. Night [4:24] 7. I'll Live! [4:29] 8. The Night Club [6:02] 9. Early Morning [6:47] 10. The Sober Dawn [3:24] 11. The Party [4:10] 12. The Morning After [2:49] 13. Work [3:52] 14. Lunch Time [1:46] 15. To Play the Part of a Gentleman [4:20] 16. That Night [7:23] 17. The Ring [6:14] 18. Back From Europe [6:52] 19. For Your Eyes [3:19] 20. Autumn [6:07]