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CITY LIGHTS 1931 from john rose on Vimeo. |
viewing guidePress the button below to download your Viewing Guide and questions that must be completed while viewing the film in class. If you lose your copy, or are not in class the day the film starts, you will want to get a copy to complete and turn in for a grade
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film notes
When Chaplin made City Lights, sound had already been present in motion pictures for several years, and it was quickly becoming the norm. Chaplin was one of the last holdouts in making the transition to sound. He felt that The Little Tramp would simply not be the same if he were to talk. The art of pantomime, he feared, would be lost forever with the coming of sound. City Lights was a big risk for him. He wanted to prove that silent films still had relevance in the world when audiences only seemed to want more talkies. When City Lights succeeded beyond his wildest dreams, it was a major personal triumph. Even though he eventually did make the transition to sound, City Lights reminded everyone that a film could be just as funny and touching without spoken dialogue.