Charlie Chaplin - Limelight on Blu-ray & DVD (1952)

Charlie Chaplin - Limelight

1952

Overall rating: 3.5 out of 5

from 765 members

London, 1914. Calvero (Charles Chaplin), a once-great music hall comedian, weaves drunkenly home to his shabby flat. As he arrives home, he is suddenly sobered by a bad smell. It isn't his shoes, as he originally assumes, but the smell of gas, emanating from behind a locked door. Calvero smashes his way in, finding the unconscious Terry (Claire Bloom). Carrying the girl to his attic apartment, Calvero revives Terry, then asks why she is so determined to kill herself. The girl explains that she has always dreamed of becoming a great dancer, but her legs are paralyzed. Calvero vows to raise enough money to help the girl. He goes back on stage, where his old-fashioned act is greeted with a riot of silence. Now it is Terry's turn to encourage Calvero to go on living-and in so doing, she regains the use of her legs. Hired by the Empire theatre corps de ballet, Terry arranges for the management to hire Calvero as a supernumerary. Impresario Postant (Nigel Bruce), not recognizing the famous Calvero in clown makeup, fires him. Only after Terry pleads with Postant to give Calvero another chance does the producer relent, securing a comeback appearance for the ageing comedian and his old partner (Buster Keaton). Calvero's antics bring down the house, just like the old days, but the effort is too much for the old fellow, and he collapses backstage. As Calvero dies, he proudly watches his protegee Terry carry on the show must go on tradition by dancing for the crowd. Thanks to the political climate of the time, Limelight was denied a wide distribution; in fact, it didn't play Los Angeles until 1972, twenty years after its completion. At that time, Chaplin's theme music, which had gained popularity on the hit parade, was honored with an Academy Award. While the film has moments of unmatched hilarity (especially during the fabled Chaplin-Keaton teaming towards the end), the elegiac tone of Limelight was best summed up by critic Andrew Sarris: To imagine one's own death, one must imagine the death of the world, that world which has always dangled so helplessly from the tips of Chaplin's eloquent fingers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Charlie Chaplin - Limelight details

Formats:	U DVD, Blu-ray
Starring:	Sydney Chaplin, Norman Lloyd, Andre Eglevsky, Buster Keaton, Claire Bloom, Charlie Chaplin, Melissa Hayden, Nigel Bruce
Director:	Charlie Chaplin
Genre:	Comedy
Studio:	PARK CIRCUS

Name	Discs
Charlie Chaplin - Limelight	U Feature
Charlie Chaplin - Limelight - Bonus Features	U Bonus

DVD Information

Run time:	2 hours 25 minutes
Rental release:	22 Sep 2003
Main languages:	English

Name	Discs
Charlie Chaplin - Limelight	U Feature

Blu-ray Information

Run time:	2 hours 25 minutes
Rental release:	Not currently released
Main languages:	English

Write your own review

Most helpful review Charlie Chaplin - Limelight

Classic Chaplin

By themadpanner (137 reviews) from colchester , 16 Jul 2004

[Highly rated reviewer]

I had not viewed this movie for over 30 years and found it very dated.The story is firmly stuck in its time of making

and as such was not a happy revisit.
- Was this review helpful to you?
- (7) Yes |
- No (0)
Report this review

All reviews

(10)

Sort by:

Whatever happened to Charlie Chaplin

By Antollamh (49 reviews) from Sheffield , 14 Mar 2013

Recalled seeing it as a child with my parents, though remembered nothing but 'Eternally'. I was very disappointed to see it. Skimmed through it a bit after the painfully slow start, but then just gave up on it. Chaplin was brilliant as a silent film comedian, and so this is embarrassingly bad. I liked Modern Times and The Great Dictators, which both had something to say.
- Was this review helpful to you?
- (0) Yes |
- No (0)
Report this review
its good

By a customer , 03 Dec 2011

the movie was funny and its good to watch all style jokes and its look morden. its good watch movie after along time
- Was this review helpful to you?
- (0) Yes |
- No (0)
Report this review
Eternally Limelight

By Emjay69 (328 reviews) from Kidlington, Oxford , 23 Oct 2011

Classic, but none the less, dated. It's well worth a watch but it hasn't stood the test of time. For it's year it was brilliant but if a remake was done on this, using today's modern technology it would probably fall flat on it's face.

It's over 50 years since I last saw this and I was surprised that I had forgotten most of it so it didn't bring back any memories.
- Was this review helpful to you?
- (0) Yes |
- No (1)
Report this review
Humour at its Saddest

By Seedyvee (187 reviews) from Grantham , 24 Jul 2011

The story of Beauty and the Beast is played out here where Beauty, in the form of young ballet dancer, is brought to believe in herself again by the Beast, a Has-been comedy artist, too often alcohol-reliant, and who himself is in need of mutual encouragement. The humour on this occasion is jaded and has a hollow ring and only serves to point up in contrast the cruel vagaries of life in entertainment. Chaplin plays a serious part well and Claire Bloom is a wonderful partner. The sentiment might be a bit too heavy but a very watchable film.
- Was this review helpful to you?
- (0) Yes |
- No (1)
Report this review
In The Spotlight

By ZiggyTheKid (86 reviews) from Dundee , 06 May 2009

Chaplin's last and one of his best, this certainly goes out with a bang; a magical performance from it's star as a washed up entertainer; this film not only has the usual wit and emotion hallmarks, it also has plenty of dance and music, that shows that even in later life Chaplin was a man of overwhelming talent and a great master of art.
- Was this review helpful to you?
- (3) Yes |
- No (0)
Report this review