Limelight

"The masterpiece of laughter and tears from the master of comedy!"

1952 2h 17m EN

🙌

7.9

BANGER

★7.9TMDB · 619

RomanceDramaComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A fading music hall comedian tries to help a despondent ballet dancer learn to walk and to again feel confident about life.

“The masterpiece of laughter and tears from the master of comedy!”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Charlie Chaplin
Calvero
Claire Bloom
Thereza 'Terry' Ambrose
Nigel Bruce
Postant
Buster Keaton
Calvero's Partner
Sydney Chaplin
Neville
Norman Lloyd
Bodalink
Andre Eglevsky
Dancer - Harlequin
Melissa Hayden
Dancer - Columbine

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Charlie Chaplin
Writers: Charlie Chaplin, Charlie Chaplin
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.9M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

74 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Charlie Chaplin, shot by Karl Struss. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Charlie Chaplin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Joe Inge shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Charlie Chaplin and Claire Bloom and Nigel Bruce carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The masterpiece of laughter and tears from the master of comedy!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0044837 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Charlie Chaplin directs. Karl Struss behind the camera. Charlie Chaplin scores. Joe Inge cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $0.9M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
274 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Charlie Chaplin, shot by Karl Struss. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Charlie Chaplin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Joe Inge shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Charlie Chaplin and Claire Bloom and Nigel Bruce carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "The masterpiece of laughter and tears from the master of comedy!".
8IMDB entry: tt0044837 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Karl Struss
Original score: Charlie Chaplin
Editing: Joe Inge
Makeup / hair: Florence Avery
Runtime: 137 min · 2h 17m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $900,000
Box office: $1,000,000
Return: 111% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): G
IMDB: Limelight (1952)

Awards

Academy Award for Best Original Dramatic Score
National Board of Review: Top Ten Films

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Charlie Chaplin

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

barrymost2020-07-14
★ 10/10
Chaplin's masterpiece about the bittersweet romance between an aging, washed-up comedienne and the suicidal ballet dancer he rescues and takes under his wing is one of the greatest dramas I have ever seen. It's a marvelous turn by Chaplin, who also directed, wrote the story and composed the score. Claire Bloom is simply wonderful as Chaplin's despondent lover. Also notable is the singular teaming of the two Silent Era greats, Chaplin and Buster Keaton, who appears late in the film. The striking backstage story just gets better and better as it goes on, and every moment of the film is utterly worth it. When it comes to its heartbreaking crescendo of love, comedy, drama and one last give-it-your-all chance to shine in the spotlight, only the dourest of viewers could fail to shed a tear.

Production companies