My intense love of Charlie Chaplin is no secret to anyone. In the silent era of film, the Germans were the best – except for Chaplin. It is my honest belief that the world would be a better place if everybody watched his films. There is something special about them, something pure and beautiful. They are side-splittingly hilarious, while at the same time deeply emotional and moving. Chaplin had a lot to say about life. His films contain Truth – with a capital “T” - and the world of film is better for it.
Thus: you, gentle reader, should be sure to head out to Baxter Avenue Theaters tomorrow, Saturday, for a midnight screening of Chaplin's 1931 masterpiece City Lights [4]
. Renowned for his silent films,
City Lights
was the first he made in the talkie era – and yet he continued to make silent films. He preferred to let actions speak louder than words, and did so for as long as he could (his first talkie was
The Great Dictator
in 1940).
City Lights
, “a romance in pantomime,” stars Chaplin as the lovable Tramp, a homeless man with heart who meets a blind flower girl and falls in love, immediately deciding to do whatever it takes to raise enough money for an operation to fix her eyes. What ensues is a wonderful and hilarious series of jobs and mishaps involving a drunken suicidal rich man, a frenetic slippery-floored restaurant, and a boxing match, among other things.
City Lights
is considered by many to be the greatest romantic comedy of all time, with one of the most moving endings in film history. (I, personally, prefer the conclusion to
Modern Times
, my favorite of his films, but we can talk about that another time.)
Baxter Avenue Theater is located at 1250 Bardstown Road. Further theater information and advance ticket sales can be found at the Baxter Avenue Theater website [5].
Image: Internet Movie Database