Limelight

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Limelight

G

Released Oct 23, 1952

2h 25m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

40 Reviews

90%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Depressed over her failed dance career, Terry (Claire Bloom) attempts suicide, only to be rescued by Calvero (Charles Chaplin), an impoverished, once-famous stage clown. Calvero revives Terry's health and prospects, and in the process recovers his own self-esteem as well. When Terry proposes marriage, Calvero thinks their age difference is too great, and leaves to become a street clown so that Terry's friendship with a promising young composer (Sydney Chaplin) can instead blossom.

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Critics Consensus

A late triumph for one of early cinema's top talents, Limelight highlights the melancholy heart of Chaplin's comedic gifts.

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

What comes through most clearly in Limelight, however, is that Chaplin had come to terms with his life.

Rated: 3.5/4

Aug 8, 2011

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TIME Magazine

Intended as a tragicomedy, if not a tearjerker, it is a two-thirds bore that comes to life in the last half-hour or so, when the old-master clown stops trying to be pathetic and reverts to his inimitable proper stuff.

Aug 8, 2011

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David Parkinson

Empire Magazine

Elements of self parody from the master of slapstick leave you yearning for the early work that made his name. But it's worth a watch to see Chaplin and Keaton in one of few on-screen appearances together.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 9, 2011

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

Frankly, it's a film that, despite its noble intentions, I find clumsy and exhausting in its indulgent tragedy about the decline of a stage actor, played by Chaplin as a fictional version of himself. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 5/10

Oct 4, 2024

Full Review

Vernon Young

The Hudson Review

A creative cinematic imagination gone to seed.

Jan 18, 2024

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Robert Hatch

The Reporter

A movie of impressive dimensions and great technical skill that serves up a tidbit of pathos as though it were a feast of tragedy.

Sep 29, 2023

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Steve D

More proof Chap should have stuck to silent films.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

09/20/24

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David C

So great to see Chaplin and Keaton on the screen together, The ballet scenes were better than expected.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/20/24

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Michael V

The masterpiece of laughter and tears from the master of comedy! Limelight is a 1952 American comedy-drama film written, produced, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin 🎭 It's ok, but I feel mixed about this one 😉 I'd recommend it if you like this genre, but if not then probably give it a miss 👍🏼👎🏼 I enjoyed the first half, but the second half dragged and some scenes should have been edited or cut… A fading music hall comedian tries to help a despondent ballet dancer learn to walk and to again feel confident about life.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/18/24

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Denny S

Made in 1952, this really should have been Chaplin's last film, as it seems to parallel his own later life as a fading performer from a different era falling in love with a younger woman, as he did in real life with Oona, who he married. Although there are some amusing moments (like his scene with Buster Keaton), the film is mostly a dramatic presentation. Although a bit mawkish at times, Chaplin handles drama quite well and Claire Bloom (in her first major film role) is perfect in the role of the young ballerina who befriends Chaplin. As mentioned, it would have made a fine coda for his career, but instead, Chaplin went on to make one more starring film "A King In New York" (1957) and directed "A Countess From Hong Kong"(1967). "Limelight" is absolutely worth seeing for the precision of a Chaplin performance and his skill as a film maker. Just don't expect a lot of laughs.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

10/02/23

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Valerii Ege D

Limelight is perhaps Charlie Chaplin's most emotional film. In a way, the film tells his own story. Throughout the film, he portrays his declining career. The advent of sound in cinema and the studio system significantly harmed him, and on top of that, he unintentionally became a part of the country's dark propaganda, which caused him to lose his former fame. In the film, he expresses that his vaudeville life is coming to an end, and that new artists need to be given a chance, but he also confesses his love for the stage.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

05/18/23

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Matt L

The Greatest Movie of All Time.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/28/23

Full Review

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Charlie Chaplin

Director

Charlie Chaplin

Calvero

Claire Bloom

Thereza

Sydney Chaplin

Neville

Nigel Bruce

Postant

Buster Keaton

Calvero's Partner

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Synopsis

Depressed over her failed dance career, Terry (Claire Bloom) attempts suicide, only to be rescued by Calvero (Charles Chaplin), an impoverished, once-famous stage clown. Calvero revives Terry's health and prospects, and in the process recovers his own self-esteem as well. When Terry proposes marriage, Calvero thinks their age difference is too great, and leaves to become a street clown so that Terry's friendship with a promising young composer (Sydney Chaplin) can instead blossom.

Director: Charlie Chaplin
Producer: Charlie Chaplin
Screenwriter: Charlie Chaplin
Distributor: United Artists
Production Co: Celebrated Productions
Rating: G
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 23, 1952, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 23, 2017
Runtime: 2h 25m
Sound Mix: Mono

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