BACKGROUND INFO:
I am not a ‘film enthusiast’ and my past working life has revolved around electronics (many fields including communications, industrial and audio) and “The Arts”, more specifically, creative arts such as handcrafted fine china, ceramics and landscape artworks.
An associate has asked me to help find new owners for HIS large collection of photographic and film items … this is yet another one of those items. I am frequently asked “THE QUESTION”
So how many films do you have, Russ?
My response is … boxes and boxes of them, perhaps 350+ films are now left for me to look through … plus a few projectors
Another question I am often asked “Can I come and have a browse through the films?” Sorry, but the answer has to be a flat NO!
ALL film stock is safely away in my storage units, nice n cool and out of harms way, each day (or so) I will retrieve a few films, take a look (and smell!) at each film … absolutely NO ONE can just casually “browse” the collection. My associate wouldn’t like that and neither do I.
There is a lot of detail on this page plus even more HERE … I strongly suggest anyone who is interested in this film to read everything carefully, including looking at the link. To not do so is at your own peril!
Vinegar Syndrome “smell test” = Negative
CITY LIGHTS
I could not see any credits to a film distribution company at all or even the movie studio who created this film
Charlie Chaplin’s motion picture creation, from the musical score, the writing, production, direction and yes he acts in his movie as well. This is not a silent movie but has a synchronised sound track (with sound effects) added – no dialogue though. Apparently he began work on this film in 1928 and although the “talkies” were beginning to emerge, Charlie decided to venture into adding sound but just the musical soundtrack – sort of a quasi move into the talkie film technology.
Title: CITY LIGHTS (1931)
Catalogue # Unknown
4x 400 Feet Smokey Clear TUSCAN (Made in Australia) reels
Each reel is within a Smokey Clear TUSCAN two part case
Leader film is fitted to each reel **
** Strange thing here, the leader is from Kodak and has had some writing placed on Reel 1 at least which indicates the film came from DOONSIDE, NSW of all places (not far from my location but a LONG way from where the owner was living previously … just a little weird in my view)
Monochrome
Sound (Mono)
Note that the sound is musical and sound effects in nature, NO spoken dialogue
Apparently quite a ground breaking motion picture for the day (almost 100 years ago), City Lights was produced with synchronised sound, but not dialogue, instead Charlie Chaplin synchronised the musical score and sound effects only. This was the first time that Charlie composed thefilm scoreto one of his productions. The motion picture was written, produced, directed by, and stars Charlie Chaplin and the storyline follows the misadventures ofChaplin’s trampas he falls in love with a blind woman (played by Virginia Cherrill) and develops a turbulent friendship with an alcoholic millionaire (played by Harry Myers)..

COSMETIC CONDITION:
USED
CLEAN
All of the TUSCAN cases are undamaged, meaning no cracks etc and very little signs of handling marks (scuff marks etc)
Each case has a small typewriter created label on it, each reel also has a small typewriter created label attached to one side.
None of the reels are cracked or damaged
NO personal writing on the film reels or the library cases
NO film clip is fitted is fitted to any reel **
** This is a shame because when I indicate these are 400′ reels, they are FULLY LOADED to the maximum, not really unmanageable but these are full reels which could have done with some film clips.
TESTING:
Test machine: ELMO 1200ST
The projector film path has been completely cleaned prior to running this film through the machine. I now have a “running sheet”, my maintenance schedule if you like – I record when each maintenance