Limelight (1952 film)

Limelight
Original theatrical release poster
Directed by	Charlie Chaplin
Screenplay by	Charlie Chaplin
Story by	Charlie Chaplin
Produced by	Charlie Chaplin
Starring	Charlie Chaplin Claire Bloom Sydney Chaplin Nigel Bruce Norman Lloyd Buster Keaton Marjorie Bennett André Eglevsky Melissa Hayden
Cinematography	Karl Struss
Edited by	Joe Inge
Music by	Charlie Chaplin
Production company	Celebrated Productions
Distributed by	United Artists (1952 release) Columbia Pictures (1972 release)
Release date	October 23, 1952 (1952-10-23) (United States)
Running time	137 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$900,000[1]
Box office	$8 million

Limelight is a 1952 American comedy-drama film written, produced, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin, based on a novella by Chaplin titled Footlights.^[2] The score was composed by Chaplin and arranged by Ray Rasch.

The film stars Chaplin as a washed-up comedian who saves a suicidal dancer, played by Claire Bloom, from killing herself, and both try to get through life. Additional roles are provided by Nigel Bruce, Sydney Earl Chaplin, Wheeler Dryden, and Norman Lloyd, with an appearance from Buster Keaton. In dance scenes, Bloom is doubled by Melissa Hayden.

Upon the film's release, critics' reception was divided; it was heavily boycotted in the United States because of Chaplin's alleged communist sympathies, and failed commercially. However, the film was re-released in the United States in 1972, which included its first screening in Los Angeles. This allowed the two-decades-old film to be in contention for the 45th Academy Awards where Chaplin won his only competitive Oscar. Today, the film is sometimes regarded as one of Chaplin's best and most personal works, and has attained a cult following.