Limelight

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Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Charles Chaplin

Release Date:

Oct 23, 1952

Runtime:

2hr 17m

Synopsis

A fading comedian and a suicidally despondent ballet dancer must look to each other to find purpose and hope in their lives.

Cast

  • Charles Chaplin
  • Claire Bloom
  • Nigel Bruce
  • Buster Keaton
  • Sydney Chaplin
  • Norman Lloyd
  • Andre Eglevsky
  • Melissa Hayden
  • Marjorie Bennett
  • Wheeler Dryden

Letterboxd User Reviews

4.1
40.5K
25.8K
12.1K
RATINGS 343 FANS
4.1
  • Nov 11, 2020

    Bone simple - just a straight shot to the heart, unafraid of big emotions. A movie in which Chaplin comes to terms with his own obsolescence while also exclaiming "madadayo!" The style is so direct and the mise-en-scene so stripped-down that it feels like it's taking place…

    391 Likes
    Will Sloan
    Will Sloan
    Jul 19, 2016

    74/100 A coda and a beginning, flawed and brilliant in the very same way. Just a beautiful story of lost fame, with a simple camera pan of empty seats destroying my tear ducts. Light cast against shadow. Charles Chaplin would forever be a master, and Limelight proves it.

    329 Likes
    SilentDawn
    SilentDawn
    Jan 5, 2021

    What do you want meaning for? Life is a desire, not a meaning. Desire is the theme of all life!Limelight, a deeply personal film Charlie Chaplin directed later in his career, tells the moving story of an ill and deeply unhappy ballerina who is nursed back to both mental and…

    272 Likes
    jing
    jing
  •
    Jan 20, 2021

    “Limelight” is a masterpiece from one of the single greatest artists to ever work in the medium of film. But it comes bearing a message of unity and humility; our strength as humans derives from our humanity towards others.  There are debates among Charlie Chaplin devotees…

    197 Likes
    theriverjordan
    theriverjordan
    Feb 12, 2021

    me: *smiles though my heart is breaking*

    193 Likes
    Will Steele
    Will Steele
    Apr 16, 2025

    The ironic thing about Limelight is that it’s very clearly (and upfront about this) motivated by Chaplin’s own fear of going irrelevant and the world moving on from him. Of course, this never really ended up being the case - just two weeks ago a viral Instagram post with…

    167 Likes
    Neil Bahadur
    Neil Bahadur
  •
    Oct 3, 2021

    Built not on humour but nostalgia, sadness and personal ruin, Limelight was, in many ways, Charlie Chaplin's swan song. He wrote, directed, starred and composed the soundtrack—for which he won his only Academy Award—and was based on his novella Footlights. It served as a…

    126 Likes
    Paul Elliott
    Paul Elliott
    Jul 30, 2025

    Chaplin's horrorfilm about the artist that becomes expendable, outmoded, distanced from the modern times. a personal nightmare that he had to fight early on, with the overtaking of the talkie, leaving the artform of the silent film quickly behind. but also would have to…

    120 Likes
    shookone
    shookone
    Jan 12, 2026

    “If anybody else says it's like old times, I'll jump out the window.” —Buster Keaton’s character to Charlie Chaplin’s character in their first moment on screen together. Calvero (Charles Chaplin) was once the king of the music hall. For decades, he filled the room with…

    120 Likes
    David Whitman
    David Whitman

Queue Community Reviews

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Top Reviews
  • Jimmy Cricket
    Jimmy Cricket liked
    Limelight

    Chaplin’s moving biographical piece. A lot of similarities can be drawn between him and his character. He tries to really prove himself as a dramatic actor by doing too many monologues/speeches. But does his usual slapstick stuff too (his character even has an act as the Tramp).

    2Y
    eitka
    eitka liked
    Limelight

    6/10 brilliant

    2Y
    Shahana Jafarova
    Shahana Jafarova loved
    Limelight

    art 🫠

    1Y

Atom Users Reviews

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Metacritic

84
metacritic
Based on 15 Critics
tbd

USER SCORE (0)

There are no user reviews yet
100

Charles Chaplin’s 1952 film is overlong, visually flat, episodically constructed, and a masterpiece—it isn’t “cinema” on any terms but Chaplin’s own, but those are high terms indeed.

Metacritic review by Dave Kehr
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
88

Although it was not quite his last film, there can be little doubt that Limelight was Charlie Chaplin’s farewell. It is also probably his most personal, revealing film.

Metacritic review by Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
100

Neither comedy nor tragedy altogether, it is a brilliant weaving of comic and tragic strands, eloquent, tearful and beguiling with supreme virtuosity.

Metacritic review by Bosley Crowther
Bosley Crowther
The New York Times

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Limelight (1952) family-friendly?
The movie has been rated as G (General Audiences), so all ages are admitted.
How long is Limelight (1952)?
The movie is 2hr 17min long.
What's Limelight (1952) about?
A fading comedian and a suicidally despondent ballet dancer must look to each other to find purpose and hope in their lives.
Who's the cast of Limelight (1952)?
  • Charles Chaplin as Calvero
  • Claire Bloom as Thereza 'Terry' Ambrose
  • Nigel Bruce as Postant
  • Buster Keaton as Calvero's Partner
  • Sydney Chaplin as Neville
  • Norman Lloyd as Bodalink
  • Andre Eglevsky as Dancer - Harlequin
  • Melissa Hayden as Dancer - Columbine
  • Marjorie Bennett as Mrs. Sybil Alsop
  • Wheeler Dryden as Thereza's Doctor
Who's the director behind Limelight (1952)?
Charles Chaplin directed Limelight (1952).