City Lights   1930   1931   1932   next   previous

City Lights Clippings 191/387

Abel Green, Variety, New York, February 4, 1931.

Los Angeles Theatre, exterior by day, marquee  Now

Playing Here World Premiere Charlie Chaplin

in „City Lights“ Also Big Stage Presentation,

Los Angeles, 1931

& Zukor‘s Famous For dresses, crowd at opening

of store, on the left side the Los Angeles Theatre,

marquee Chaplin „City Lights“ Playing, Los Angeles,

1931, University of Southern California Digital Library

„Exceptionally inefficient“

Editorial content. „FILM HOUSE REVIEWS“ (...)

      „Los Angeles

      (New)

                                                 Los Angeles, Jan. 30.

      Working on this new 2,000-seater almost until zero hour,

the long-heralded world‘s premiere of Charles Chaplin‘s

City Lights was delayed from New Year‘s Eve, when it was

hoped that the house would be ready until tonight.

As a theatre, the Los Angeles is in a class by itself, being

more elaborate ,below decks‘ than anything else seen

in any other theatre. Its lower floors or lounges monopolize

primary attention for distinction in theatre construction.

      Above the lobby entrance, with its grand staircase to the

mezzanine, is the usual cinematic gingerbread, as the

interior mural and other decorative work in the auditorium

proper.“ (...)

      „Calling out an even more brilliant audience than

ever before, the milling mob on the outside was likewise

swelled abnormally.“ (...)

      „As a pantomimist Chaplin is unique and extraordinary.“

      „The stage portion held a ballet with Bonnie

Emmerie and Bobby Burns dueting the special arrangement

of Irving Berlin‘s Little Things in Life. The presentation

was quite mediocre and clashed with the general big timeyness

of the house and feature.

      Premiere scale was $10. Chaplin picture is in indef on grind

from 10 a.m. until midnight. Chaplin supposedly getting

50% of the gross. Gumbiner will revise the scale for the ensuing

product. He has Fox and a lot of indies booked in. That

stage show troupe and whoever is staging it are exceptionally

inefficient.

                                                                                  Abel.“

      The world premiere of City Lights takes place in Los Angeles

      January 30, 1931 at the Los Angeles Theatre.

      Los Angeles Theatre, 615 South Broadway (between

      6th and 7th Streets), Los Angeles.

      City Lights opens in New York February 6, 1931

      at the Cohan Theatre.

      George M. Cohan Theatre, 1482 Broadway (between

      42nd and 43rd Streets), New York.

Redaktioneller Inhalt

   City Lights   1930   1931   1932   next   previous