Defying the ascent of talkies, Charlie Chaplin conceived and filmed City Lights as a romantic comedy in pantomime and released it well after the silent era was dead. Despite this, City Lights was an acclaimed success and is routinely argued as Chaplin's masterpiece. It's also Ryan's favorite Chaplin film, meaning that he was eager to drag Sylvan and Cheryl in for a discussion about its merits, impact, and legacy.
Discussion topics for this one include the film's troubled production, Chaplin's contentious relationship with co-star Virginia Cherrill, the movie's progressive (for its time) depictions of physical disability, Chaplin's influence on Looney Tunes, Chaplin's portrayal of class struggle, and how one approaches art made by gross, shitty, and sometimes evil artists (Ryan brings up how the ending of City Lights "inspired" the finale of Woody Allen's Manhattan).
