Limelight

Synopsis: Chaplin's final American film tells the story of a fading music hall comedian's effort to help a despondent ballet dancer learn both to walk and feel confident about life again. The highlight of the film is the classic duet with Chaplin's only real artistic film comedy rival, Buster Keaton.
Genre: Drama, Music, Romance
Director(s): Charles Chaplin
Production: Criterion Collection
  Won 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 4 nominations.
 
IMDB:
8.1
Rotten Tomatoes:
97%
G
Year:
1952
137 min
1,862 Views


Mrs. Alsop's out!

Mrs. Alsop's out!

- Did you turn off the gas?|- What gas?

- Which is her room?|- Er, this one.

We must move her.|Where's the landlady?

- Not home.|- Where's your room?

Two floors up.

Take her shoulders,|I'll take her feet.

Come on, Miss.

Pick up my bag.

Sorry,|you'll have to do that yourself.

Open the windows.|She needs lots of fresh air.

So do I.

- Shall I call an ambulance?|- No time.

She needs an emetic first.|Glass of water, please.

Here it is.

I need 2 quarts of warm water|and some towels.

Towels, coming up.

You found this bottle|clutched in her hand?

Certainly did, from your dispensary.

I see.|How long have you known this girl?

About five minutes.

She'll need looking after|for a couple of days.

- How about the ambulance?|- It isn't necessary now.

She's out of danger.

Besides, sending her to a hospital|would start an inquiry.

And attempted suicide means jail.

However, in a couple of days|she'll be fully recovered.

Meanwhile, let her rest quietly.

If she's thirsty|give her orange juice.

And tomorrow,|if she has an appetite

a little chicken broth,|but no tinned food.

Now, if you'll be at my dispensary|in ten minutes

I'll have a prescription for you.

- For me?|- No. For her, of course.

Headache?

Where am I?

In my room.|I live two floors above you.

What happened?

I came home this evening and|smelled gas coming from your room

so I broke in the door,|called a doctor,

and together we brought you here.

Why didn't you let me die?

What's your hurry?

Are you in pain?

That's all that matters.|The rest is fantasy.

Billions of years it's taken|to evolve human consciousness

and you want to wipe it out.

Wipe out the miracle|of all existence.

More important than anything|in the whole universe!

What can the stars do?

Nothing...|but sit on their axis!

And the sun,

shooting flames 280,000 miles high...

So what?

Wasting all its natural resources.

Can the sun think? Is it conscious?

No, but you are!

Pardon me, my mistake.

Here you are, and there you go!

Well, bless me. Heavens alive!

Look at that. Look at me door!

House breaking, that's what it is!

I suppose she's taken her things.|She'll go to jail for this.

I knew she was no good.

That quiet type.

Still waters that run deep|usually stink!

That's funny,|she hasn't taken a thing.

And she won't, either.

Not until she's paid 4 weeks rent.

Smashing in a door!

Nice festivities|going on behind my back!

Well, she's out now|and she'll stay out!

Mr. Calvero! Oh Mr. Calvero!

Is that you, Mr. Calvero?

Your laundry.|I was about to leave it on your bed.

Just a moment!

Hold it, hold it!

Hold everything!

You dropped these.

And here's your oranges.

Thank you.

So this is|how she spends her evenings.

You take your hands off me!

What's she doing in your room?

The opposite of what you think.

I'd like to know|who smashed in the door downstairs.

- I did.|- You did!

You have a leaking gas pipe.

I have a what?

I mean that room|has a leaking gas pipe.

There's something fishy about this.

- Who is she anyway?|- You ought to know by now.

Came six weeks ago.|Said she was a working girl.

That's what they all say.|Why are you so interested?

The girl tried to kill herself.

Took poison, turned on the gas.|I came home just in time.

I'll call the police|and get an ambulance.

It'll be in all the papers.|You don't want that.

She's not staying where she is.

My good woman, I don't want her!|Let her go back to her room.

I should say not.|Besides, it's rented.

You can't throw her into the street!

She's not going back|to her own room.

Then she'll have to stay|where she is.

What? And scandalize my household!

We could be man and wife|for all anyone knows.

Oh, could you?|Well, you'd better not be.

You'd better get rid of her,|and quick.

Man and wife!

You watch out for that hussy.

She's no good. And she's been sick|since she came here.

It wouldn't be dandruff, would it?

Ready?

I am an animal trainer

A circus entertainer

Lions, tigers and wild boar

In my wild career

Some say it was beer

And lost my whole menagerie

I got a bright idea

through my underwear

A thought occurred to me

So why not train a flea

And through the jungle roam

to be found right here at home

I found one but I won't say where

And educated him with care

all the facts of life

And then he found himself a wife

I give them board and lodging free

And every night they dine off me

They don't eat caviar or cake

But they enjoy a good rump steak

Off my anatomy

It is an odd sensation

Around the old plantation

Now I'm as happy as can be

you see

They're both supporting me

I've the greatest show on earth

And get your money's worth

Those educated fleas

On the flying trapeze

Don't scratch or make a fuss

Some budding genius

Phyllis! Henry! Stop that!

What do you think you're doing?

You ought to be ashamed|of yourselves, fighting like that!

Alright. Phyllis, stay in the box!|Henry!

You should have done that|before I opened the box.

Do you hear? Come on!

Do you want me to squeeze?

Stop that now!

Come up from there!

Phyllis, you hear?|Remember you're on a diet.

Phyllis, have you gone mad?

Stop that, do you hear? Stop it!

Phyllis, do you hear?|Come up at once! You go too far!

Phyllis, what are you doing?

Crazy little creature!

Phyllis, Henry wants you.

Come, Phyllis.

Phyllis, stop that.

Phyllis, come out here!|Come out!

Where do you think you're going?|You nitwit!

Phyllis! Stop that now!

Do you want me to scratch?

That's not Phyllis.

Where's Phyllis?

Oh, there she is!

Are you awake?

Your husband said to look in on you.

- Who?|- Your husband.

He said to warm up|some chicken soup for you.

Husband?

Let me help you. Come on.

You haven't eaten a thing all day.

A nice warm soup will do you good.

Thank you, no.

Your wife won't eat.

Well, that's a blessing|to a poor married man.

How do you feel?

Much better, thank you.

Good.

Pay no attention|to this wife business.

It's a front of respectability|for the new housemaid.

However, as soon as you get well|you'll be free and divorced.

I think I'm well enough now.

Not quite. I think|you'd better stay another day or so.

You're very kind.

I think I'm able to get back|to my room now.

I'm afraid that isn't possible.

Why?

Mrs. Alsop's rented it.|The people are moving in today.

Oh, I see.

However you're welcome to stay here|until you know what you want to do.

What can I do? I'm helpless.

Why didn't you let me die|and get it over with!

That's no way to talk. You're alive|and you better make the most of it.

I'm destitute. Ill.

Listen...

I don't know what's wrong with you,

but if you're ill,|and if it's what Mrs. Alsop thinks,

you should do something about it.|It isn't hopeless.

If it's, uh...

You know what I'm talking about.

I don't think I do.

Well, let me put it this way.

A young girl, alone,|thrown into the world, gets ill.

If it's anything like that,|you can be cured.

There's a new drug performing|miracles, curing thousands.

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Charles Chaplin

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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    "Limelight" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 22 Nov. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/limelight_12605>.

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