from City Lights, arr. Wadsworth

Charlie Chaplin’s 1931 silent film City Lights succeeded commercially from the beginning and is still considered one of the greatest films of all time. It also marked the first time Chaplin produced a score for one of his own films; this does not mean that Chaplin himself composed all the music, though that was long thought to be the case. City Lights centers on The Tramp (Chaplin) trying to do the right thing and continually finding himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. In the end, it is a simple love story between The Tramp and a blind flower girl. Tonight, with help from Happenstance Theater, we present the scene in which they first meet. The music titled La Violetta, arranged here by Zachary Wadsworth, was originally composed by José Padilla, though Chaplin apparently claimed authorship. A subsequent lawsuit helped to settle Padilla’s claim. Beyond the legal squabbles, the scene remains a touching memento of “silent” cinema’s narrative power.

(c) Jason Stell