Limelight (1952)
Romance, Drama, Music • 2h 25m
Director: Charlie Chaplin
Cast: Charlie Chaplin, Claire Bloom, Nigel Bruce, Buster Keaton, Sydney Chaplin, Norman Lloyd, Andre Eglevsky, Marjorie Bennett, Wheeler Dryden, Barry Bernard, Stapleton Kent, Molly Glessing, Leonard Mudie, Loyal Underwood, Harry 'Snub' Pollard, Julian Ludwig, Billy Lee Aimone, John Alban, Benjie Bancroft, John Barton, Ray Beltram, Paul Bradley, James Carlisle, Charles Chaplin, Jr., Geraldine Chaplin, Josephine Chaplin, Michael Chaplin, Oona O'Neill Chaplin, Bud Cokes, Harry Crocker, Oliver Cross, Billy Curtis, Jack Deery, Cyril Delevanti, Tim Durant, Tom Ferrandini, Dorothy Ford, Curt Furberg, Rudy Germane, Marion Gray, Frank Hagney, Charlie Hall, Stuart Hall, Sam Harris, Stuart Holmes, Jimmie Horan, Kenner G. Kemp, Colin Kenny, Judy Landon, Perk Lazelle, Billy Lee, Maurice Marks, Harold Miller, Frank Mills, Sherry Moreland, George Nardelli, Milicent Patrick, Jack Perry, José Portugal, Edna Purviance, Paul Ravel, Charley Rogers, Victor Romito, Elizabeth Root, Cap Somers, Gus Taillon, Valerie Vernon, Eric Wilton, Florence Wix
Best English-friendly & video release
Theatrical: Image Entertainment LaserDisc International: Criterion Blu-ray
Updated 4 months ago
Best audio release
2000 Image Entertainment DVD
About the film
A fading music hall comedian tries to help a despondent ballet dancer learn to walk and to again feel confident about life.
- TSPDT
- 2026: #4542025: #4462024: #4472023: #4302022: #430
Director: Charlie Chaplin
1928 version: Image Entertainment DVD
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · DVDBeaver (opens in a new tab) · caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab)
1969 version: Criterion Blu-ray > UK Artificial Eye Blu-ray, see DVDBeaver caps.
Japan Kadokawa Blu-ray is the same as AE BD and inferior to Criterion too
Director: Charlie Chaplin
1936 version: Image Entertainment DVD
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · nitrateville.com (opens in a new tab)
Cut info: https://www.nitrateville.com/viewtopic.php?t=31209
Director: Charlie Chaplin
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab)
4k restoration. Superior to Germany Kinowelt or Japan Kadokawa, see caps-a-holic
2000 Image Entertainment DVD
Director: Charlie Chaplin
BFI or Flicker Alley Charlie Chaplin Mutual Comedies Blu-ray boxsets
BFI or Flicker Alley Charlie Chaplin Mutual Comedies Blu-ray boxsets use the same restoration, no comparison available
BFI Blu-ray has commentaries while Flicker Alley doesn't
Director: Charlie Chaplin
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
And it has both 1925 version and 1942 version
Director: Charlie Chaplin
1921 version: Image Entertainment DVD
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
1923 version: Image Entertainment DVD. 1976 version: Criterion Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
1923 version: Image Entertainment DVD 1976 version: Criterion Blu-ray
Director: Charlie Chaplin
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Criterion, 2k transfer
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
The 4K discs in both Criterion and Imprint sets are FiM encodes, but low-passed. The compression is better, but some of the grain is lost. Difference is pronounced in screen caps, but not likely to be noticed during playback, without a reference to compare it to. Comparisons
All discs use the same source transfer. It's not of the highest quality, and it includes some slight distortion, looping, clicks, pops, and hum. Criterion cleaned it up for their release, but unfortunately also lost a lot of fidelity in the process.
MGM NTSC DVD doesn't seem to have some of the more prominent distortion and has slightly different EQ but is otherwise the same.
Director: Sidney Lumet
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
1.85:1: Kino Lorber 4K / Capelight 4K
1.66:1: Criterion 4K but low pass filtered
Comparison between the 4Ks, Criterion on the AR choice
Other discs have unnecessary filtering and sound worse, the difference isn't substantial but audible
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Included in the Complete Kubrick box set with FiM encode of the same master from the Universal release without the filtering.
DTS:X mix on Universal 4K Blu-ray most closely approximates original surround mix
Criterion DVD and Universal 4K Blu-ray has additional features not found on the Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Director: Sam Peckinpah
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Janus and thus Criterion likely to release 4K Blu-ray in 2027
Director: Hal Ashby
Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
See caps https://slow.pics/c/lVdZaG0W
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
StudioCanal's 4K release is similar in encode quality, but has significant glitches in multiple frames. See comparisons 9-16 here: https://slow.pics/c/YkSVb3Ey
The pitch of the StudioCanal 4K's English audio is too high
Criterion has more extras than StudioCanal.
Director: Jacques Tati
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray (part of Jacques Tati boxset releasing December 2026)
More Romance on Blu-ray
Director: Robert Altman
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Cinematrographe's HDR grading is overcooked, which is a known VinSyn tendency. Additionally, their booklet mis-credits the encode to FiM.
YMMV, but for some, the included BD encoded by Marcus Johnson—ironically may make for a more pleasing experience.
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
4K restoration from Original Camera Negative
Director: Vincent Sherman
4K restoration from Original Camera Negative
Director: Compton Bennett
4K restoration from original technicolor negatives
Director: Jack Conway
4K restoration from safety preservation elements
4K restoration from safety preservation elements
Director: Jack Conway
4K restoration from safety preservation elements
Director: William Dieterle
4K restoration from Original Camera Negative
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