City Lights, Charlie Chaplin’s masterful film comedy, premiered across America on this date in 1931. Chaplin cast a talented Australian magician named Henry Clive to co-star as the unpredictable drunken millionaire. Clive had performed in vaudeville with a comedy magic act. They began shooting, but Chaplin’s new co-star objected to a scene where the millionaire threw himself into the river. Clive had just recovered from a cold and asked to postpone the shooting. Chaplin fired him on the spot and the millionaire’s scenes were reshot with Harry C. Myers.
