A gangster frames two bootleggers for the shooting of a police officer in New York during the prohibition.A gangster frames two bootleggers for the shooting of a police officer in New York during the prohibition.A gangster frames two bootleggers for the shooting of a police officer in New York during the prohibition.
Guy D'Ennery
- Tommy
- (as Guy Dennery)
Harry Downing
- Night Club Emcee & Singer
- (uncredited)
Eddie Kane
- Cop
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe first feature film with all synchronous dialogue. It was released a year after The Jazz Singer (1927), the first feature film with limited dialogue sequences.
- GoofsIn Central Park, one of Kitty's lines is repeated.
- Quotes
Hawk Miller: I want you guys to make him disappear.
Sam: Oh. You mean...
Hawk Miller: Take him for a ride.
- ConnectionsEdited into Okay for Sound (1946)
- SoundtracksAt Dawning
(1906) (uncredited)
Music by Charles Wakefield Cadman
Lyrics by Nelle Richmond Eberhart
Sung by Harry Downing
Featured review
Fascinating and amusingly bad, Lights of New York is the first all talkie feature and one that almost never saw the light of day.
Two naive barbers (Eddie and Gene) from out of town get involved with bootleggers and end up fronting a speak. When a cop is shot by one of the bootleggers the police start to close in, and the Hawk (who shot the officer) decides to pin the murder on Eddie instructing his henchman to "take him for a ride". But it's the Hawk himself who takes the bullet in a twist that will surprise few.
Shot in one week at a cost of $23,000, "Lights" was originally meant as a two reeler but Foy took advantage of Jack Warner's absence to extend it to six. When Warner discovered this he ordered Foy to cut it back to the original short. Only when an independent exhibitor offered $25k for the film, did Warners actually look at the film, which went on to make a staggering $1.3 million.
Seen now this is an extremely hokey piece, with acting that ranges from the passable (Eugene Pallette) to trance like (Eddie's Granny in a particularly risible scene) and much of the playing is at the level of vaudeville. Since it's an early talkie (4 part-talkies preceded it) that's about all the characters do, and very slowly at that. The script feels improvised, visual style is non existent (apart from the shooting scene done in silhouette) and scenes grind on interminably. Title cards are intercut which redundantly announce characters and locales.
Despite all this "Lights" is a compelling experience, as we watch actors and crew struggling with the alien technology, and changing cinema for ever.
Catch it if you can
Two naive barbers (Eddie and Gene) from out of town get involved with bootleggers and end up fronting a speak. When a cop is shot by one of the bootleggers the police start to close in, and the Hawk (who shot the officer) decides to pin the murder on Eddie instructing his henchman to "take him for a ride". But it's the Hawk himself who takes the bullet in a twist that will surprise few.
Shot in one week at a cost of $23,000, "Lights" was originally meant as a two reeler but Foy took advantage of Jack Warner's absence to extend it to six. When Warner discovered this he ordered Foy to cut it back to the original short. Only when an independent exhibitor offered $25k for the film, did Warners actually look at the film, which went on to make a staggering $1.3 million.
Seen now this is an extremely hokey piece, with acting that ranges from the passable (Eugene Pallette) to trance like (Eddie's Granny in a particularly risible scene) and much of the playing is at the level of vaudeville. Since it's an early talkie (4 part-talkies preceded it) that's about all the characters do, and very slowly at that. The script feels improvised, visual style is non existent (apart from the shooting scene done in silhouette) and scenes grind on interminably. Title cards are intercut which redundantly announce characters and locales.
Despite all this "Lights" is a compelling experience, as we watch actors and crew struggling with the alien technology, and changing cinema for ever.
Catch it if you can
- tom.hamilton
- Sep 27, 2001
- Permalink
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Svetla Njujorka
- Filming locations
- Times Square, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA(New York City establishing shots, archive footage)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $75,000 (estimated)
- Runtime57 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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