Being lighthearted and amusing can be a painful business. That’s one of the themes of Limelight, Charlie Chaplin’s 1952 portrait of the artist as an older man. It’s like a combination of The Red Shoes and Death of a Salesman, with elements of The Entertainer and The King of Comedy. Join Mike and Dan for a conversation about the ways in which art and love prove to be antidotes to poisonous despair.

If you like Charlie Chaplin, visit the New Books Network and listen to Dan’s interview of Scott Eyman talking about his terrific book, Charlie Chaplin vs. America. You may also want to check out Charlie Chaplin Interviews, an installment in the series of interview collections by the University Press of Mississippi.

Follow us on X or Letterboxd. Incredible bumper music by John Deley.

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