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IMDbPro

Lights of New York

  • 19281928
  • PassedPassed
  • 57m
IMDb RATING
5.7/10
817
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
86,539
25,705
Helene Costello and Cullen Landis in Lights of New York (1928)
CrimeDramaMusic
Two men are conned into bootlegging business.Two men are conned into bootlegging business.Two men are conned into bootlegging business.
IMDb RATING
5.7/10
817
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
86,539
25,705
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Bryan Foy
    • Writers
      • Murray Roth
      • Hugh Herbert
      • Charles L. Gaskill(based on story by)
    • Stars
      • Helene Costello
      • Cullen Landis
      • Mary Carr
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Bryan Foy
    • Writers
      • Murray Roth
      • Hugh Herbert
      • Charles L. Gaskill(based on story by)
    • Stars
      • Helene Costello
      • Cullen Landis
      • Mary Carr
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 22User reviews
    • 6Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • Photos

    Helene Costello in Lights of New York (1928)
    Helene Costello and Cullen Landis in Lights of New York (1928)
    Gladys Brockwell and Helene Costello in Lights of New York (1928)
    Add photo

    Top cast

    Edit
    Helene Costello
    Helene Costello
    • Kitty Lewis
    Cullen Landis
    Cullen Landis
    • Eddie Morgan
    Mary Carr
    Mary Carr
    • Mrs. Morgan
    Wheeler Oakman
    Wheeler Oakman
    • 'Hawk' Miller
    Gladys Brockwell
    Gladys Brockwell
    • Molly Thompson
    Robert Elliott
    Robert Elliott
    • Detective Crosby
    Eugene Pallette
    Eugene Pallette
    • Gene
    Tom Dugan
    Tom Dugan
    • Sam
    Tom McGuire
    Tom McGuire
    • Collins
    Walter Percival
    Walter Percival
    • Jake Jackson
    Guy D'Ennery
    Guy D'Ennery
    • Tommy
    • (as Guy Dennery)
    Jere Delaney
    • Dan Dickson
    Harry Downing
    • Night Club Emcee & Singer
    • (uncredited)
    Eddie Kane
    Eddie Kane
    • Cop
    • (uncredited)
    Bob Perry
    Bob Perry
    • Bob
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Bryan Foy
    • Writers
      • Murray Roth
      • Hugh Herbert
      • Charles L. Gaskill(based on story by)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The first feature film with all synchronous dialogue.
    • Goofs
      In 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.

    • Connections
      Edited into Okay for Sound (1946)
    • Soundtracks
      At Dawning
      (1906) (uncredited)

      Music by Charles Wakefield Cadman

      Lyrics by Nelle Richmond Eberhart

      Sung by Harry Downing

    User reviews22

    Review
    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    Take him for a ride
    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
    helpful•23
    1
    • tom.hamilton
    • Sep 28, 2001

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 18, 1928 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Svetla Njujorka
    • Filming locations
      • Times Square, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
    • Production company
      • Warner Bros.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $75,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      57 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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