Which 1931 Charlie Chaplin film ends with the Tramp being recognized by a formerly blind flower girl? City Lights ends with that emotional recognition.
Chaplin wrote, directed, produced, scored, and starred in the film as the Little Tramp. He falls in love with a blind flower girl, played by Virginia Cherrill, who mistakes him for a wealthy man. The Tramp raises money for her eye operation through odd jobs, boxing, and his unstable friendship with a drunken millionaire.
When the girl’s sight is restored, she runs a flower shop but does not know the identity of her benefactor. The Tramp eventually appears at the shop in poverty. As she touches his hand, she realizes who he is, creating the film’s famous final moment.
Although released during Hollywood’s transition to talking pictures, City Lights has no spoken dialogue. It uses intertitles, synchronized music, and sound effects. That makes it different from The Gold Rush, The Circus, and Limelight, all of which are also associated with Chaplin but do not end with this recognition.