ABSTRACT
The drama of the American city was often a result of some of its internal contradictions. The relationship between immigrants and American cities has, on balance, been a reciprocally beneficial one. The gravitational pull of America is both powerful and paradoxical. Part of that pull is the American cinema itself, and the fascination Americans have with their own dreams. America would have a lot fewer dramatic film plots as well. The encounter of different cultures is perhaps the oldest, and most enduring, American social theme. The portrayal of a Jewish immigrant peddler as an early American filmmaker is more fact than fiction. Charlie Chaplin's Little Tramp character encounters the city with an immigrant's innocence and wonder. In his tramp role, he seems to want little more that the basic opportunity the city promises. Immigrants have found opportunity in the city, and in turn have enriched its culture with their own contributions, but the relationship has also been complex and dynamic.
