Charlie Chaplin Novella Discovered and Restored in Italy

A 34,000 word novella by Charlie Chaplin called 'Floodlights' has been restored and will soon be published by an Italian film restoration institute.

Floodlights was adapted into the 1952 autobiographical film Limelight and tells of a struggling comedian and a dancer who lean on each other for help.

The main character, Calvero, vows to make a comeback and "rock them with laughter like I used to."

The book was discovered and restored by Italy's Cineteca di Bologna who pieced together handwritten notes by Cahplin biographer David Robinson.

According to reports, a spokesman for the Cineteca di Bologna called the work "vivid" and "idiosyncratic" that moves "from the baldly colloquial to moments of rich imagery and Dickensian description."