The Gold Rush (1925)

User Rating:

8.3/10   

Director:

Charles Chaplin

Writer:

Charles Chaplin (writer)

Release Date:

1925 (Germany)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Family | Romance | Western

Plot:

The Tramp goes the Klondike in search of gold and finds it and more.

Plot Keywords:

Gold | Love | Alaska | Klondike | Blizzard

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Charles Chaplin	...	The Lone Prospector
Mack Swain	...	Big Jim McKay
Tom Murray	...	Black Larsen
Henry Bergman	...	Hank Curtis
Malcolm Waite	...	Jack Cameron
Georgia Hale	...	Georgia

Runtime:

95 min (24 fps) (original version: Los Angeles, California, 1925) | USA:72 min (1942 re-release) | USA:81 min (24 fps) (edited version: New York release, 1925)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System) (1942 re-issue) | Silent (original release)

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:All | Sweden:Btl | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Denmark:A (2003) | Germany:o.Al. (re-rating) | Norway:A (re-rating) | Spain:T | UK:U | West Germany:6 (original rating) | Finland:S

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company:

Charles Chaplin Productions

Trivia:

The only location shot used in the final cut of the film is opening shot of the miners heading up Chilkoot Pass.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Big Jim is so delirious that he thinks The Lone Prospector is a chicken, The Lone Prospector removes a knife from the table and hides it in the bed. In one of the next shots, the knife is back on the table. Then in the next shot it is gone again.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in 8 Ball Bunny (1950)

Possibly Chaplin's best film, certainly one of the greatest comedies of all time!

To see Charlie Chaplin's The Gold Rush is to know enjoyment. One cannot help but enjoy a film as well-done as this! Chaplin said that this was the film for which he wanted to be remembered, and I can see why. It is a masterful blend of comedy, drama, and romance, among other genres seamlessly brought together in one extraordinary picture. Like all great movies, The Gold Rush has more than its share of memorable moments, from the Thanksgiving dinner to the dance of the dinner rolls to the cabin teetering on the edge of the mountain. All of these scenes are brilliant because of The Tramp's flawless physical comedy. He was a master of comedic timing, and he was one of the most graceful physical comedians I've ever seen. Don't get me wrong, this picture is not just three fantastic scenes amongst filler. The film moves along at a brisk pace, following the misadventures of our hero, The Lone Prospector (Charlie Chaplin, of course), as he attempts to hit it big by discovering gold in Alaska. Along his journey through the elements, the prospector meets the notorious Black Larsen (Tom Murray), a wanted criminal willing to do anything to get his hands on some gold. Fortunately, our friend also comes across a fellow prospector, Big Jim McKay (Mack Swain), who has finally defied all odds and struck it rich. But the Lone Prospector's adventures take place not only out in the middle of nowhere. When he is forced back to civilization, he falls in love with Georgia (Georgia Hale), the most beautiful girl in town. Of course, it would be all too easy if no one else was interested in this beauty. Jack Cameron (Malcolm Waite), the handsome lady's man who is not content with every other woman in town by his side; he must have Georgia, as well. Competition arises between the disappointed prospector and the ego-maniacal "lady killer." All of this would be too much for any one of us, but the Lone Prospector handles it all with his uncompromising resilience in the face of insurmountable odds to bring us one of the greatest comedies of all time! I will not lie, I am a fan of Charlie Chaplin's movies, but as objective as I can possibly be, this IS one of the great movies...Essential viewing!