This is an interesting extra, as far as it goes. I'm sure there is someone out there dying to find out how children in the country of Burkina Faso reacted at the turn of the 21st Century when African film director Idriss Ouedraogo showed them a DVD of Charles Chaplin's 1925 silent movie classic, THE GOLD RUSH. (Possible Spoiler******Most of the kids in the clips shown seemed to be 1)watching intently, 2)mildly amused, or 3)laughing outright.******)
Where this extra falls short is in its reference to producer\director\writer Chaplin impregnating his original GOLD RUSH co-star, 15-year-old Lita Grey, three months into filming, resulting in a shooting break, followed by a total restart with Georgia Hale in the lead role of "Georgia." WHAT exactly was the California statutory definition of child rape at the time, and HOW did Chaplin remain a free man?! (We all know contemporary American film director Roman Polanski (CHINATOWN; ROSEMARY'S BABY) dealt with a similar situation by fleeing to the country of France, which has harbored him for decades.) Adding to the off-set intrigue is the fact Chaplin apparently began his affair with new co-star Hale before GOLD RUSH was in the can. I have never known the French to be so reticent and circumspect as the producers of CHAPLIN TODAY, in virtually ignoring one of the most culturally detrimental scandals in Hollywood history in ostrich-like fashion.
Where this extra falls short is in its reference to producer\director\writer Chaplin impregnating his original GOLD RUSH co-star, 15-year-old Lita Grey, three months into filming, resulting in a shooting break, followed by a total restart with Georgia Hale in the lead role of "Georgia." WHAT exactly was the California statutory definition of child rape at the time, and HOW did Chaplin remain a free man?! (We all know contemporary American film director Roman Polanski (CHINATOWN; ROSEMARY'S BABY) dealt with a similar situation by fleeing to the country of France, which has harbored him for decades.) Adding to the off-set intrigue is the fact Chaplin apparently began his affair with new co-star Hale before GOLD RUSH was in the can. I have never known the French to be so reticent and circumspect as the producers of CHAPLIN TODAY, in virtually ignoring one of the most culturally detrimental scandals in Hollywood history in ostrich-like fashion.
