The Gold Rush (1925)

Silent gold

This 2-disk set is a great resource for those interested in "The Gold Rush," Charlie Chaplin's 1925 comedy about Alaskan gold prospecting. The main disk contains the 1942 re-release, which did away with interscene placards, replacing them with a voiceover by Chaplin himself. The second disk included the original 1925 silent release. Both versions were accompanied by a wonderful piano arrangement that was timed with the movie action. The second disk also contains a "making of" shorts that described Chaplin's off-screen romances with his leading ladies as well as footage of an older Chaplin reprieving one of his movie routines. Another short describes the effect that Chaplin had on an African filmmaker. The extras are by no means comprehensive, but have enough meat to satisfy the casual student of Chaplin and early cinema.

The film is terrific and sometimes funny, and always watchable. Chaplin's "Little Tramp" character delves into the Alaskan wilderness, seeking his fortune as a gold prospector. He encounters other prospectors, good and bad, and falls in love with the lovely Georgia, who seems at first not to notice him. There is great pathos as well as comedy in the film. A scene in which Chaplin prepares a New Years' Eve party for Georgia and her friends, who have forgotten their promise to attend, is quite affecting. The misery is offset somewhat by one of Chaplin's great routines -- set in a scene that imagines how the party would have gone -- in which Chaplin sticks forks into two dinner rolls and makes these "feet" dance beneath his sad sack face. Other notable scenes include one in which the Little Tramp, being thrown out of the rude cabin he shares with Black Larsen, slips and slides in his struggle against a fierce wind that blows him back into the cabin. Another scene in which Larsen fights another prospector for control of a shotgun -- managing to point it at the Little Tramp no matter where he flees -- is perfectly-choreographed and fraught with comedic tension. AN early scene, in which a lone Chaplin navigates a narrow mountain ledge -- sometimes followed by a live bear -- are beautifully timed.

I preferred the 1925 version to the slicker 1942 release, but it's nice that both versions are here. YMMV. The film quality was superb, almost too perfect, and Chaplin's pancake makeup was quite obvious, especially in close-ups. You'll wonder whether a little-used print was located, or whether this version was cleaned up digitally. In any event, "The Gold Rush" disks is both educational and entertaining. Not a must-see, but not at all disappointing. November 28, 2007

His Best Ever

Sometimes it only takes a few words. 5 stars to Charlie who can still show everyone today that you don't have to have sound to be funny. Even if you don't like silent movies you have to give this one a silent nod of respect and be sure to dance the "roll dance." October 12, 2007

Great Chaplin

I was stunned, in the negative, the first time I saw this film with the 1942 narration. As another reviewer commented, I totally prefer the original longer version. One may argue editing decisions but a voice-over to substitute for title cards showed me that even Chaplin could make a very wrong-headed decision.
There is a contemporary news show (maybe on FOX?) which has a segment where people read political cartoons using character voices. The practice doesn't come near the humor that can be experienced by our own reading in our minds. The same result happens with the Chaplin narration vs. our reading the title cards.
Luckily the original version of "The Gold Rush" is included here. September 12, 2007

The Gold Rush

This brilliant Klondike comedy follows the antics of Chaplin's Little Tramp character through the trials and tribulations of frenzied fortune hunting in the Alaskan wilderness. In addition to the famous boiled-boot sequence, the visual gags are plentiful and hilarious, especially concerning the three prospectors' impending starvation (just watch Big Jim chase Chaplin around with an axe). But it's the bittersweet love story involving Hale's contemptuous saloon girl that makes "The Gold Rush" quintessentially Chaplinesque. June 20, 2007

The Gold Rush (2 Disc Special Edition)

A classic that captures the essence of survival in the far north softened by the humor of Charlie Chaplin's character of "The Tramp." March 10, 2007

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