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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jack Adams	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Frank Aderias	...	Eskimo Child (uncredited)
Leona Aderias	...	Eskimo Child (uncredited)
Lillian Adrian	...	Woman in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Sam Allen	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Claude Anderson	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Harry Arras	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Albert Austin	...	Prospector (uncredited)
Marta Belfort	...	Woman in Dance Hall (uncredited)
William Bell	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Francis Bernhardt	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
F.J. Beuaregard	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
E. Blumenthal	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
William Bradford	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
George Brock	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Pete Brogan	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
William Butler	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Cecile Cameron	...	Woman in Dance Hall (uncredited)
R. Campbell	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Leland Carr	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
H.C. Chisholm	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Harry Coleman	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Heinie Conklin	...	Prospector (uncredited)
Rebecca Conroy	...	Woman in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Dorothy Crane	...	Woman in Dance Hall (uncredited)
James Darby	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Kay De Lay	...	Woman in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Harry De Mors	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Kay Deslys	...	Georgia's Friend (uncredited)
James Dime	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
W.S. Dobson	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
John Eagown	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Aaron Edward	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
E. Espinosa	...	Eskimo (uncredited)
Leon Farey	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
M. Farrell	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Richard Foley	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Charles Force	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
J.C. Fowler	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Al Ernest Garcia	...	Prospector (uncredited)
Inez Gomez	...	Woman in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Sid Grauman	...	Extra in Chilkoot Pass Climb (uncredited)
Lita Grey	...	Extra in Chilkoot Pass Climb (uncredited)
Ray Grey	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
William Hackett	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Mildred Hall	...	Woman in Dance Hall (uncredited)
James Hammer	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Ben Hart	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Gypsy Hart	...	Woman in Dance Hall (uncredited)
R. Hausner	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Tom Hawley	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Helen Hayward	...	Woman in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Jack Herrick	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Jack Hoefer	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
George Holt	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Josie Howard	...	Woman in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Jean Huntley	...	Woman in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Tom Hutchinson	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Carl Jensen	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Gladys Johnston	...	Woman in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Harry Jones	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Fred Karno Jr.	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Helen Kassler	...	Woman in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Bob Kelly	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
John King	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Freddie Lansit	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Elias Lazaroff	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Bob Leonard	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
George Lesley	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Geraldine Leslie	...	Woman in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Francis Lowell	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Joan Lowell	...	Georgia's Friend / Woman in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Chris-Pin Martin	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Margaret Martin	...	Squaw (uncredited)
Clyde McAtee	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
John McGrath	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Lillian McMurray	...	Extra in Chilkoot Pass Climb (uncredited)
Dolores Mendes	...	Woman in Dance Hall (uncredited)
John Millerta	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Ruth Milo	...	Woman in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Ray Morris	...	Eskimo (uncredited)
Betty Morrissey	...	Georgia's Friend (uncredited)
Marie Muggley	...	Woman in Dance Hall (uncredited)
S. Murphy	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Florence Murth	...	Woman in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Mr. Myers	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
P. Nagle	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Princess Neela	...	Squaw (uncredited)
George Neely	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Nellie Noxon	...	Woman in Dance Hall (uncredited)
A.J. O'Connor	...	Officer (uncredited)
H.C. Oliver	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Donnabelle Ouster	...	Woman in Dance Hall (uncredited)
William Parmalee	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Jack Phillips	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Barbara Pierce	...	Manicurist (uncredited)
Betty Pierce	...	Woman in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Art Price	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
John Rand	...	Prospector (uncredited)
Lillian Reschm	...	Woman in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Frank Rice	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
C.F. Roark	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
E.M. Robb	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Lillian Rosine	...	Woman in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Edna Rowe	...	Woman in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Tiny Sandford	...	Barman (uncredited)
Jane Sherman	...	Woman in Dance Hall (uncredited)
J.J. Smith	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Joe Smith	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
C.B. Steele	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Frank Stockdale	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Daddy Taylor	...	Ancient Dancing Prospector (uncredited)
Nina Trask	...	Woman in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Armand Triller	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
John Tully	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Jack Vedders	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Bess Wade	...	Woman in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Art Walker	...	Officer (uncredited)
John Wallace	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Sharkey Weimar	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
White Cloud	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Mary Williams	...	Woman in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Marie Willis	...	Woman in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Ed Wilson	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
H. Wolfinger	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Tom Wood	...	Prospector (uncredited)
Dave Wright	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Ah Yot	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
George Young	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Ed Zimmer	...	Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)

Directed by
Charles Chaplin

Writing credits
Charles Chaplin		(writer)

Produced by
Charles Chaplin	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Charles Chaplin		(1942)
William P. Perry		(1970 version)
Carli Elinor		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Roland Totheroh

Film Editing by
Charles Chaplin		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Charles D. Hall		(uncredited)

Production Management
Alfred Reeves	....	production manager (1942 re-release)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Charles Reisner	....	assistant director (uncredited)
A. Edward Sutherland	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Peter Stitch	....	stand-by painter (uncredited)
Mr. Wood	....	painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Mac Dalgleish	....	sound recordist: 1942 reissue (as W.M. Dalgleish)
Pete Decker	....	sound recordist: 1942 reissue
Harold E. McGhan	....	sound editor: 1942 re-release (as Harold McGhan)
James L. Fields	....	sound director: 1942 re-release (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Mark Marlatt	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Jack Wilson	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Edward Manson	....	editorial supervisor (uncredited)

Music Department
Gerard Carbonara	....	composer: additional music (1942 version)
Max Terr	....	composer: additional music (1942 version)
Max Terr	....	musical director (1942 version)

Transportation Department
Toraichi Kono	....	driver: Mr. Chaplin (uncredited)

Other crew
Harry Crocker	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
George Glass	....	publicity director (1942 re-release) (uncredited)
Charles D. Hall	....	technical director (uncredited)
Mr. Niemeyer	....	wrangler (uncredited)
Kathleen Pryor	....	stenographer (1942 re-release) (uncredited)
Della Steele	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Sid Swaney	....	stand-in: Mr. Swain (uncredited)
Jim Tully	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Bud White	....	wrangler: bear (uncredited)

Thanks
Alexander Woollcott	....	dedicatee (1942 re-release)

Production Companies

• Charles Chaplin Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (1925) (USA) (theatrical)
• MK2 Diffusion (2001) (worldwide) (all media)
• Allied Artists (1925) (UK) (theatrical)
• Joaquín Fabeo Hernández (1983) (Spain) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (1993) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Fox Video (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Fox Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Marathon Music & Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Koch Vision (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Stadtkino Verleih (2004) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• atlas Film (1964) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Arthaus
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Digital Disc Entertainment (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Filmayer Vídeo (????) (Spain) (VHS)
• Janus Films (????) (USA) (all media)
• Killiam Shows (1970) (worldwide) (all media)
• MK2 Diffusion (France)
• Roy Export Company Establishment (USA)
• Vivarto (2008) (Poland) (all media)
• Voyager Company, The (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)

Also Known As:

Goldrausch (Austria) (Germany) [de]
A Quimera do Ouro (Portugal) [pt]
Aranyláz (Hungary) [hu]
Em Busca do Ouro (Brazil) [pt]
Goraczka zlota (Poland) [pl]
Guldfeber (Sweden) [sv]
Guldfeber (Denmark) [da]
Ha-Behala L'Zahav (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
Kultakuume (Finland) [fi]
La febbre dell'oro (Italy) [it]
La quimera de l'or (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
La quimera del oro (Spain) [es]
La ruée vers l'or (France) [fr]
O Charlot hrysothiras (Greece) (reissue title) [el]
O hrysothiras (Greece) [el]
Zlaté opojení (Czechoslovakia) [cs]

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)

Charlie Chaplin at his best.

The Gold Rush is one of Chaplin's best films, as well as one of his most famous. It has been said that it is the film that he most wanted to be remembered by, and it's not hard to see why. Chaplin plays the part of the lone prospector, a young miner during the gold rush. After getting caught in a storm, he hurries to the only shelter that he can find, a wood cabin in the middle of the storm. It turns out that it is already inhabited, and by a tough criminal named Black Larson, no less, and the scene in which Charlie and Big Jim, another prospector, insist to Black Larson that they are going to stay is one of the countless memorable scenes in the film.

Charlie and Big Jim are left alone and without food when Larson goes off to face the storm looking for food (having drawn the lowest card in another amusing scene), and the scenes in the cabin are some of the best in the entire film. There is, of course, the boot eating scene, memorable not only because of its cleverness and effectiveness, but also because while making the film, Chaplin ate so much boot (which was made out of licorice) before he was satisfied with the take that he had to be taken to the hospital to have his stomach pumped. Another thing that was really well done was the special effects. I am still amazed every time I watch the film at how realistic it looks when there is a long shot from outside showing Charlie hanging from the door of the cabin, which is balanced precariously on the edge of a cliff. Also notice the fast paced and very effective music during this scene, the same song that is played in the best scene of the 1996 film Shine, with Geoffrey Rush.

There is also a very noteworthy love element of The Gold Rush, a part of the story that Chaplin generally has much success with in his films. Charlie's amorous interests in Georgia, a dance hall girl, leads to the scene where he performs the famous dance of the dinner rolls, probably the most famous scene in the film, which was also performed very well by Johnny Depp in Benny & Joon. Charlie's relationship with Georgia is also the thing that leads to his presentation of his sympathy for the lower classes, when he meets her on the ship after having become a multi-millionaire. Chaplin's full length films are inherently more famous than his earlier short comedies, and The Gold Rush is one of the best of his full length features. A must see for any Chaplin fan, but The Gold Rush is also a film that anyone who is interested in quality comedy should watch.