The Gold Rush (1925, Charlie Chaplin)
I feel it’s only fair for me to admit something right away. I didn’t see the original “silent” version from 1925. My online rental service sent me the 1942 re-release. This version has the Chaplin narration added in, a completely different score, all title cards removed, and it’s a fair bit shorter.
I had heard this version was going to be rather dire, so I asked my friend, and he suggested I watch it on mute, and then at some point in the future rent the proper version. So I did.
So, how was it? Hilarious, of course. I had no problems following what was happening (even without the title cards), but of course, the plot isn’t the reason we watch these movies. I’ve been a little lukewarm towards Chaplin before — the movies of his I’ve seen have been funny, sure, but I haven’t been won over. This movie was sweet, action-packed and, yes, hilarious.
There’s the famous gag with the bread rolls, of course, but that’s far from all of it. The scene with the wind blowing through the cabin is clever and the dancing sequence equally so. And, apparently, after the boot-eating scene, Chaplin had to be rushed to a hospital. He wasn’t happy with how it turned out, so he demanded more and more takes, until he finally suffered insulin shock (the boot was made of licorice).
It was also helped by its short running time, and the fast-paced action. It only dragged a little bit in the middle, but that’s hardly a problem for a movie running just seventy minutes.
At some point, I will watch the original version, but I must say, there’s something to be said from watching a movie in complete silence. Whichever version you see, I’m sure you’ll be laughing as much as I was.
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