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Charles Chaplin, Georgia Hale, Mack Swain, Tom Murray, Henry Bergman ... see more see more... , Malcolm Waite , Betty Morrissey , Sam Allen , Harry Arras , Allan Garcia , Jack Herrick , Harry Jones , John "Dusty" King , Chris-Pin Martin , John Rand , Frank Rice , Joe Smith , Albert Austin , William Bell , William Bradford , George Brock , Ben R. Hart , John P. McGrath , Betty Pierce , Joan Lowell , Kay Desleys , John Tully , George Holt , Cecile Cameron , Leland Carr , J.C. Fowler , Inez Gomez , Geraldine Leslie , John Millerta , Barbara Pierce , Jane Sherman , Margaret Martin , William Butler , Tom Wood , Jack Adams , John Wallace

He may be called "The Lone Prospector" in The Gold Rush, but the character played by Charlie Chaplin is the same wistful, resourceful Little Tramp that had been entertaining the world and its brother ... read more read more...since 1914. A most unlikely participant in the 1898 Yukon gold rush, Charlie finds himself sharing a remote cabin with two much larger and more menacing-looking prospectors: Big Jim McKay (Mack Swain) and Black Larsen (Tom Murray). Big Jim isn't really a bad sort, but Larsen is a murderer and thief. When the food supply runs out, Larsen heads out in the snowy wastes to hunt, leaving Charlie to prepare a delicious Thanksgiving dinner for Big Jim, consisting of roasted shoe. The days pass: in a delirium, Big Jim imagines that Charlie is a huge chicken, and voraciously takes after him with an axe; Charlie saves himself by inadvertently shooting a bear, thereby providing enough food for ten men (Chaplin's inspiration for this episode was the cannibalistic activities of the Donner Party). When the winds subside, Charlie and Big Jim part company. Charlie heads off to seek his fortune in a nearby gold-rush community, while Big Jim lucks upon a "mountain of gold" -- just before he is ambushed and knocked unconscious by Black Larsen. Larsen himself is then killed by an avalanche, leaving Big Jim to wander aimlessly, his memory gone. Meanwhile, Charlie has fallen in love, from afar, with self-reliant saloon girl Georgia (Georgia Hale) who doesn't know that he exists. By a fluke, Charlie and Georgia meet, whereupon Charlie invites the girl to New Year's Eve dinner in the cabin that he is tending for a local prospector. While preparing for dinner, Charlie imagines that Georgia has arrived with her friends; he entertains the girls by jabbing two forks in two rolls, then performing a captivating little "dance" with the pastries. Awakening from his dream, Charlie disconsolately realizes that Georgia has forgotten all about his little party, and isn't going to show up. The next day, Big Jim arrives in town and is shaken out of his amnesia when he spots Charlie. Hoping that the little prospector will help him find his mountain of gold, Big Jim heads back to the mountains with Charlie in tow. The two men nearly come to grief when their cabin, blown by the wind to a mountain precipice, leans precariously over the edge--a peril intensified when Charlie, clinging to the floor, develops a sudden case of hiccups! Luck of luck, the cabin slides safely down the side of the mountain, landing directly upon Big Jim's gold strike. Now fabulously wealthy, Charlie and Big Jim head back to the States on a freighter. Also on board is Georgia, who is unaware that Charlie has struck it rich and thinks that he's a stowaway. She offers to hide him from the authorities, and it is at this point that Charlie and Georgia discover that they're truly in love with one another. The Gold Rush was the longest (it ran nine reels, cut down from its ten-reel preview length) and most elaborately produced of Chaplin's silent comedies (it took him fourteen months to complete). Even so, critics of the era chastised Chaplin for permitting the Little Tramp to win the girl at the end, arguing that the character's "integrity" was damaged by so happy an ending. Evidently, Chaplin took this criticism to heart: in his 1942 reissue of The Gold Rush, for which he wrote a narration and musical score, Chaplin removed the final embrace between the Lone Prospector and Georgia, fading out on a wealthy -- but still unattached -- Charlie strolling about the deck. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Unrated, 1 hr. 25 min.

Directed by: Charles Chaplin

Release Date: June 26, 1925

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DVD Release Date: May 16, 2000

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The Gold Rush The Gold Rush Chaplin and Swain Chaplin freezes Chaplin and Georgia Hale The classic scene Chaplin and Swain A fight! Things are not going as well as expected Chaplin eats a boot Where has the tramp's cabin gone? Original release movie poster Chaplin and Swain
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Flixster Reviews (1,052)

  • blacksheepboy
    November 10, 2012
    blacksheepboy
    A heartbreaking silent comedy re-released with a narration by Chaplin himself that adds to the story instead of standing in the way. It features several classic and memorable scenes in one single film, some of them quite moving and others extremely funny.
  • cosmo313
    July 30, 2012
    cosmo313
    Disclaimer: I actually watched two versions of this, the original, uncut silent version from 1925 that runs 96 minutes (given today's projection speeds), and the re-release version from the 1940s which includes spoken narration written and performed by Chaplin himself, which has ... read morea 69 minute running time.

    I'm not really sure which one I liked better. The original drags on (or seems that way), but with the re-release, sometimes the spoken narration, though amusing, is way on the nose and a little overbearing. It's shorter, but doesn't always feel that way. I think I might like the original more, though regardless, I'm gonna be honest and say that this film (regardless of version) is overrated.

    Yeah, I know it's a sin to say such a thing, but I can't help it. I still really enjoyed it, and yeah, it's a wonderful landmark piece of art, but it didn't really seem all that hilarious to me. Maybe it's just because silent films aren't my thing. I saw a few before I watched The Artist, but that film kinda made it really hard for me to appreciate the real deal. I think I appreciate the silent era more than I actually enjoy it. In the broad annals of history though, this film is undeniably important, but as an isolated piece of entertainment, it's great, but not a Full 5.

    Chaplin does his usual schitck here, though this time his Tramp character is credited as The Lone Prospector (even though he retains his trademark outfit), and the film follwos him as he tries to cash in on the adventure of seeking gold in the Yukon. Leave it to Chaplin to make struggling through some major hardships funny. Not only do he and other desperate men have to deal with their own greed and mistrust of one another, but they have to fight off the elements, starvation, and just general madness.

    And yes, a lot of this is really funny and amusing. This is one of those films that's been so influential that when you finally see it, you're like, "Oh, so THAT's where this funny bit comes from!" This happened quite a bit while watching this, and I'm mostly referring to the fork/dinenr roll dance seqeunce, hallucinating that someone is a piece of food and trying to eat them, and being in cabin teetering on the edge of a cliff over certain doom.

    I swear, this film must be in the Top 5 of Most Influential/Ripped Off List. Seeing the bits in their original context is great though, and Chaplin and crew are tremendous when it comes to slapstick. I'm not really that big a fan of this type of humor, but I know the good stuff when I see it. Probably my favorite bit is where two guys are fighting over a shotgun whose barrel always end up pointed at The Lone Prospector, no matter where he moves around to. It's a scream.

    Are far as the technical aspects of things, this is also a top notch producction. Yeah, it hasn't aged wonderfully, but that is part of the charm, and that's what, I think, makes it more endearing than just the humor. It's sad how much the modern age and digital technology can take away from the hard work and artistry of the filmic craft.

    Okay, I'm getting rambly. You should probably see this, if only for default reasons, but even then, it's a really good film. Like I said, I'm not the biggest fan of slapstick, and silent films do take a lot of getting used to, but they're really a lost art, and it was nice for me personally to finally see a full Chaplin film. The dude was a one of a kind, and it sucks that there's really no one like him around anymore.
  • bathshebamonk
    June 4, 2012
    bathshebamonk
    This is the finest Chaplin movie I have seen, and I think I've seen them all. It's sweet but dark, like human beings, and ultimately an ode to the ability of the human spirit to remain elevated in hard times--even when his cabin mate is hallucinating him as a chicken so he can e... read moreat him! The choreography in the individual scenes is forehead-smacking: when Big Jim and Black Bart (or whatever his name was) were fighting with a loaded rifle and the Little Fellows was in its sights, it was breathtaking. His dance with the rolls is a tour de force.
  • FrizzDrop
    March 21, 2011
    FrizzDrop
    The first film Chaplin was given creative control over with his founding of United Artists, Gold Rush is a masterpiece of slapstick. Though City Lights is my personal favorite, Gold Rush is certainly manically hilarious, sweet as a baby kitten, and never boring. The setting was o... read moreriginal in that it was set in the obtrusive Alaskan wilderness. The Tramp is always so goofy, lovable, and dorky, you want him to win the girl and the money in the end. Even in the Tramp's chaotic world he wins out, and that's the draw to Chaplin's well thought out comedy.
  • kenstachnik
    February 26, 2009
    kenstachnik
    Classic Chaplin
  • Redlats
    October 12, 2008
    Redlats
    I watched the first version - with no dialogue, only a piano score. I have only seen two or three of Chaplin's movies. It is an indication of the quality of his films that an 80 year old silent black and white movie competes favourably with today's movies with all the technolog... read morey they have now.
  • rubystevens
    August 3, 2008
    rubystevens
    this is the 'revival' version with new music and chaplin's narration. i understand cuts were made and i'd like to see the original at some point, but it's still pretty clever and charming. said to be inspired by chaplin's reading about the donner party!
  • jennifxu
    November 14, 2007
    jennifxu
    Oh man. So fun. There will never be another man like Charlie Chaplin.
  • deano
    April 27, 2007
    deano
    This Charlie Chaplin silent movie makes me laugh and cry. This beautifully film combines Chaplin's ability to express pathos, tenderness, humour, and social awareness and many critics consider it his finest work.
  • mjgildea
    October 31, 2006
    mjgildea
    This movie is what physical comedy is all about.

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Critic Reviews

Edmund Wilson
January 23, 2013
Edmund Wilson, The New Republic

I prophesied that Chaplin, with his finer comedy and his less spectacular farce, would not be able to hold his popularity against it. What has happened is precisely the reverse of what I predicted. Full Review

James Agee
September 14, 2012
James Agee, TIME Magazine

The result is a sight for sore eyes, for old-style Chaplin fans and novitiates alike. Full Review

Dave Kehr
June 27, 2007
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

The blend of slapstick and pathos is seamless, although the cynicism of the final scene is still surprising. Chaplin's later films are quirkier and more personal, but this is quintessential Charlie, a... Full Review

Variety Staff
June 27, 2007
Variety Staff, Variety

The Gold Rush is a distinct triumph for Charlie Chaplin from both the artistic and commercial standpoints, and is a picture certain to create a veritable riot at theatre box offices. Full Review

Mordaunt Hall
March 25, 2006
Mordaunt Hall, New York Times

Here is a comedy with streaks of poetry, pathos, tenderness, linked with brusqueness and boisterousness. Full Review

Geoff Andrew
February 9, 2006
Geoff Andrew, Time Out

Mercifully, it lacks the pretentious moralising of [Chaplin's] later work, and is far more professionally put together. Full Review

Glenn Abel
July 26, 2003
Glenn Abel, Hollywood Reporter

The Gold Rush has been delighting audiences for almost 80 years -- it's one of the flat-out funniest films made in the silent era or any other.

Eric Melin
September 4, 2012
Eric Melin, Kansas City Star

It shows Chaplin mixing slapstick with heartbreak like nobody else could. It's plotted in an episodic fashion, but each piece of the puzzle is also a memorable, entertaining bit in and of itself. Full Review

Chris Sawin
July 20, 2012
Chris Sawin, Examiner.com

"The Gold Rush" is wonderfully charming. The comedic bits are both memorable and humorous, the score is exquisite, and it looks pretty darn great for being as old as it is. It's timeless in the sense ... Full Review

Matt Brunson
July 13, 2012
Matt Brunson, Creative Loafing

No one can mix slapstick and sentimentality quite like Chaplin. Full Review

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The Gold Rush Trivia

  • The scene in Benny and Joon where Johnny Depp does a dance with dinner rolls was a re-enactment of a scene originally made famous in which silent film?  Answer »
  • Who directed "The Gold Rush", "City Lights", "The Kid", "The Circus", "Limelight" and "A Woman of Paris"?  Answer »
  • i starred in the movie Gold rush and the tv show Charmed...  Answer »
  • Who starred in the 1925 version of The Gold Rush?  Answer »
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