The Gold Rush (1925) is the quintessential Chaplin/Little Tramp film, with a balance of slapstick comedy and pantomime, social satire and emotional and dramatic moments of tenderness. It was Chaplin's own personal favorite film, showcasing the classic Tramp character (referred to as "The Little Fellow" in the re-release version) as a romantic idealist, with his cane, derby, distinctive walk, tight shabby suit, and mustache.
Chaplin stars in, wrote, directed, and produced THE GOLD RUSH. Reportedly, he came up with the idea for the picture while breakfasting with his husband-and-wife partners, Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, who had some stereopticon pictures with scenes from the Klondike gold rush.
Chaplin also had become intensely interested in the fate of the fabled Donner party of 1846, whose tragic transcontinental trek had ended in death after their food ran out (and whose surviving members indulged in cannibalism to stay alive). Chaplin had read Charles Fayette McGlashan's History of the Donner Party, originally published in 1879. He also might have been partly influenced by documentary director Robert Flaherty's film NANOOK OF THE NORTH (1922).
That the Donner story could have evoked so hilariously funny a film should come as no surprise in an industry founded on pratfalls; Chaplin well knew that "tragedy stimulates the spirit of ridicule." The film was meticulously planned as a comic epic, and its cost was high (for the time), reportedly exceeding $900,000. Hundreds of extras were transported to the remote Sierra Nevada location camp at $5 a day, and Chaplin's cinematographers shot at a twenty-five-to-one ratio, retaking until their perfectionist director was satisfied. Chaplin's boots, which served as a meal for the protagonist and his pal Swain, were made of licorice (a natural laxative, as the already ailing Swain discovered; his revulsion at the offer of a second such meal was perfectly real), and twenty pairs were made to satisfy the outtake requirements of the picky Chaplin.
THE GOLD RUSH was a popular film in 1925, and Charlie Chaplin was at one time so popular he was the highest paid person in the world. His "Little Tramp" character is one of the most recognizable icons in film history. Chaplin's childhood was marked by wretched poverty, hunger, cruelty and loneliness-subjects which became major themes in his silent comedies. Born in London to music hall entertainers, the young Chaplin saw his father die of alcoholism and his mother go insane, forcing him and his brother Sydney into a succession of workhouses.
Write a well-developed paragraph (topic sentence, specific examples from the film, and conclusion) explaining what THE GOLD RUSH shows us about the 1920's. How does the American Dream relate to the themes of the film?
(Sources Tim Dirks Filmsite.com and Cinemania)
Chaplin was a remarkable success because of his ability to add slapstick, drama, social satire, and a "star" quality to his films. Provide specific examples from THE GOLD RUSH to back up this thesis statement.