Anyway, here is the ending to the original silent version from 1925, complete with intertitles--and the kiss.
December 27, 2013
The Gold Rush (1925): Original Ending
Here is the original ending to Chaplin's 1925 silent film The Gold Rush. In 1942, Chaplin reissued the film with his own orchestral score and narration. He also made cuts to the original in an effort to shorten the film so it would be booked on double bills, which were popular at the time. These alterations were an attempt to "modernize" The Gold Rush for current 1940s tastes. Among the scenes that were trimmed from the film was the kiss with Georgia Hale. It's anyone's guess why Chaplin did this, perhaps he thought it was inessential or too formulaic. Having Charlie and Georgia walk up the steps and away from the camera gave the film a more ambiguous ending, which was something Chaplin seemed to prefer in his films.
Anyway, here is the ending to the original silent version from 1925, complete with intertitles--and the kiss.
Anyway, here is the ending to the original silent version from 1925, complete with intertitles--and the kiss.
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As I read more and more about Chaplin, it seems he was always insecure about the public and his films. He always felt the public would move on and move past his comedic style. Many of the cuts he made later were made out of that fear and trying to keep up with the times. Either version is fine. Just as many prefer the original to the later version, but I do prefer the Chaplin music scores that he did for all of his movies to the Ragtime music played at the time. I can't imagine seeing his classics without his Chaplinesque music.
ReplyDeleteThere are things I like about both versions of "The Gold Rush." As much as I enjoy hearing Charlie's voice, I find the narration to be distracting at times, but I do love the music. It's too bad Charlie didn't live long enough to compose music for more of his films (i.e. the Mutuals).
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