Made in 1925, Charlie Chaplin’s greatest comedy is also his most recognizable. From the Little Tramp (Chaplin) woefully underdressed in the Klondike to hunger so intense he envisions his cabin-mate as a large roast chicken. But it’s the dance of the dinner rolls that etched this film into the history books. When aspiring writer/producer/director Michael Powell saw the movie in France, he remembers the audience loving it so much they demanded the projectionist stop the film, roll it back, and play the scene again. The projector obliged, and the young wanna-be filmmaker realized the importance of a real showstopper. Twenty years later, he would give the world his version in The Red Shoes.

The Gold Rush (1925)
Written, produced, and directed by Charles Chaplin
Starring: Charles Chaplin, Mack Swain, Tom Murray, Henry Bergman, Malcolm Waite, Georgia Hale
United Artists, Not rated, Running time 95 minutes, Opened June 26, 1925

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The above review first appeared in Boulder Weekly Vol. 27, No. 44, “Home Viewing: Silent Clowns.”