Charlie Chaplin is one of the greatest performers in film history, known for his comedic routines and spectacular imagery in his films he became one of the most beloved and well known figures in the world. The Gold Rush utilizes his techniques by employing imagery that at the time astounded audiences. Examples in the film include Chaplin walking on the cliff and nearly falling off, and the cabin on the cliff scene with The Tramp and Big Jim where The Tramp is seen hanging from the cabin and finally jumping out of the cabin onto the cliff’s edge before it plummets to the earth below. These types of scenes created an heir of danger and grandiose filmmaking that drew large crowds. They are the reason that Chaplin’s films were spectacles in his day.
The initial release of the film was in 1925, but Chaplin made changes to the movie and re-released it in 1942. Key changes were adding a recorded musical score, crafting narration, and altering the speed of the film to 24 frames per second to match the speed of sound films. This shortened the later version of Chaplin’s movie. Chaplin also changed plot points in the film by removing the kiss at the end of the scene and having Jack be the one to make The Tramp believe Georgia is in love with him. Finally, Lita Grey, Chaplin’s wife was originally cast in Georgia Hale’s role, but Chaplin would replace her and fall in love with Hale during the production.
