The Gold Rush Film Techniques

867 Words2 Pages

Expertise takes on many roles, a person can broaden their skills to take on other roles when necessary to reach a goal. In film history, a person who is known for his proficiency at film-making is the enigmatic Charles Chaplin. He took on many roles to create movies that were memorable for their story-telling. He would create, act and direct the movies. In this picture, Chaplin and his colleagues are filming the 1925 film, The Gold Rush. The photograph has a story behind it as there were many things going on in the actor-director's personal and professional life during the time this picture was taken. Chaplin's expertise in film-making is portrayed here as it is an example of his numerous roles he took to create a film. Chaplin's talent at …show more content…

There are also chairs, a megaphone and a camera. Farther back, there is a man sitting down who may be a backround actor or a stagehand taking a break. It is important to note that The Gold Rush was originally going to be filmed entirely in Truckee, California. However, due to many constraints this could not happen. According to Charlie Chaplin and "The Gold Rush" by the Sierra College, "However, the Sierra winter weather turned nasty and bitterly cold. Many crew members camedown with colds and Chaplin contracted influenza." As a result, the film and this photograph takes place at Chaplin's studios in the …show more content…

He started United Artists with film stars, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks and the director D.W. Griffith in 1919. His first film, Woman of Paris did not do so well as it was critcally acclaimed but did not do well in the box office. According to the website, charliechaplin.org, "Never had a Chaplin film done such bad business." His next movie had to be a hit. Chaplin's next film would cost a lot to create. According to the Sierra website, "It [The Gold Rush] cost $923,886-the most expensive comedy of the entire silent-film era." Fortunately, the movie would be considered a hit and gross $6 million. In addition, Chaplin's personal life had taken a strange twist. He had started a relationship with a young woman named Lita Grey. Six months into shooting the film, she had discovered she was pregnant and soon the couple married. According to the Chaplin website, "As a result of these events, the production was shut down for three months." The marriage would end in divorce in 1927. Work on The Gold Rush was stopped for three months and Grey was dropped from the film. The actress was replaced by another named Georgia

Open Document