Charlie Chaplin in the gold rush - 1889 (1925)

ALASKA—THE CHAPLIN CONCEPT ALASKA: A land of mystery and fabled wealth, which drew the multitude ever on and on, in rain- bow promise to the uttermost recesses of its wilder- ness and desolation. Tens of thousands who gave, and still are giving, of their best years, to a struggle which has no parallel in the annals of human history. That far pilgrimage from civilization to the frozen soli-tudes of the Alaska Northwest, harked with the life blood of men whose shallow graves dot the bleak hillsides of many a mountain pass. The long trail whose drama stretched from the shores of Puget Sound to the Arctic Ocean. "The Gold Rush": A Chaplinesque conception of the Alaska which con- fronted the early gold seekers is presented in the opening scenes, and are merely shown as atmospheric intro- duction to this com- edy classic. These scenes represent an ex- penditure of upwards of $50,000, and were made in the High Si- erras of the Cali-for- nia Rockies. The famous "Chil- koot Pass," the gate- way to the Klondike gold fields, has been suggested by Chaplin. The rugged camps of the pioneers are pic- tured, cluttering at the base of frozen cliffs. To make the pass, a pathway 2300 feet long was cut through the snows, rising to an ascent of 1000 feet at an elevation of 9850 feet. Winding through a narrow defile to the top of Mount Lincoln, the pass was only made possible because of the drifts of eternal snow against the mountainside. The excact location of this feat was accomplished in a narrow basin, a natural formation known as the "Sugar Bowl." To reach this spot, trail was broken through the big trees and deep snows, a distance of nine miles from the railroad, and all paraphenalia was hauled through the immense fir forest. There a construction camp was laid for the building of the pioneer's city. To make possible the cutting out of the pass, a club of young men, profes- sional ski-jumpers, were employed to dig steps in the frozen snows at the topmost point, as there the pass is perpendicular and the ascent was made only after stren- uous effort. With the building of the mining camp, and the pass completed, special agents of the Southern Pacific Railway were asked to round up twenty-five hundred men for this A MUSHROOM CITY OF THE KLONDIKE scene. In two days a great gathering of derelicts had assembled. They came with their own blanket packs on their backs, the frayed wanderers of the western nation. It was beggardly on a holiday. A more rugged and picturesque gathering of men could hardly be imagined. They arrived at the improvised scene of Chilkoot Pass in special trains; and w T hat is more, special trains of dining cars went ahead of them. It was thought best to keep the diners in full view of the dere- licts. To have seen them going through the "scene" was a study in the fine qualities of human nature. They trudged through the heavy snows of the narrow pass as if gold were actually to be their reward, and not just a day's pay. To them, what mattered; they were to be seen in a picture with Chaplin, the mightiest vaga- bond of them all. It would be a red-letter day in their lives, the day they went over Chilkoot Pass with Charlie Chaplin. The comedian him- self played the role of Director General. He was here, there, and everywhere, giving in- structions, leading the men, and on occasions mixing with them throughout the day. It was possibly the most successfully handled mob scene ever assembled before a movie camera. This shot of Chilkoot pass will bewilder and charm the most blase movie fan. During the filming of this great pano- ramic scene the most disappointed man in the whole outfit was the doctor. Not a man was hurt during the entire stay on this location far above the timber line. This is remarkable from the fact that these men, un- trained to "mushing" through deep snows and climbing over frozen ledges, were compelled to take many chances, and carrying huge packs on their backs and hauling sleighs and other equipment over steep, precipituous places, it is miraculous that this successful scene was not marred by serious accident. On the last day of the location, one of the "sourdoughs" in some way got a slight cut on the side of the head. Then the doctor was happy. Witli great enthusiasm he started winding bandages around the victim's head, and when the physician had finished, his patient had the appearance of a desert sheik, as the mass of gauze resembled a turban.