I LOVE SEATTLE: Charlie Chaplin with a Live Orchestra

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Author: Gracie Cole

Growing up, one of my favorite restaurants back home was Crazy Charlie’s, a hot dog spot adorned with framed stills of films from the silent movie era: Harold Lloyd in Safety Last! and The Freshman, Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin in The Kid. After seeing the iconic image of Lloyd hanging off the clock in Safety Last!, I fell in love with this era of filmmaking. I loved the simplicity of these films and the masterful way they were able to convey humor and character development with little to no dialogue. I loved the use of practical effects and exaggerated costumes.

This year in particular, I have made it a goal to watch all of Charlie Chaplin’s films, many of which are relatively short. Thus, I was ecstatic to find out that Paramount was doing a screening of The Gold Rush, one of the few Chaplin films I have yet to see, with a live orchestra. This screening was a part of the series Silent Movie Mondays, which is put on by the Seattle Theatre Group, a nonprofit arts organization that holds events at Moore, Neptune, and Paramount theaters. 

I walked into the theater lobby wearing a large (faux) fur coat and a leather vest over a dress and I was thrilled to see that others were in similar attire. Many people dressed in 1920s-inspired outfits and some attendees even dressed as Chaplin himself. Surrounding the lobby, there were booths set up advertising the theater’s other events, including one that was giving away posters with a suggested donation. We got popcorn and Pepsi and entered the theater to find our seats. While we debated sitting in the balcony for a clear view of the orchestra, we instead opted for sitting in the fourth row, directly behind the speakers, one of which was Stephen Winer. 

Stephen Winer is a writer for comedic television, most famously known for writing for David Letterman. He also has written extensively on silent film comedy, and his knowledge was made abundantly clear during his introduction to the film. Winer provided background on the film and pointed out important elements to pay attention to. He explained the history of the film and Chaplin’s inspiration, as well as the different versions that were released. While The Gold Rush originally was released in 1925 as a silent film, Chaplin re-released it in 1942 with a full score and narration. Because the intercards were removed, the 1942 version was about 20 minutes shorter. However, Winer explained that we were to watch the original 1925 version, emphasizing the orchestra rather than dialogue audio.

 

The second speaker then entered, though only briefly as he needed to get in place in front of the orchestra. This was Timothy Brock, a world-famous composer and conductor who works with film scores from the ‘20s and ‘30s. He has worked with the Chaplin family to restore all 13 of Chaplin’s original scores. As he prepared his orchestra, I relaxed back in my seat and eagerly waited for the film to start.

As the title card came on screen and the orchestra swelled, I immediately felt emotional. As the film started, I felt a sense of community as the audience laughed and audibly reacted throughout the entire film. Seeing this film with a live audience reinforced Chaplin’s influence and talent as the emotional beats and comedy were even more effective. The Gold Rush follows three characters trying to survive on a snowy mountain in their pursuit of gold. This is intertwined with Chaplin’s infatuation with a woman, despite her cruelty to him. Similarly to his other films, Chaplin proves that he is a master at using comedy to tell a story about the depressing, and very human, parts of life. 

 

When the film ended, Stephen Winer and Timothy Brock returned to the stage to answer questions, from both Seattle Theatre Group and the audience. Winer began the discussion with his favorite parts of the film as well as his critiques, sparking an honest conversation within the panel. He also shared more background about the film, including scandalous facts about Chaplin’s life. Brock, on the other hand, discussed his experience restoring Chaplin’s scores and conducting them around the world. 

Ultimately, the event was incredible, and I felt honored to see this iconic film with a live audience, not just in theaters.

The next Silent Movie Monday is on April 28th for their screening of The Last Laugh (1924).

 

Gracie Cole I KXSU Arts Writer

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