The Gold Rush (1925), written, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin, is a timeless masterpiece that bridges silent cinema and the Western genre. Set during the Klondike Gold Rush, the film follows Chaplin’s iconic Little Tramp as he navigates harsh wilderness and human folly with humor and heart. The Gold Rush captures the spirit of frontier survival, rugged individualism, and the pursuit of “the American Dream”—core elements of the Western genre. Its blend of slapstick comedy and emotional depth influenced generations of filmmakers, making it a pioneering work that shaped cinematic history.

Directed by Charles Chaplin | Starring Charles Chaplin, Mack Swain, and Georgia Hale

New restoration with pre-recorded orchestral performance of Chaplin’s original score, conducted by Timothy Brock.

4K restoration carried out by Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna at L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory, using elements held by Roy Export, including materials created by Photoplay and from archival material generously provided by the BFI National Archive, Blackhawk Films, the Lobster Films Collection, Das Bundesarchiv, the Filmoteca de Catalunya, the George Eastman Museum, and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).

The Silent Treatment Film Series  

Watch silent movies the way they were meant to be seen—on the big screen with musical accompaniment! Showcasing a wide variety of early cinema in the best available formats, “The Silent Treatment” is a long-running silent movie film series curated by film archivists Brandee Cox and Steven Hill.