MovieChat Forums > The Gold Rush (1925) Discussion > Georgia is not so nice

Georgia is not so nice

posted 11 years ago by wmorrow59
6 replies | jump to latest

I've seen this movie a number of times over the years, and I've always loved it, but watching it again this evening it struck me anew how mean Georgia is to Charlie. Dancing with him to spite Jack isn't so bad, but setting up Charlie for the New Year's Eve blow-off, and play-acting with him in a romantic way, is something else again. And then at midnight on New Year's Eve, when she suggests to her friends that they all go to Charlie's cabin to torment him further, is pretty bad behavior. When they arrive at the cabin, and she realizes that he went to all that trouble and prepared a real party for everyone, she finally softens a bit. Finally!

Okay, it was the '20s, and I guess Chaplin was trying to move beyond the sweet leading ladies of an earlier day. (He never would have cast Edna Purviance in a role like that.) But Georgia still comes off as pretty harsh.

[–] pitsburghfuzz 11 years ago

That's why I think Georgia is possibly one of Chaplin's best leading ladies. She has a more definitive character than most of the other Chaplin leading ladies. Dan Kamin's book, "The Comedy of Charlie Chaplin, Artistry in Motion" has an interesting chapter about his female protagonists.

[–] georgestrum 10 years ago

Georgia Hale the actress didn't have much success. I'm surprised since I found her acting in the Gold Rush amazing. Didn't have the voice for talkies? In several documentaries about Chaplin she was interviewed in the 80's and not only did she look youthful for her age but her voice sounded very well and self assured. It may have been Hollywood politics at the time that kept her back.

[–] wmorrow59 10 years ago

I recall hearing that she had a slight speech impediment; it's noticeable in her interview in Unknown Chaplin. Nothing extreme, but a somewhat slurred "s" sound. And that sort of thing could hurt performers in the early days of the talkies. Something similar happened to Jobyna Ralston, Harold Lloyd's leading lady, who also spoke with a lisp.

[–] Bob_Brooker 8 years ago

Her screen testing for City Lights may shed a light on why she did not succeed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AL8DoFU-om4

__________
Last movie watched: The Gold Rush (8/10)

[–] vinidici 7 years ago

But what about at the end, when she assumes Charlie to be a stowaway and tries to hide and protect him?

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[–] Marco_AGJ 7 years ago

I kinda wanted her to have a bad ending, to be honest.