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The Gold Rush Clippings 242/363

Moving Picture World, New York, August 29, 1925


Bursts of loud, prolonged and spontaneous applause

Editorial content. „New York‘s ,First Nighters‘

      Pay Homage to Charlie Chaplin and The Gold Rush“

      The Gold Rush Mark Strand Premiere, New York

      Photos V to VII: ,Crowds at the New York Mark

      Strand for the brilliant premiere of the Charlie

      Chaplin comedy, The Gold Rush, a United Artists picture.

      Many thousands, homeward bound ,after the play,‘

      surged about the Mark Strand to get a glimpse of Chaplin

      when he arrived for the midnight performance.‘

      New York‘s theatre world, as well as hundreds

of persons representing the arts, sciences and industries,

paid homage to Charlie Chaplin and his dramatic

comedy, The Gold Rush, at a special midnight premiere.“ (...) 

      „On one of the hottest of August nights, toward

twelve o‘clock more than 3,000 persons – men and women

in formal evening dress – struggled through a jammed

lobby to seats or ,standing room.‘ Hundreds stood for almost

three hours. Thousands of onlookers and those who

had been unable to purchase tickets (all of which had been

reserved for this special performance) crowded

around Broadway and Forty-seventh Street, waiting, waiting

for a glimpse of Chaplin.“ (...)

      „Mr. Chaplin Arrives

      Chaplin appeared at the Strand at five minutes before

twelve. He motored directly from the Ritz-Carlton, accompanied

by his physician, Dr. James MacKenzie, of New York,

and A. C. Blumenthal, of Los Angeles. He entered the theatre

from the front, through the hundreds in the jammed lobby,

those who had bought standing room, and into the crowded aisles.

At the entrance of the lobby Mr. Chaplin and his party

were met by Edward Manson, of the star‘s organization, and

Joseph Plunkett, Managing Director of the Strand.

      Broadway, between Forty-seventh and Forty-eight streets;

Forty-seventh street as far west as the stage door of the

Mark Strand, and the theater front and lobby was jammed with

humanity for the entire period between 11 p. m. and 12:30

  1. a.m., and fifty uniformed policemen were required to cope with

the milling throngs.“ (...)

      „Overture and Prologue

      It was just one minute after midnight when Carl Edouarde,

leader of the Mark Strand orchestra, raised his baton

for the first note that started the projection. First, the overture

(Dvorak‘s Carneval) and Mr. Plunkett‘s special prologue

to, The Monte Carlo Dance Hall. Then the picture.

      At five minutes after two the showing was at an end. There

were many and frequent bursts of loud, prolonged and

spontaneous applause. As the last bit of the picture flickered

out on the screen, there came cries of ,Chaplin! Chaplin!‘

,Charlie! Charlie!‘ ,Speech! Speech!‘

      And from his seat rose the Prince of Comedy. Down the

aisle he walked, through the orchestra pit and up onto

the stage. He stood, nervously, clasping his hands, running

them though his graying hair, stepping gingerly first

to one side, then to another, waiting for the welcome of

applause and outcries to die down. Then Chaplin

stepped forward and held up his hands.

      ,I‘m not accustomed to making speeches,‘ he said.

,I am much more capable at putting my story on the screen; and

much prefer it that way. However, I do want to tell you

I am made tremendously happy at the reception you have given

to my picture, and to myself. I thank you on behalf of

all those others who worked side by side with me for so many

months – my associates to whom much of the success

of The Gold Rush is due.‘

      After the little speech, Mr. Plunkett invited Mr. Chaplin

and a number of friends to a reception to the star that had been

arranged to take place in the Strand Theatre studio.

There were some three hundred who attended this.“ (...)

     The Gold Rush opens June 26, 1925

      at Grauman‘s Egyptian, 6712 Hollywood Bld., Los Angeles.

      The Gold Rush opens August 15, 1925

      at Strand Theatre, B‘way at 47th St., New York.


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