Tweet Criterion Blu Ray/DVD for the Gold Rush

Apparently the following information on the upcoming Criterion edition of "The Gold Rush" was recently posted on the Criterion website. It looks promising. The newly recorded score for the 1925 version sounds very promising.
From the website (http://www.criterion.com/films/27565-the-gold-rush):
Disc Features
New high-definition digital restoration of the 1942 sound version, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition
New 2K digital transfer of the reconstructed original 1925 silent film, restored in collaboration with the Cineteca di Bologna, with a newly recorded version of director Charlie Chaplin’s score, presented in 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio on the Blu-ray edition
New audio commentary for the 1925 version by Chaplin biographer and archivist Jeffrey Vance
Three new programs: Presenting “The Gold Rush,” which traces the film’s history from original release to rerelease to 2003 reconstruction and features film historian Kevin Brownlow and Vance; Music by Charles Chaplin, featuring conductor and composer Timothy Brock; and Visual Effects in “The Gold Rush,” featuring effects specialist Craig Barron and Chaplin cinematographer Roland Totheroh
Chaplin Today: “The Gold Rush” (2002), a short documentary featuring filmmaker Idrissa Ouedraogo
Four theatrical trailers
PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film critic Luc Sante and James Agee’s review of the 1942 version

The release date is June 12.

From the Criterion press release:

THE GOLD RUSH – BD & DVD
The first feature-length comedy by Charlie Chaplin (Modern Times)—which charts a hapless prospector’s search for fortune in the Klondike and his discovery of romance (with the beautiful Georgia Hale)—forever cemented the iconic status of Chaplin and his Little Tramp character. Shot partly on location in the Sierra Nevadas and featuring such timeless gags as Chaplin’s dance of the dinner rolls and meal of boiled shoe leather, The Gold Rush is an indelible work of nonstop hilarity. This special edition features both Chaplin’s definitive 1942 version, for which the directoradded new music and narration, and a new restoration of the original silent 1925 film.

1942 version • 72 minutes • Black & White • Monaural • 1.33:1 aspect ratio
1925 version • 88 minutes • Black & White • Silent • 1.33:1 aspect ratio

SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
• New high-definition digital restoration of the 1942 sound version, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition
• New 2K digital transfer of the reconstructed original 1925 silent film, restored in collaboration with the Cineteca di Bologna, with a newly recorded version of director Charlie Chaplin’s score, presented in 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio on the Blu-ray edition
• New audio commentary for the 1925 version by Chaplin biographer and archivist Jeffrey Vance
• Three new programs: Presenting “The Gold Rush,” which traces the film’s history from original release to rerelease to 2003 reconstruction and features film historian Kevin Brownlow and Vancece; Music by Charles Chaplin, featuring conductor and composer Timothy Brock; and Visual Effects in “The Gold Rush,” featuring effects specialist Craig Barron and Chaplin cinematographer Roland Totheroh
• Chaplin Today: “The Gold Rush” (2002), a short documentary featuring filmmaker Idrissa Ouedraogo
• Four theatrical trailers
• PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film critic Luc Sante and James Agee’s review of the 1942 version

This is good news. I expected a definitive release of THE GOLD RUSH would happen eventually. I sure hope that this is finally it. Wish it had the William Perry score and an alternate though rather than Neil Brand. I could have sworn that Chaplin's first feature was THE KID though. Is this the Eastman House Restoration of the 1925 version that has been touring for several months? Did not see this mentioned in either write-up. Not very impressed with the cover design if that is the finished version. Surely they can do better than this?

This is EXCELLENT news! Can't wait for this baby. Sounds like the best edition of THE GOLD RUSH we could possibly hope for.

As for Criterion covers, I prefer it when they use original poster art...so howzabout they use this...



Or this...

Is this the first time the original 1925 version has been presented in HD on home video? I seem to recall the Park Circus Blu-ray release including it on standard DVD only.

[Christopher Jacobs]

Is this the first time the original 1925 version has been presented in HD on home video? I seem to recall the Park Circus Blu-ray release including it on standard DVD only.

We may need to wait until the reviews to be sure. The description carefully says it's a 2k digital transfer of the 1925 cut, but mentions specifically that the 1942 cut is a "high definition digital restoration" so a 2K transfer could still wind up on a DVD or as an SD feature on the Blu-ray, as most standard DVDs have been scanned in HD from the film elements for some years now. I'll wait to order until I see a review confirming that the 1925 cut is also in 1080p as it should be.

Arrgh! Please God, no!
http://www.amazon.com/The-Gold-Rush-Real-Side-By-Side/dp/B007HCF3YM/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1332139879&sr=1-1

Is this the first time the original 1925 version has been presented in HD on home video? I seem to recall the Park Circus Blu-ray release including it on standard DVD only.

We may need to wait until the reviews to be sure. The description carefully says it's a 2k digital transfer of the 1925 cut, but mentions specifically that the 1942 cut is a "high definition digital restoration" so a 2K transfer could still wind up on a DVD or as an SD feature on the Blu-ray, as most standard DVDs have been scanned in HD from the film elements for some years now. I'll wait to order until I see a review confirming that the 1925 cut is also in 1080p as it should be.

The 1925 version is absolutely positively the recent restoration and is absolutely in 1080p or 1080i.

Looking forward to this one.

I'll miss William Perry's score though.

Back story on THE GOLD RUSH courtesy of Greenbriar:

http://greenbriarpictureshows.blogspot. ... rades.html" target="_blank

http://greenbriarpictureshows.blogspot. ... -1942.html" target="_blank

I would like to see a digital re-restoration of the 1942 version. The actual 1942 digital restored version HAVE A ANOYING TRANSPARENT VERTICAL RECTANGLE (TOP TO BOTTON) On the screen, specially noticeable in dark scenes.

[Mike Gebert]

So when you say recent restoration, is that something beyond the version that was on the MK2 DVD?

Arrgh! Please God, no!
http://www.amazon.com/The-Gold-Rush-Real-Side-By-Side/dp/B007HCF3YM/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1332139879&sr=1-1

... and on top of everything else, it's a DVD-R (!).

As for the Criterion... shrug. I've been personally boycotting the Criterion releases because they present the cut versions of the films and have the same lame extras as the mk2 DVDs. Blu-ray or not, Criterion or not, I still don't feel these are the definitive editions of these films... and the last thing I want is another set of Chaplin's catalog sitting on my shelf that I won't watch (I prefer the Image DVDs).

So when you say recent restoration, is that something beyond the version that was on the MK2 DVD?

This is the restoration in collaboration with the Cineteca di Bologna that I believe premiered in Italy in 2007, so if the MK2 DVD came out before that, yes, it's something beyond that.

Arrgh! Please God, no!
http://www.amazon.com/The-Gold-Rush-Real-Side-By-Side/dp/B007HCF3YM/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1332139879&sr=1-1

... and on top of everything else, it's a DVD-R (!).

As for the Criterion... shrug. I've been personally boycotting the Criterion releases because they present the cut versions of the films and have the same lame extras as the mk2 DVDs. Blu-ray or not, Criterion or not, I still don't feel these are the definitive editions of these films... and the last thing I want is another set of Chaplin's catalog sitting on my shelf that I won't watch (I prefer the Image DVDs).

There is a whole lot on the Criterion Gold Rush that was not on the MK2 DVD. I think Janus/Criterion has done a great job adapting to the sad realities of the Chaplin Estate's conditions for licensing.

Arrgh! Please God, no!
http://www.amazon.com/The-Gold-Rush-Real-Side-By-Side/dp/B007HCF3YM/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1332139879&sr=1-1

... and on top of everything else, it's a DVD-R (!).

As for the Criterion... shrug. I've been personally boycotting the Criterion releases because they present the cut versions of the films and have the same lame extras as the mk2 DVDs. Blu-ray or not, Criterion or not, I still don't feel these are the definitive editions of these films... and the last thing I want is another set of Chaplin's catalog sitting on my shelf that I won't watch (I prefer the Image DVDs).

You won't be preferring the Image GOLD RUSH DVD over this new Criterion release, obviously...and if this does include the restored silent version with the re-recorded Chaplin score, I don't see how much more definitive you can get than that, although I admit it would have been nice to have the Perry score on there as well, and actually, I was cool with the Neil Brand score too.

I'll be picking this baby up for sure, because this is one of the Chaplin releases that will be done right, even though the re-edited talkie version should be the extra feature and not the other way 'round, but what are ya gonna do?

The silent version on MK2 and Awrner DVD was not a Bologna restoration, but a restoration by Photoplay, and loked ok for most scenes, with just a few scenes coming from constrasting footage a few generations away.

So when you say recent restoration, is that something beyond the version that was on the MK2 DVD?

This is the restoration in collaboration with the Cineteca di Bologna that I believe premiered in Italy in 2007, so if the MK2 DVD came out before that, yes, it's something beyond that.

Very interesting:

http://www.sfsymphony.org/music/Program ... x?id=45054" target="_blank


Looks like Chaplin ordered achives to destroy the copies of his 1925 version. And aparently he destroyed the negatives he owned.

Strange... Chaplin always had so much care about his negatives, and was one of the first moviemakers to order the production of protection masters for his films, creating fine grains.
Despite that effort all his films today have no camera negatives (as far as I know) despite many have good fine grain protection masters.
The Circus and City Lights masters have focus issues. I still would like to know why.


This newq 2K tranfer, digitally restored, from Criterionb, it's maybe just a digital work on the Photoplay reconstruction. SO the image quality in terms of detail would still have problems due the source elements. If new footage was not found this will not be definitive.

Review is posted on Blu-ray.com:

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Gold- ... 53/#Review

I'm glad to hear that the 1925 version is looking as good as it is, but the fact that it runs at 89 minutes compared to the original theatrical version's 96 minute runtime has me a little perplexed. What might be going on there?

Looks better ,in terms of image detail, dynamic range, than the DVD of Photoplay version that came in Warner 's Pack.

This scene it's not present in the sound Had they found earlier generation 35mm material for the silent version? Or is it just sharpening and contrast enhancement?narrated version, so it's a capture from the restored silent of 1925.

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/screensho ... position=4

It'smuch... much better than the DVD I have from Photoplay restoration.

That responds your question:

"Final facts: 75 percent of the scenes have been taken from the 1942 Japanese negative, twenty-two percent from the Wiesbaden print and 3 percent from the NFTVA nitrate print. The current footage of the restoration is 7,740 feet. The footage at the premiere is given as 8,555 feet; we can only assume that some of this difference might arise from cuts Chaplin made after the first performance.


We have called it a work in progress, for much still needs to be done before it can be called a full restoration.Whether that will ever be achieved is in the lap of the gods, as with all those other lost films waiting to be re-discovered.However, what this restoration demonstrates is that in 1925 The Gold Rush was rightly called a masterpiece. It is a denser and more complex film, with a more subtle interplay of characters, than the version we have known these past fifty-three years.

—David Gill and Kevin Brownlow (1992)"

http://www.sfsymphony.org/music/Program ... x?id=45054

... but the fact that it runs at 89 minutes compared to the original theatrical version's 96 minute runtime has me a little perplexed. What might be going on there?

[silentfilm]

Don't forget that part of the running-time difference can also be due to the projection speed.

When Cinefamily ran it, they listed it as 88min. There's still a fair bit missing in the '25; lots of splices. Most of it's in pretty good shape, but some scenes have a flurry of splices. Also, don't both versions use different takes?

The fact that the transfer is progressive, and not interlaced, indicates to me that the film is encoded at 24fps, so I doubt it's a speed issue. As far as I know, the film is supposed to run 96 minutes at that projection speed. Also of interest is the transfer of the original 1925 version used on the DVD included with Park Circus' Blu-ray, which, when speed-adjusted to NTSC, runs 96 minutes. Does anyone know what print was used for that DVD?

"In the Chaplin vault was a dupe negative, marked “UA Japan.” Of excellent quality, this offered us full aperture even though it was the 1942 version. "
http://www.sfsymphony.org/music/Program ... x?id=45054


They used this dupe neg of the 1942 as the main footage source for the 1925 restoration, cause this dupe was full apperture, and the other scenes (cut in 1942) came from sources. That's why most of the 1925 restoration looks good, which some scenes here and there differa in image quality.

Scenes that was present longer or more complete in other footages sources, but from other camera angles or different takes, were replaced to avoid combine different takes or angles in the same scenes.

When Cinefamily ran it, they listed it as 88min. There's still a fair bit missing in the '25; lots of splices. Most of it's in pretty good shape, but some scenes have a flurry of splices. Also, don't both versions use different takes?

Looking so much forward to this release. Several years ago I had the opportunity to see the '25-version of THE GOLD RUSH with live orchestra that used Chaplin's later score, and remember being blown away. Been waiting so long to own the film in that condition (if without the orchestra!).

I am really puzzled as to why Chaplin apparently had the negatives to the original film destroyed. I can understand why he decided upon a spoken narration when he reissued the film, wanting it to fit the tastes of audiences which regarded silent films as prehistoric, but why he did not save the original film for his private archive....that doesn't make sense to me personally. Surely he cannot have been THAT dissatisfied with how it turned out the first time around?

EDIT: I see now that the film may have been ordered destroyed along with all the other material as Chaplin left the US in '52. That makes more sense somehow, but still a sad thing, indeed.

Here is the DVDBeaver review
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film4/blu-ray_ ... lu-ray.htm" target="_blank

The HD captures show that eventhe 1942 version have issues about focus. Wings restoration have a sharper image in many seccenes (despite be dupes from a print) thanthe sound version of Gold RUsh.
As resultthe HD transfer have a look like of "interpolation".

I supose Chaplin used the original camera negative (one ofthe 2 or 3 created while shootingthe film), but somehowthe master copy created, with sound added, created a little fuzzed image. Not so fuzzy as City Lights, but still not very sharp. Maybethe camera negative (silent frame aperture) was lost or ordered tro destroyed.

Strange, despite ofthe preservation andthe fact that Chaplin films was always available mostly in decent watchable version for decades, I never heard something like "Restored from original camera negative for any of his films.

The HD edition, forthe silent version, cropped the imge in many scenes, in order to keepthe same ratio aspect forthe entire film.

Here is the DVDBeaver review http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film4/blu-ray_ ... lu-ray.htm"

For what it's worth, I received a shipping notification for this title from Deep Discount yesterday.

Huh? I thought we were getting a Timothy Brock orchestral arrangement of Chaplin's score? Says nothing about it here? All it mentions is Neil Brand's lackluster Piano again?

:? Huh? I thought we were getting a Timothy Brock orchestral arrangement of Chaplin's score? Says nothing about it here? All it mentions is Neil Brand's lackluster Piano again?

That's an old review. DVD Beaver has a bad habit of simply adding to previous reviews on its reviews pages, so the review of the Warner Bros. 2004 DVD is still there. It's really a new orchestra arrangement of Chaplin's score on the Criterion disc.