Charlie Chaplin's silent movie 'The Gold Rush' with organist Peter Krasinski

On Sunday afternoon Nov. 2 at 3:30pm the Charlie Chaplin masterpiece The Gold Rush will be featured marking the 100th anniversary of this silent-film classic with live organ accompaniment by maestro Peter Krasinski on the pipe organ in the historic 1806 Meetinghouse home of the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church at the corner of Middle and Church Streets.

The Gold Rush is a 1925 American silent film comedy written produced and directed by Chaplin. It received an Academy Award nomination and it has since been added to the National Film registry by the Library of Congress for its cultural historic and aesthetic significance. The story is both hilarious and sad as the main character sets out to find his fortune and endures all kinds of hardships even fear of being eaten by a grizzly!

Silent films aren’t silent at all. Before ‘talkies’ came along the action was augmented by vigorous pianists or skilled organists whose music swelled or swooned to match the action. The Gold Rush will be accompanied by Peter Krasinski a master of improvised silent movie accompaniment whose exciting performances delight kids and adults alike. Krasinski will exploit all the tone colors and power of the 1893 Hutchings/Fisk organ creating music that adds mystery intrigue and excitement to this notable film.

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Host or Publisher Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation