Hollywood in the Klondike as reviewed by George Dunbar
Toronto. About five years ago I did a post called, “Frozen in Time” about some movie reels discovered up in Dawson City. Since then Michael Gates has written a book about the find.
Our good friend, “George Dunbar” managed to get a copy and generously wrote this review:
“Here’s a wonderful book that’s sure to please those interested in early Hollywood history, the Klondike gold rush and particularly, an amazing film treasure discovered in Dawson City in 1978: “Hollywood in the Klondike,” by Michael Gates.
“The following are my notes upon the enjoyment of this Canadian/Hollywood film history. Perhaps some editing and rewrites will be required, but my enthusiasm should be evident.”
(There are no quotes below as I took all of Mr Dunbar’s review.)
A Book review by George Dunbar ———- “Hollywood in the Klondike,” by Michael Gates
Dawson City remains a relic and tourist attraction from the days of the “Gold Rush.” In 1978, a forgotten, buried cache of old movie film was accidentally found under a building excavation.
The first film in Dawson, “Edison’s latest Projectoscope,” was shown at The Combination Music Hall in 1898. The Edison Company also sent a film crew to the Klondike. By 1899, other stage-theatres began presenting movies. Amazingly, this was also the time when Dawson’s music halls were wired for electricity. By 1906, an increasing number of Hollywood’s silent film productions were distributed to the emerging cinemas (combination-stage, dance and music halls), although they usually arrived months or years after earlier distribution in the south. Griffith’s famous “Birth of a Nation” and “Intolerance” had been screened in Dawson by 1918. Nineteen-thirty saw the presentation of “Wings,” staring Clara Bow, Buddy Rogers and Gary Cooper. This was the first and only silent movie to win an Academy Award for Best Picture.
The number of film theatres declined during the depression years, but the first “Talkie” was screened in 1931. The Family Theatre and Orpheum continued into the depression, but audiences then wanted only talkies. Dawson City’s population drastically declined after the halcyon days of the Klondike Gold Rush, but because of it’s amazing history, has survived as a wonderful tourist destination to this day.
One of the most interesting and historic events to come from Dawson City (since the gold bonanza) is a discovery of different kind in 1978. While clearing the remains of an old skating rink which was once connected to the Dawson Amateur Athletic Association building where early movies were shown, a forgotten and surprising cache of of old silent film reels was found onder the building excavation. They had been buried in an old, abandoned swimming pool located below the rink after a major flood in 1929. When it was decided to fill-in the pool with earth, it conveniently provided an opportunity to dispose of a warehouse full of obsolete silent films that were about to be discarded. An attempt was made by the Canadian Bank of Commerce (responsible for the films’ storage) to contact Hollywood studios for instructions on the return of their products, but the owners referred to unnecessary shipping costs and the films were ordered destroyed. Someone decided the old pool would be a convenient burial site, an many many cans of film were tossed in, covered with earth and forgotten for 50 tears.
In 1978, the Dawson City Museum and Public Archives of Canada were informed of the excavation and eventually 437 films were recovered and sent to Ottawa for inspection, cataloguing and preservation. When this amazing find was announced to the media, headlines such as these appeared worldwide; Yukon Permafrost Yields A Nugget In Old Movie Cache; Yukon Frost Saves Silver Screen Relics; Underground Movies! Can You Dig It Man?; Klondike Film Hoard; Silent Film Eureka In The Yukon. By 1980, more reels from the Dawson burial site were added to the collection making a total of 533. Film categories included: newsreels, comedies, serials and feature films such as: “Poly of the Circus,” Staring Mae Marsh, the first film to bear the name of producer Samuel Goldwyn, and it did not exist in any archive before it was discovered in Canada.
Hundreds of scenes from this collection of restored films have been used in modern films, particularly documentaries on the history of Hollywood. “Dawson City: Frozen in Time” is a wonderful example and may be available online (Youtube?).
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Post Script:
Dawson City: Frozen in Time
a film Directed by Bill Morrison
See: “Bill Morrison on Dawson City:Frozen in Time” on Youtube.
– An interesting interview with the creator of the film.
In an interview about the preservation of old motion picture film, nitrate for example, Bill Morrison mentioned that the Library of Congress has original paper prints that were once required to be submitted for copyright protection. Since these paper prints were made from the negatives of early motion picture, they are now the only remaining copies of the long lost original film-negatives.
As I’ve been saying for years, a paper print of any photograph will outlast film or digital originals! What does that teach us?
Regards, George
