#man walks headlong into a trap (despite being warned by his best friend and some weird prophet guy)

[shaykai]

Replaying the original Warcraft campaigns cause nostalgia and WOW IS ARTHUS WORSE THAN I REMEMBER

[365days365movies]

April 1, 2021: The Gold Rush (1925)

If I’m going to start anywhere, it’s right at the beginning.

There’s absolutely no way I can start this month off without jumping headlong into the slapstick-filled era of the 1920s-1930s, and that begins (and arguably ends) with the man, the myth, the legend: Charlie Chaplin. And Chaplin’s got an interesting and tragic backstory, that it’s worth looking into. And he won’t be the first film star I get into, but we’ll get there.

Born in London in 1889, Chaplin was essentially raised in the world of the theatre, as both of his parents were entertainers. Raised in immense hardship and poverty, Chaplin’s early life wasn’t easy. His father left the family, and his mother struggled to provide. Eventually, she ended up becoming committed to an asylum, which led Charlie and his brother to live with their alcoholic father, which didn’t last long. Yikes.

Eventually, both parents were out of the picture by the time that Charlie was 14, with his father head, and his mother generally unwell, physically and mentally. Additionally, his brother enrolled in the military, leaving him completely alone. He left school and went to work, eventually becoming embroiled in the theatre and stage, and in 1908, the 19-year old Charlie joined a major theatre troupe, alongside another young actor named Stan Laurel. And in 1912, the group toured in the United States, where he was found by the head of the now defunct Keystone Studios, who were looking for a new star.

The first movie, Making a Living, didn’t go great for Chaplin or critics. But they didn’t give up, and put Chaplin in a second film: Mabel’s Strange Predicament. Here, Chaplin decided on a new costume. He wanted baggy pants, a tight coat, small hat, large shoes, and a little moustache. And with that outfit came the birth Chaplin’s most iconic character: The Tramp.

And BAM: history’s made. Because this film is RIDICULOUSLY successful, and very popular. A hell of a lot of films come from this, and by 1915, Chaplin was the biggest star in Hollywood history at the time. By 30 years old, he had founded his own studio, was funding his own pictures, and was the most well-known man in the United States outside of the President. And this was before he made his first feature film, The Kid.

1921 was the year that film came out, and I was originally going for that one as my first review...but I decided against it, in favor of another of his most famous films, The Gold Rush, which came out in 1925. By this point, Chaplin had also become a director, alongside actor and producer. He also...had done some not amazing things by this point. Yeah, Chaplin wasn’t the best dude, but that’s another story. I’m here to talk about this film, not about his real shitty track record with women and abandoning his children. Chaplin is a dark man with a dark history, I’ll just say that much.

But enough of that (for now)! Let’s get into the man and his works! After all, Chaplain also pioneered visual comedy in film, so this is going to be an interesting film! Let’s get into The Gold Rush! SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Recap

First things first, I’d like to make something clear: I’m watching the 1925 version, reconstructed using some footage from the 1942 re-release, which added narration to it. Because I’m interested in seeing the original, as meant to be seen by Chaplin back in the day, I’m not looking at the re-release at all. But if you’re interested (and have the subscription), BOTH are available on HBO Max!

We begin at the top of Chilkoot Pass in Alaska, a difficult terrain and a challenge to anyone looking to make it rich in the Klondike. Men are hiking up the mountain in hardship, to try get their riches. This takes place at some point between 1898 and 1899, by the way. One of these men is a Lone Prospector, AKA The Tramp��(Charlie Chaplin), who walks along the narrow path while being pursued by a bear, but eventually escapes said bear, finding himself on the snowy mountainside.

Also here is fellow prospector Big Jim McKay (Mack Swain), who’s just struck it rich. But then, as both men are on the mountainside, a snowstorm hits. The Lone Prospector finds his way to a small cabin, in which the wanted criminal Black Larsen resides.

The Lone Prospector makes his way inside, where he finds and eats a partially eaten rack of meat. However, Larsen tells him to get out, opening the door, causing the wind to get in. In a humorous sequence, the wind is so strong that it prevents the Prospector from leaving, an blows Jim McKay literally though the building. But soon, all three are in the cabin.

Larsen now tries to get both of them out with the threat of violence. He fires a warning shot with a shotgun, leading to struggle between Jim and Larsen for the gun, with Jim gaining the upper hand and allowing the Prospector and Larsen to stay. The storm persists for three days, and the men grow hungrier and hungrier in the process. All the while, the shack becomes ever closer to just toppling over from the storm winds.

The Prospector ends up eating a candle with sat, he’s so desperate, and the men use a pack of cards to decide who’s going out into the storm to look for food. Larsen loses, and he heads out with his dog (who CLEARLY isn’t into this whole thing, by the way). But Larsen’s still running from the police, who are hunkered down in the storm. They find him, and another struggle ensues, leading to Larsen killing them both in the snow, and stealing their supplies. Meanwhile, in the cabin, then men are so hungry that they prepare one of the Prospector’s shoes. Delicious.

As these two dine on this Thanksgiving meal (which is shown in very funny detail, including eating the laces as spaghetti), Larsen actually stumbles upon Jim’s gold, and he hunkers down there through the storm. This leaves the men to starve in the cabin, and also leads to...a very ironic sequence, now that I think about it.

See, this film was mostly made in Truckee, California. And the most iconic thing about Truckee is that it’s the resting place of a group of travelers on the Oregon Trail. See, in 1846, a group of settlers took the wrong pathway on some bad advice, and wound up stranded in the snow as a result of one of the worst blizzards in California history. This party of travelers, known as the Donner Party (YUP), starved for WEEKS, trapped in essentially a snow pit. 87 settlers went in, and 48 came out. Most died of the cold or starvation. And some survived by, well...eating the dead. Yup. Cannibalism. Which is why this is so ironic.

For a hot second, Jim sees the Prospector as a delicious chicken, and ties to eat him, firing at him with a shot gun and driving him outside. Realizing his delirium, he quickly apologizes, and the two make tentative amends. However, in self-defense, the Prospector takes to sleeping with the shotgun. The next morning, the two struggle for the gun, and Big Jim nearly kills the Prospector, but is interrupted by the return of the bear!

The Prospector shoots the bear, and the two finally have food to eat. Soon after, the storm subsides, and the two head their separate ways, with Jim going back to claim his gold fortune, and the Prospector left in the snowy wilderness. By the way, EVERY SINGLE TIME I type “the Prospector”, I start typing “the Tramp” first, then correct myself. Despite this being the first Chaplin movie I’ve ever seen, it’s such an iconic character that I can’t help but think of him as the Tramp. I’ll probably slip up at some point later without catching it.

Big Jim returns to his camp, where Larsen ambushes him, knocking him out and stealing some of his gold. However, he’s pretty quickly killed by an avalanche, while Jim has completely lost his memory from the low of a shovel. The Prospector, meanwhile, makes his way to a nearby boomtown, built with the profits from the rush in the Gold Rush.

In this boomtown, we meet Georgia (Georgia Hale), a popular dancer that works in a local dance hall. One of Georgia’s fellow dancers has gone off with a wealthy benefactor, leaving her behind. At the hall, she’s being pursued by Jack Cameron (Malcolm Waite), an aggressive lout who’s pestering her for a dance. And just then, who should walk in?

Georgia pretty clearly wants out of the dance hall life, and is also looking for somebody to take her away from this place. However, that somebody is CLEARLY not the Prospector, whom she completely ignores. But when Jack comes back around to force her into a dance, she decides to dance with the most undesirable person in the place instead: the Prospector.

So, while this act is borne of pure spite for Jack, it’s still a dance. It’s interrupted by a nearby dog, but Georgia enjoys the dance quite a bit, to her surprise. Jack is still after her, and the Prospector actually comes to defend her, standing in his way when he tries to pursue her. This, predictably, leads to a fight between the two, during which Jack accidentally gets knocked out by a clock, which the Prospector takes as his own actions, strolling off in pride.

The next morning, the Prospector essentially tricks a man into bringing him inside his cabin to get a free breakfast. This is Hank Curtis (Henry Bergman), who welcomes him into his home for food, and to take care of the cabin in his stead. Curtis owns a mine with his partner, and they head there, leaving the Prospector in his home. All the while, Big Jim is wandering through the wilderness, trying to remember where his gold is.

Georgia is out and about as well, having some fun with friends away from the dance hall. They run around in the snow, throwing snowballs at each other. And as this is right outside of the cabin, of course the Prospector gets hit by one of them. Feeling penitent, Georgia goes into his cabin, after he invites the girls in for a warm fire. She finds a picture of her from the dance hall underneath the Prospector’s pillow, which the other girls mock. But Georgia is at least a little sympathetic.

This pleasant moment is interrupted by one of the girls’ cigarettes lighting the Prospector’s shoes on fire, causing all of them to rush out of the cabin. However, before they leave, the Prospector asks if Georgia would like to come to dinner, which she assumes refers to all of the girls. Still, she accepts, which overjoys the lovelorn Prospector.

But the Prospector, of course, doesn’t exactly have a lot of money; that’s why he’s out here in the first place. So, he goes around town and does some work for money, such as snow-shoveling. He also blocks the jail door with a giant pile of snow in the process, which doesn’t make them very happy. BUT STILL, he gets anough money, and by the time New Years’ comes around, he’s got enough money for a nice meal and a well-made dinner for him and Georgia, with whom he’s head-over-heels in love.

Shame that Georgia doesn’t share that feeling, and has COMPLETELY forgotten about the entire occasion. And so, the Prospector waits for her to arrive, while she’s at a party at the dance hall. He imagines that the dance hall girls, Georgia included, have arrived and are having dinner with him. In the process of this imaginary dinner, he puts two forks in rolls of bread...and creates one of the most iconic scenes of the Silent Era of film.

But alas, this is all in a dream. The Prospector wakes up, and midnight’s passed. At the dance hall, the revelers celebrate, with Georgia standing on the bar and firing guns into the air in the process. The Prospector is saddened, now wondering where Georgia’s been, and realizing that he’s been stood up. Auld Lang Syne plays in the score, and the partiers sing it together at the dance hall.

And it’s FINALLY AT THIS POINT that Georgia remembers that she and the girls were supposed to meet the Prospector. They head there, with Jack in tow. But the Tramp (told you I’d slip eventually) has headed to the party at the dance hall, looking for the girls that stood him up, and he sadly gazes through the window.

Meanwhile, at the Prospector’s cabin, Georgia discovers the loving meal and decorations put out, and realizes that the Prospector actually took this far more seriously than she’d thought. She realizes his feelings, and what she’s done, and feels sorrow about it. Jack tries to get her to forget it and kiss him, but she angrily rebukes him for it, slapping him in the face. They leave the cabin, with Georgia reflecting on the scene.

The next day, Big Jim McKay is trying to recall the location of his gold reserve. He goes to town, and resolves that he must find the cabin in the wilderness, and he should be able to find his way back from there. The Prospector walks right past him, still mourning his spurned love from the previous night. But said spurned love is writing him a letter, noting that she is sorry for what she did last night, and asks someone to give it...to Jack. Oh. What the fuck, Georgia? But Jack, being the dick that he is, sees the Prospector in the dance hall, and gives him the note instead, which leads him to try and find Georgia.

In the process, though, he runs into Big Jim, who needs the Prospector to lead him back to the cabin. He promises to make him a millionaire if he does, and the Prospector agrees, going up to Georgia on the balcony and kissing her, promising to make good and come back rich! The two head back to the cabin, where they stay for the night.

But that night, a vicious blizzard once again rears its ugly head as the two sleep, and literally blows the cabin to...well, to a rather precarious spot.

So, in blissful ignorance, the Prospector gets up first, and walks around the cabin, causing it to rock back and forth as the weight shifts. Big Jim also wakes up, and together, the two realize that the house is balanced on the cliff’s edge, and shifts position as the weight shifts within. That leads to a humorous sequence with a tilting set, and the Prospector looks outside a door on the side of the cliff, dangling off of it for a moment before coming back in.

Now realizing the situation, the two manage to secure a guy rope that ties the house to rocks on the cliff. However, the cabin is now tilted, making their escape even more difficult.

However, Big Jim manages to get out with some teamwork, overlaid by The Flight of the Bumblebee in the score, and he also helps the Prospector escape, just before the whole house falls off the cliff.

But lucky day! The cabin blew RIGHT to the spot where Big Jim found the gold, and the two are now multi-millionaires! The film cuts to one year later, with the two very wealthy men, and the Prospector’s been able to afford everything he’s ever wanted...except for Georgia, whom he never found. Yeah, she definitely wasn’t looking to be with him. Geez.

The Prospector gets in his old Tramp getup for a photograph taken by the Press, while on the ship heading back to the lower 48. But then...who should also be on that ship but Georgia. The two unite once again, but Georgia’s overheard that there was a stowaway on board the ship, and assumes that it’s the Prospector. She tries to defend him, but quickly learns that he’s become a multi-millionaire. With that, the two are reunited, and the photographer brings both of them up for a picture. He poses them in a way that brings them quite close...and the two kiss.

The end! That’s The Gold Rush, and I thought it was a surprisingly heartfelt film! Really, it was funny in some spots, but was a bit more sweet to me than funny. And I really liked it, in truth. I get why it’s considered one of his best! I’ll elaborate on my thoughts more thoroughly in the review, though. See you there!

[clynnra]

Transplant

Posted this on AO3 and here for those interested. This fic is inspired by this TV Guide article about episode 7x23. Huge thanks to my amazing beta Phoebe Miller for her invaluable suggestions and ideas about grammar, syntax, and story. I really appreciated the thorough feedback to help my story actually flow. And forever thanks to SheppardMcKay for getting me into posting fic in the first place.

Spoilers for 7x21, 7x22 and 7x23 just in case.

Danny pulled the Camaro into the driveway. Pressing his forehead at the top of the steering wheel, he closed his eyes and sighed heavily. After about a minute of deep breathing, he dragged himself out of the car and into the house. He dropped his keys on the small table near the door before trudging into the kitchen and straight to the fridge. Beer. He needed beer. Popping the top - setting a record for speed - he gulped down the Longboard until he had to stop for a breath, the slight burn of the alcohol making him hiss.

Dammit, Steve.

Digging his fingertips into his closed eyes, he took another deep breath before heading to the living room and settling on the couch. Placing the half drunk bottle on the coffee table in front of him, Danny sprawled and let his head rest on the cushions so he stared at the ceiling. 

He couldn’t believe the crazy shit that Steve had pulled lately, and the fact that he hadn’t slowed down even after the transplant - How many beatings would it take to make the guy slow the fuck down? Last week, he got shot and just picked the bullet out of his vest like it was a perfectly normal occurrence. All Danny could do back then was shake his head in exasperation. He shook his head again on the couch cushion. When he’d found Steve bloodied and dazed from fighting Lee Campbell, he nearly burst a blood vessel. He had missed the insane fight but saw the collateral damage visible all around that room and on Steve and Campbell’s body. More scars and injuries catalogued on Steve’s battered body.

Focusing on the planks of the ceiling, he just didn’t know what to do anymore. Danny had come so close to losing Steve for real. Not to mention how close he’d come to dying himself. Ever since he’d somehow managed to land that plane on the beach, he couldn’t stop worrying about his partner. Worse than before. Despite his joking at the doctor’s office, he was concerned about Steve’s well being and recovery from the transplant. He wanted to tell the doctor everything, but he’d never betray Steve even if it was for his own good. Other people did that to Steve, but Danny wouldn’t. Couldn’t. He loved him too much to do that to him.

Which was why Danny had pulled Steve aside after yet another ridiculous chase of a drug runner resulted in him dodging a speeding car and rolling before shooting out the tires of the scumbag. 

“What the fuck was that, Steven?” He moved him away from the rest of the team cuffing the perp and his men after the car had plowed into a dumpster. 

Panting, Steve replied, “I had to stop them!” 

“By almost getting run over? Why didn’t you wait for me to get the car?” 

“Didn’t have time,” shrugged Steve.

Danny’s blood pressure couldn’t get any worse. “That’s the problem, Steve! You don’t think about your safety enough and just jump headlong into shit and expect me to follow. But sometimes it gets to be too much. I can’t handle seeing you hurt. I… fuck this. I can’t right now. Catch a ride back with one of the others. I’ll talk to you later before I kill you myself.” 

Striding away from his partner, he took off his vest, handing it to Kono. “Take care of him.” 

She looked at him with concerned eyes before nodding her head then squeezing his arm briefly as he walked off. Steve stood there with his hands on his hips not understanding what just happened. Danny peeled off in the Camaro.

Thinking back to that emotional moment less than a couple hours ago just made Danny sink further into the couch. Steve didn’t realize what he meant to people. To him. Hell, before Steve made him his partner, Hawaii was just a place that his daughter lived. He moved here to be with her. Nothing else. He was good at his job, but there wasn’t anything else beyond Grace and work back then. He was so damn torn when it came to Rachel, pissed at her one minute and still yearning for her the next. Danny had shut himself down, and for the first six months, he was miserable. Sure, Meka was amazing, but beyond him, he didn’t have any real friends. He was the odd man out. A transplant who had rejected as much as he could about the pineapple infested sand trap. He hadn’t wanted to learn their ways or even dress like a local.

Then Steve showed up at his crime scene, a complete asshole and control freak. And try as he might, Danny could not hate the man. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Steve woke him up. His head was back in the game. He wasn’t merely going through the motions until his next visit with Grace. He’d actually opened his heart to his new ohana of Kono, Chin, and, of course, Steve, and hell, his pushy partner even made Danny like Hawaii. He never looked back. Didn’t want to be a shell of a guy who just came alive for Grace. Steve had saved him, and he’d forever be grateful. Which was why it hurt so much seeing Steve accepting these crazy ass risks and not taking care of himself. He needed Steve to care about his own well being. He just needed Steve in his life, healthy and safe.

This was not a new development. Danny had loved Steve for a long time, but only since the plane crash had he allowed himself to acknowledge it. To accept that Steve was more than a brother, but a soulmate. He couldn’t do anything about it because of their girlfriends, but as long as Steve was by his side as his friend and partner, he was content. 

Danny sat straighter hoping to move past these thoughts for the night and stretched languidly, keeping his eyes closed. Then almost jumped up when he saw Steve sitting on the recliner. Steve leaned forward, hands folded, eyes fixed on Danny.

“Shit, Steve! Warn a guy before you ninja into his house, would ya?” grumbled Danny as he forced his heart to relax at the sight.

A ghost of a grin upturned Steve’s mouth before he spoke. “What’s going on, Danny? Why the hell did you freak out at the crime scene?”

Groaning, Danny got up from the couch, walked past Steve and stopped. Hands on his hips, he looked down and chewed his lips briefly before focusing on Steve again. Drawn out of his seat, Steve moved closer but still gave him some breathing room. 

Licking his lips, Danny said, “I.. uh.. I just worry about you. And don’t want you to do something that you can’t take back.” 

Inching forward into Danny’s personal space, Steve didn’t break eye contact with him. “Danny, I’m fine. I know what I’m doing. Why are you taking my safety so personally now?” 

Danny’s heart rate picked up. He didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t lie to Steve. But was he ready to admit his feelings aloud? 

“Danno? C’mon, talk to me, man,” whispered Steve as he grasped Danny’s forearm.

He couldn’t not tell him.

Danny tried to pull away from Steve, but he gripped tighter. So Danny waved his other hand out as he confessed, “Because I love you, alright? I’m in love with you! You do crazy shit, and my heart stops because I can’t lose you! My life was such a fucking mess when I first got here.. it was empty, man. All I had going was Grace and work. And sometimes not even work. Then your Neanderthal ass conscripted me into the task force, and as much as I bitched, it was the best thing that happened to me. You are the best thing that has happened to me since Grace. So yeah.. I take it personally when you try to kill yourself.”

Steve was stunned. He cupped Danny’s cheek with his right hand. He pulled Danny closer and firmly kissed him.

Shocked too, all Danny could do was grab Steve by the shoulder and kiss Steve back. As they gasped for a breath, Steve took the opportunity to lick Danny’s bottom lip, and he opened for him. The amazing sensations of hot as hell and relief that Steve felt the same raced through Danny. Needing more air, unlike the SEAL, Danny pulled away just enough to breathe. Steve kissed his temple then tucked Danny under his chin.

“Babe, what are you doing?” exhaled Danny as the adrenaline buzzed through him.

“Agreeing with you,” Steve smirked.

“What are you…” started Danny.

Steve tipped Danny’s face up and smacked his lips on Danny’s loudly before continuing. “Shh. You did the same for me. I was pretty fucked up after losing Freddie and Dad in a span of a week. It sounds corny, but you were the oxygen in my tank. You helped me breathe again. To really start living again. To see that there’s more to life than just the mission. That family is the most important thing.” 

Danny let Steve’s words soothe him. For a minute, all they did was take comfort in each other’s presence.

Steve gently bracketed Danny’s face and pledged, “I love you, Danny. I promise I’m not trying to kill myself. I can’t promise anything but my love. And I want you by my side for whatever comes next.”

Taking in Steve’s earnest expression, Danny nodded. “Okay, babe. Just be more careful. For your sake.. For the team. For me, Grace and Charlie.”

Grinning goofily, Steve kissed Danny again. Wiggling his eyebrows, he said, “So can we have make-up sex, now?”

Danny snorted, “Smooth Dog my ass. You gotta tell me how you got such an unworthy moniker sometime. After the shower and make-up sex.”

Linking their hands, Danny pulled a happily pliant Steve down the hall. 

FIN