Hollywood in the Klondike

Book excerpt: In this exciting first-hand account of an unexpected cinematic discovery, Michael Gates delves into the history behind a hoard of silent films found buried beneath the permafrost of an Arctic gold rush town. In 1978, hundreds of reels of silent films were unearthed from beneath the demolished site of an old hockey arena in Dawson City, Yukon. Author Michael Gates witnessed the cinematic discovery of these once-lost films—and in this book excavates and illuminates the history of a gold rush town like no other. An event in the most unlikely of places and circumstances, the Klondike gold rush was unique in the history of Canada and the development of the North. Dawson City, the “Paris of the North,” was the hub of the Klondike gold rush 125 years ago. There were more saloons, gambling halls and theatres than there were places serving food, and the live theatre was at the centre of it all. Discover the icons who went from the Klondike to Hollywood: Robert Service, Jack London, Charlie Chaplin, Alexander Pantages, Sid Grauman, Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, Marjorie Rambeau and more. Join Gates on this cinematic journey as he ponders the question: Did the Klondike help make Hollywood, or did Hollywood make the Klondike? Crafted from Gates’s first-hand experience and extensive research, Hollywood in the Klondike casts a spotlight on an exciting piece of Canadian history.