What Do You Think?
Join our Kids Off The Couch community to share your family’s favorite activities and to talk about how media impacts all of our kids’ lives.
View BlogExpress Yourself
Visit our new blog to discuss parenting Hot Topics and share your favorite KOTC adventures.
Gold Fever
Gold Rush + Prospecting at the Autry National Center
In Gold Rush, Charlie Chaplin - in his signature persona The Tramp - gave our kids the giggles while portraying a hapless gold prospector in the Alaskan frontier. We first meet The Tramp traipsing up an icy mountain in tattered clothes and a bowler hat, followed by a lazy looking bear. The giggles turned into guffaws when The Tramp and a fearsome trapper named Big John find themselves in shack teetering atop a cliff, scampering back and forth to keep from tumbling into a crevasse. No child should grow up without watching Chaplin solemnly carve up and eat a shoe as if it were a Thanksgiving turkey, or woo his beloved by making his dinner rolls tap dance. When the girl finally returns his affection, she is unaware that The Tramp has struck it rich. The ending is worth it's weight in.... well, you know.
Panning for gold in a river sounds like a great get-rich-quick scheme; in fact, men from all over the globe flocked to California to stake a claim. We tried it for ourselves at the Autry National Center's panning-for-gold exhibit. Our kids got their hands wet trying to sift through sand in a rickety pan, their eyes peeled for a few heavy bits of gold (the museum uses pyrite, aka "fool's gold"). Once they'd accumulated their riches, they weighed in at the General Store, and discovered that they could barely afford an apple for lunch. In remote mining spots, storekeepers charged outrageous prices, a quick lesson that the folks who struck it rich were not always the ones with pickaxes in their hands. How rich? We checked out the Autry's new California Style exhibit for a glimpse into the sumptuous lives led by the San Francisco elite at the turn of the century. Ornate clothing and landscape paintings of the era established a romantic identity for the new breed of Californians who had recently conquered the frontier, and were ready to master society.
Buttery Bits of Wisdom about this film:
- Why this Film is Worthy: Silent films take a bit of getting used to, but Chaplin's physical humor will win your kids over. We rented the 1942 re-mix of the original 1925 film for which Chaplin provided a voice over narration. It's fine to fast forward through a few of the more lengthy scenes; the mime's set pieces are the best part.
- Red Flags: There is a limited bit of gun play, as well as a chase with a knife - it is the wild-west, after all. But, everything is done with comedy in mind and there isn't a drop of blood shed.
- COOL FACT: Gold Rush is the fifth highest grossing film of the silent film era.
tips for talking with your kids about this film:
- Cinema Savvy: Charlie Chaplin wrote, directed and starred in his own films and was one of the silent film era's greatest stars. The character of The Tramp was both elegant and a man of the people, and found popularity all over the world. Chaplin, with other stars of his ear, co-founded a film distribution company, United Artists, and retained financial and creative control over his work.
- History Savvy: Men came from every country in the world to seek their fortune during California's Gold Rush. However, by the time most arrived, corporations had taken over the strike areas. Individual miners wound up working for the big companies, or moving to other strikes in Nevada and Alaska. California's diversity can be traced back to this significant population influx.
Prospect for Gold and California Style Exhibit at the Autry
California Style: Art and Fashion From the California Historical Society through May 27
The Autry National Center at Griffith Park
4700 Western Heritage Way
Los Angeles, CA 90027
Age Recomendation: 5 and up for gold panning, 10 and up for California Style
Time Allotment: Two hours, including other exhibitions
Parking: Free
Our Buttery Bits of Wisdom about this Popcorn Adventure:
- What Worked for Us Panning Gold: All the kids will love getting their hands wet immediately, but our advice is for kids over 9 to stop at the General Store first. They'll pick up an Order Form and can choose the supplies they will need to be gold miners, which they'll pay for with their earnings. It is a shock when the gold the kids collect doesn't weigh enough to pay for their lunch -- a visceral lesson in how many miners didn't come close to striking it rich. Ask them to tell you whether the gold or the sand is heavier (gold sinks to the bottom of the pan as the sand is sifted out).
- Plan your visit: The gold exhibit takes about a half-hour, allowing plenty of time to explore other exhibits in the museum. Younger kids will enjoy the Family Discovery Center (we loved the interactive learning experience about a Chinese immigrant family surviving during the Depression), or the current art exhibit.
- What Worked For Us at California Style Exhibit: This exhibit is for older kids only as it showcases the art and fashion purchased by those who did strike it rich from gold. The exhibit cleverly hangs the art that the new social elite purchased next to the clothing that they wore. Click here to see a helpful interactive viewing of some of the clothing and paintings on display. It will help if kids do this before visiting the show.
- Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 10 - 5. Gold Rush activities, Saturdays and Sundays from 11 - 1. Weather permitting.
- Prices: Museum Admission: $9.00 for Adults; $5.00 for students and seniors 60+; $3.00 for children 2-12.
- The Autry's website: Click here to visit this informative website. For more information call 323.667.2000.
- Our tips for viewing the California Style show: Make the art fun by asking the kids to draw imaginary lines down the middle of two paintings: in William Keith Hale's Progress each side depicts the same land in a different stage of development; one side is untouched wilderness and the other reflects man's agricultural and animal domestication knowhow. Then, look at James Walker's Roping the Bear, where each side of the painting is a mirror image of the other. The painting depicts vaqueros, hired ranch hands who were known for their elaborate dress and gear. Point out the buttons on the crimson evening dress -- each is a work of art that reflects society's interest in wilderness. Or, take a look at the enormous bustle on the midnight blue reception dress and ask your kids if a woman would be able to sit comfortably or bend down.
Our tips to help you expand your family's experience.
- The Autry Center has lots of fun family programs worth looking out for. On April 14, there's a BBQ championship with teams around the country cooking up their specialities. On summer Thursday evenings, live music plays for Sizzling Summer Nights with salsa dancing. And on June 22, look for great programming to celebrate the singing cowboy Gene Autry's Centennial celebration.
- Additional Fun: Griffith Park has lots of interesting corners to explore. There is a wonderful merry-go-round, and a few different places to ride ponies. Plan to spend an afternoon combining the museum and the park itself.
- COOL FACT: Gene Autry has five stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame - one in each of these categories; records radio, film, television and live performances.
