The Frozen Film Find of Dawson City

In 1978 on a random cold day in Dawson City (Isn’t it always cold there?), over 500 reels of silent film were uncovered at the site of a demolished skating rink.  After a few moments of consideration, people quickly realized that this could potentially be a priceless cache of one-of-a-kind movies.  Michael Gates was there when this happened, and this frozen film find in Dawson City became one of the hallmarks of his career.  But how did these films get there?  Well it all begins with the famous Klondike gold rush in the 1880’s.  This story involves crazy gold prospectors, a budding movie industry, extreme isolation, absolutely freezing temperatures, and the dangers of explosive film stock.

Klondike Characters in Hollywood

The Boom years of Dawson City generated some of the most influential characters in Hollywood history.  In this bonus episode, we discuss “Fatty” Arbuckle, Sid Grauman, Alex Pantages, Jack London, Robert Service, and many others!