# The Chechahcos

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A 1924 American silent adventure drama film about the gold rush days in the Klondike, and the first full-length motion picture filmed entirely in Alaska. It was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the United States Library of Congress.
Cast and Crew :
| Crew ||
| Director | Lewis H. Moomaw (d. 1980) |
| Screenwriter | Lewis H. Moomaw |
| Based on available information, the latest crew member that is relevant to international copyright laws died in 1980, meaning that this film may be in the public domain in countries and jurisdictions with 43 years p.m.a. or less, as well as in the United States. ||
THE ALASKA MOVING PICTURE CORPORATION Austin E. Lathrop, President PRESENTS "THE CHECHAHCOS" (The new comers) Made entirely in Alaska Pathe, Physical Distributor
Story and Direction by LEWIS H. MOOMAW Production Mgr. GEORGE ED. LEWIS Sets and Lighting GUERNEY HAYS Photographed by HOBORT BROWNELL and RAYMOND JOHNSON
A White Dominion—lonely—unfathomable—
Glaciers are great mountains of ice—impassible—constantly pushing toward the water's edge where tremendous blocks, millions of tons in weight, sluf off with a sickening roar——
It was a whisper that echoed "'round the world" and started an epochal stampede. Fired with the faith of fools, thousands poured madly into the treasure trail.
Everything had to be packed. A bank clerk carried his pen, a barber carried his chair, but if you were a boiler maker——?
To lengthen this human chain, ill-chosen ships sped northward in 1897 with their cargoes of eager Chechahcos.
[Note: "Chechahcos" an Alaskan word meaning tenderfoot.]
"Stow the family album, Dad, and think about the fortune you're going to take back."
$^"$Horseshoe" Riley—an old timer around mining camps, who hated two things—women were both of them.
… William Dills
Bob Dexter——An adventure-craving young engineer who was due to have that craving glutted to the limit.
… Albert Van Antwerp
BAR
"Them lambs handle a pan like they was mixin' a drink—they'd be lucky to find gold in a mint."
Goto-Dust
"I'm goin' to grab a grubstake, teachin' them the A. B. C.'s of gold pannin'."
"Sure it's gold—the kind you're goin' through hell for."
Mrs. Stanlaw and her child had been swept along with the mad fever that had overtaken her husband, a young college professor.
… Miss Eva Gordon … Baby Margie
"One would think them jays was already millionaires, the way they're spendin' money on them painted biddies."
"—and when there glaciers moved on, they left the gold exposed. It only remains for us to pick up the larger nuggets and return home."
"Careful, son—they'll all trim you if they get the chance."
"Would you please tell my husband I'd like to see him."
"She's awful. Let's get the professor's wife to sing again."
STEWARD
In those frenzied times speed meant more than human life.
"She's got all the steam she can stand."
♪ $^"$Mid pleasures and palaces tho' we may roam—" ♪
♪ "—be it ever so humble, there's no place like home." ♪
"She's the professor's wife."
Richard Steele was one man going North who didn't expect to dig his fortune from the ground.
… Alexis B. Luce
"Come on, old kid, give us a lively tune for a change!"
S. S. RELIANCE
"I wouldn't be scared if my mama was here."
Marine history of that Northern coast is rife with the tales of disastrous wrecks.
But the survivors all joined the eager army at Chilcoot Pass where they pressed on to a blizzard-beaten crest.
There was only one who would have gladly turned back except for an insistent yearning.
"If the young engineer is alive our best chance to find him is at Lake Bennett."
It was not in the gambler's plans to tell Mrs. Stanlaw that her baby was being sheltered in the very camp they were leaving.
MAMA
"Riley, it's kind of nice to be a—a mother."
Being a "mother", however, has its trying moments. Riley was glad little Ruth wasn't "twins".
Beaver Camp marked the first lap on the way to the Klondike.
"This is Pierre's cabin—we'll stay over here."
A good-night kiss.
"How can I ever thank you for your kindness?"
"By permitting me to call you—"
"Margaret."
The "Chilcoot" was ruthless—it dared the strong and crushed the weaklings.
"Got his feet froze up at Beaver——and don't know yet they're got to come off."
"Saw the kid's mother with that gambler Steele, but didn't get a chance to talk to her."
"Riley, if that mother is on ahead, it's our duty to find her."
"Maybe so—but it's darn funny she's gallivantin' around with a tin-horn gambler."
"We're not sure of that——"
After "mushing" the trail for eighteen hours.
"Wait here 'til I find a warm place for the kiddie."
"Sorry I disturbed you and your lady friend—"
"Huntin' quarters for the night—reckon I came to the wrong place."
"It's too bad we have to travel with that scurvy crowd."
"Margaret—you need someone to protect you against it all——you need me!"
Winter made its sullen retreat—the ice in the Yukon moved down to the sea.
And the reindeer came up to browse along the warm slopes of Mt. McKinley.
Note: This is the first filming of Mt. McKinley, highest peak in North America.
The eager army converged on the shores of Lake Bennet, building crude boats that were to carry them to the "Eldorado of their Dreams".
W6X Ruth
KEEP IN A COOL-DRY PLACE
"She's ready—and some boat, too."
"Yep! But God help some of them poor devils—they think they're buildin' boats when they're only buildin' coffins."
SALT
Sour-dough bread, bacon, beans, rice and hard-tack was the menu, when you put in your stomach what you packed on your back.
"I'll give her plenty! Do you want her to grow up to be a midget?"
"Them beans certainly add a nice flavor to the salt."
Across the lake and down through the treacherous White Horse Rapids——a death trap to many a goldlured Chechahcos.
Riley finally did some plain talking to his young partner.
"You must be wrong—"
"Maybe—but I saw a plenty that night at Beaver Camp."
"And we've been trailing her like a pair of sapheads when she didn't give a—"
Of the many who harkened to that "Whisper" only the few were chosen to reap. With the years the makeshift gold-pan gave way to the hydraulic mining—"Alaska was discovered".
Dexter and Riley had named their mine "The Golden Girl", for the girl more precious to them than all the yellow dust on the Bonanza——
The dozen years in the open had scarcely changed the partners. But Ruth had grown to sweet young womanhood.
"Pretty good for a couple of sour-doughs."
"Heap big talk——little do."
Ruth.
… Gladys Johnston
The land lay beneath its white coverlet, and the crisp air welcomed its lovers to the open…
"I'm glad you're back. Bob's inside, frettin' his life away."
"The poor calf's been tryin' to tell me all day. Go in an' show him how it's done, child."
"No longer your little girl, but your—"
"You gettum papoose—me taken care of."
Where the creek showed pay dirt a town grew nearby. Such was Mason, nine hours by dog-team from the "Golden Girl Mine".
The Dance Hall was a part of a gold-born town—it served both for business and pleasure.
No longer were they Chechahcos, for the breath of the Yukon has transformed them into lonely sour-doughs, eager to taste the wine of happiness.
A man, known as "Cold Steele", had lately acquired the "Miner's Rest".
Steele, recognizing Dexter, saw trouble looming.
"Get these supplies and load the sled."
"They call her the 'Nightingale'—she just came in with the new owner."
"The drinks are on you, boys."
"To the Nightingale!"
Dance Hall girls received their pay in percentage checks for inducing men to buy drinks and dances. Ten drunks made it a profitable evening.
"You remember me——please came where we can talk."
Mrs. Stanlaw told her story—it was not all pretty—yet there was a tragic note in her recital which troubled Dexter's conscience.
"I couldn't believe my baby was——was drowned—I wanted to stay——"
"What else was left for me to do?"
"Just tell me she is alive——"
"If I told you she was—what then?"
"Oh, I love my baby—I'd do anything—I'd promise never to see her."
"When we learned you were with—him—we told her you were——dead."
"Don't worry—I'm not trying to steal your woman."
"So it was you who knifed me on the boat! I've got a hunch that rumpus isn't finished yet!"
"Pierre ees good hand with dogs—you give me job?"
"We'll start soon as the supplies are ready."
A woman of the Dance Halls.
Came a blinding blizzard with the remperature sixty below…
"You save my life so I tell you—Meester Steele he hire me to keel you——"
"Tell the skunk I'm coming back to thank him!"
"Don't worry, Honey—Bob's mushed through worse storms than this."
"I've got to get warm."
"Sure—Minnie's bringing enough coal oil to thaw the chill out of an iceberg."
Throughout a long Arctic night, fighting that demon which chills the bone and cooks the flesh—Frost.
With the morning came relief and the story of the meeting with Ruth's mother.
"I thought about it out in the snow——would she have gone with him if she'd had her child."
"Figurin' from what you've said, Bob, I'm thinkin' we might have made a mistake."
"Maybe I should have investigated more the time I found her with the gambler at Beaver Camp."
"Zee storm et get him jus' same, 'cause I find zee dogs."
"The next time you muddle things——remember!"
A cry from the spirit—that hour when man must face the tribunal of conscience.
"God forgive me, if I've done what ain't right!"
The Mail Carrier.
promise. To Know that my little Ruth lives has given me courage. I am leaving Mason so that she may never learn the fate of Her Unhappy Mother.
"She's going out to the Sates and says to give these to the girls."
"So you're going to leave me because you found out about your brat."
"Yes! You cheat! Liar! You've known where she was all these years."
"—and here's something to tell that engineer——you're mine—and going to stay mine!"
On a pretext of mining business, Dexter and Riley depart for the town of Mason.
$^"$The Miner's Rest" claimed the street crowd, for the "Nightingale" was singing her farewell song.
It was a mother's call that echoed to the girl—her mother—alive—and then a panic haste to reach her before it was too late.
"I'll look after her——you attend to Steele—"
A short cut to the dangerous glacier trail.
"Me an' my pardner have talked it all over."
"So you've come back to thank me, eh?"
FIRE
And nothing to fight it with but snow!
"By the time you're well toasted, I'll be out on the Dyea trail."
Fear hastens Steele's get-away.
Dexter rushes for his dogs.
The first flush of Dawn found Dexter hanging grimly to Steele's trail, determined to bring him to justice.
Lost——dazed——unaware of the danger in venturing onto the glacier.
Steele makes for the glacier edge where he believes Dexter will fear to follow.
Crashing, crumpling, roaring—an ever moving mass of ice.
The End Alaska Moving Pictures Corporation Anchorage, Alaska
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.
Copyright law abroad tends to consider the following people authors of a film:
* The principal director
* The screenwriter, and/or other writers of dialogue
* The composer/lyricist (if the film is accompanied by sound)
* The cinematographer
* By extension, the authors of any works that may serve as the basis for a film's plot
The longest-living of these authors died in 1980, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 43 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
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