Georgia Hale

Brunette Georgia Hale starred as the dancehall girl so idolized by Charles Chaplin in the seminal classic The Gold Rush (1925). Despite the exposure from this major hit, Hale's only other noteworthy film was The Salvation Hunters (1925), an interesting failure bankrolled by Chaplin and directed by Josef Von Sternberg. A former dancer, Hale was picked from the ranks of movie extras for her role in The Gold Rush and although she would only make 13 silent films in all, she remains one of the most visible actresses of the era. In 1929, Chaplin filmed tests of Hale as the blind girl in City Lights (released 1931), hoping to replace the inexperienced Virginia Cherrill. Too much footage had already been shot, however, and Chaplin ended up retaining Cherrill, much to the detriment of Hale's own career. She reportedly remained on Chaplin's payroll until 1953 but Hale's screen career had effectively ended with the low-budget silent The Floating College (1928). Surprisingly, she returned to star opposite Rin-Tin-Tin in the 1931 Mascot serial Lightning Warrior (reportedly replacing the difficult Edwina Booth); it proved the final film for both. Long out of public view, Georgia Hale remained devoted to Chaplin for the rest of her life, so much so that she never married. Her autobiography, Charlie Chaplin: Intimate Close-Ups, was published posthumously in 1995.

~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide