The Call of the Wild | |
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Directed by | Fred Jackman |
Written by | Fred Jackman |
Based on | |
Produced by | Hal Roach |
Starring | Jack Mulhall Walter Long Sidney D'Albrook Buck the dog |
Cinematography | Floyd Jackman |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Pathé Exchange |
Release date |
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Running time | 7 reels |
Country | United States |
Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
The Call of the Wild is an American silent adventure film based on the popular 1903 book by Jack London. The film was written and directed by Fred Jackman and produced by Hal Roach. The feature was released on September 23, 1923, and distributed by Pathé Exchange. [1]
The story opens with Buck as a puppy, being ushered into a happy family as a Christmas present for a little girl. He grows up a faithful and loving friend of the children until one day he is stolen and sold as a sled dog in the Klondike. Here, under cruel treatment, he learns many lessons and develops a keen dislike to the man who stole him and clubbed him into submission. One experience follows another for Buck until he finds a real friend in his last master to whom he proves his faithfulness in the climax. [2]
The cinematographer for the film was Floyd Jackman, brother of director Fred Jackman, who was president of the American Society of Cinematographers at the time. Floyd and Fred filmed some of the scenes on location in Truckee, California and in Colorado. [4] Truckee was one of Hollywood's favorite locations for filming during the early part of the 20th century, with close to a 100 movies and sequences being filmed there and in the surrounding area. [5] The popular television series Bonanza filmed there as well. [5] Truckee was often chosen for filming winter scenes, because of the area's similarity to the Alaskan wilderness. The 1935 film adaption of London's novel starring Clark Gable and Loretta Young filmed there as well on a special set constructed near Prosser Creek. [5]
Sol Lesser is credited for discovering Buck, the animal star of the film. The story goes that several years before production began on the 1923 movie, the producer wanted to film an adaption of London's novel himself, but he knew of no dog that could play the hero Buck. Then one day he inadvertently ran across a full-blooded St. Bernard puppy, and realized that in a few years, this dog would grow up to be his Buck. So he purchased the dog and gave him the name and turned him over to a trainer. It was not reported why Lesser did not end up making the feature himself, instead of Roach. In London's book, Buck is described as a St. Bernard-Scotch Collie mix. [6]
During its two-week run at the Cameo Theater in New York, reviews in the local newspapers were unanimous in praising the film. The Evening Sun called the film "a very effective picture version" of London's novel and noted the "settings are very well done". The Evening Post said it was "a stirring series of pictures of the bleak wastes of snow and ice of the frozen North...and has many sensational scenes". Joseph Mulvaney of The New York American alluded to the animal star of the movie, saying "Buck is natural and he acts more as a result of instinct than training, and he is all the more lovable for it". The Evening Mail said it was an "excellent picture" and "its realism is heightened by many snow scenes". Helen Pollock wrote in The Telegraph that "Hal Roach evidently prefers the temperamental qualities of children and animals to those of adult actors. At all events he certainly performs marvels in his chosen field, and in no recent productions has he been happier than in his results with the dog actor, 'Buck', who is the star of the London story". [7]
The movie fared just as well on the west coast in its showing there. The California Theatre extended its run of the feature after the first week due to increased attendance. Reviews in local newspapers at the time expressed their approval of the film; James Gruen of The Examiner wrote, "It is a fitting tribute to London who, at his height, was the most important literary force in America, that his magnum opus is translated to the screen as this one...has been". Pearl Rall opined in The Evening Express that "Hal Roach is to be commended for the ownership of so beautiful and noble a creature as 'Buck' he is to be congratulated...that many approved the manner in which he has caught the story was shown by applause at intervals and laughter at its comedy". The Daily Times critic Edwin Schallert admitted that he was "fascinated by these pictures in which animals play the leading roles...the dog who plays the hero is a very good dog indeed. Several times, as a matter of fact, he was rewarded with applause, and I have no doubt that many of the audience felt that for his performance he should have been tendered a whole stack of bones". [8]
Prints of The Call of the Wild are archived at the Museum of Modern Art. [9]
Of Mice and Men is a 1939 American drama film based on the 1937 play of the same name, which itself was based on the novella of the same name by author John Steinbeck. The film stars Burgess Meredith, Betty Field, and Lon Chaney Jr., and features Charles Bickford, Roman Bohnen, Bob Steele, and Noah Beery Jr. The film tells the story of two men, George and his intellectually disabled partner Lennie, trying to survive during the dustbowl of the 1930s and pursuing a dream of owning their own ranch instead of always working for others. Starring in the lead roles were relative Hollywood newcomer Burgess Meredith as George and veteran actor Lon Chaney Jr. as Lennie. Chaney had appeared in more than 50 films by that point in his career, but Of Mice and Men was his first major role. Betty Field's role as Mae was her breakthrough role in film.
Charles Joseph Parrott, known professionally as Charley Chase, was an American comedian, actor, screenwriter and film director. He worked for many pioneering comedy studios but is chiefly associated with producer Hal Roach. Chase was the elder brother of comedian/director James Parrott.
The Call of the Wild is a short adventure novel by Jack London, published in 1903 and set in Yukon, Canada, during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush, when strong sled dogs were in high demand. The central character of the novel is a dog named Buck. The story opens at a ranch in Santa Clara Valley, California, when Buck is stolen from his home and sold into service as a sled dog in Alaska. He becomes progressively more primitive and wild in the harsh environment, where he is forced to fight to survive and dominate other dogs. By the end, he sheds the veneer of civilization, and relies on primordial instinct and learned experience to emerge as a leader in the wild.
The St. Bernard or Saint Bernard is a breed of very large working dog from the Western Alps in Italy and Switzerland. They were originally bred for rescue work by the hospice of the Great St Bernard Pass on the Italian-Swiss border. The hospice, built by and named after the Alpine monk Saint Bernard of Menthon, acquired its first dogs between 1660 and 1670. The breed has become famous through tales of Alpine rescues, as well as for its large size, and gentle temperament.
Pups Is Pups is a two-reel comedy short subject, part of the Our Gang series. It was produced and directed by Robert F. McGowan for Hal Roach, and originally released to theatres by M-G-M in 1930. It was the 100th Our Gang short that was released and the first in the 1930-1931 season.
Our Gang is an American series of comedy short films chronicling a group of poor neighborhood children and their adventures. Created by film producer Hal Roach, also the producer of the Laurel and Hardy films, Our Gang shorts were produced from 1922 to 1944, spanning the silent film and early sound film periods of American cinema. Our Gang is noted for showing children behaving in a relatively natural way; Roach and original director Robert F. McGowan worked to film the unaffected, raw nuances apparent in regular children, rather than have them imitate adult acting styles. The series also broke new ground by portraying white and black children interacting as equals during the Jim Crow era of racial segregation in the United States.
Our Hospitality is a 1923 American silent comedy film directed by Buster Keaton and John G. Blystone. Starring Keaton, Joe Roberts, and Natalie Talmadge and distributed by Metro Pictures Corporation, it uses slapstick and situational comedy to tell the story of Willie McKay, caught in the middle of the infamous "Canfield–McKay" feud, an obvious satire of the real-life Hatfield–McCoy feud.
Kenneth D. Peach, Sr. was an American cinematographer.
Dr. Jack is a 1922 American silent comedy film starring Harold Lloyd. It was produced by Hal Roach and directed by Fred Newmeyer. The story was by Jean Havez, Hal Roach, and Sam Taylor. The film was released on November 26, 1922.
Suzanna is a 1923 American silent comedy-drama film starring Mabel Normand and directed F. Richard Jones. The picture was produced by Mack Sennett, who also adapted the screenplay from a story by Linton Wells. A partial copy of the film, which is missing two reels, is in a European archive.
The Big Show is the ninth Our Gang short subject comedy released. The Our Gang series was created by Hal Roach in 1922, and continued production until 1944.
Fred Wood Jackman Sr., was an American cinematographer and film director of the silent era. He worked on 58 films as a cinematographer between 1916 and 1925. He also directed eleven films between 1919 and 1927, including two film serials for Hal Roach Studios.
Peggy Lenore Ahearn Blaylock, known professionally as Peggy Ahern, was an American actress best known for her appearance in eight of the Our Gang series of films released between 1924 and 1927. The Our Gang series, which was also known as The Little Rascals or Hal Roach's Rascals, was a series of comedic, short silent films created by director and producer Hal Roach. Ahern was one of the last surviving cast members from a Hal Roach film.
Lassie Lou Ahern was an American actress. Originally discovered by Will Rogers, she was best known for her role as Little Harry in the 1927 silent film Uncle Tom's Cabin and also for her recurring appearances in the Our Gang films. Except for "Baby Peggy", Ahern was the last living performer who had a substantial career during Hollywood's silent era.
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The Call of the Wild is a 2020 American adventure film based on Jack London's 1903 novel of the same name. Directed by Chris Sanders, in his live-action directorial debut, and his first film without a co-director, the film was written by Michael Green, and stars Harrison Ford, Omar Sy, Cara Gee, Dan Stevens, Karen Gillan, and Bradley Whitford. Set during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush, the film follows a dog named Buck as he is stolen from his home in California and sent to the Yukon, where he befriends an old outdoorsman and begins a life-altering adventure.
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