Call of the Wild (1935)

What makes it different from others?

Good concept, poorly executed.

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Nature seems to have a way of fighting back against those who try to steal its natural resources. Those searching for gold in the Yukon are prey to all sorts of natural obstacles, from the rushing rivers of cold, flowing water as well as the often non-stop snow that often comes with blizzard conditions. The men who went there often never came back, and those who did found a new sense of respect for nature's wrath.Jack London's tale of brave and villainous men is also a love story of man's desire to conquer the great outdoors. It is a story of the devoted friendship of man and dog, and often, the dog is more the hero than the human. For Clark Gable, the desire for gold doesn't come without its risks, and with a loyal St. Bernard by his side, the adventure he finds will be more valuable than gold.Keeping his prize St. Bernard is not without its challenges, betting it on a challenge that he can pull a thousand pounds. But the dastardly Reginald Owen isn't about to loose gracefully, and makes great effort to win back his loss. Along the way, Gable meets stranded Loretta Young who believes that her husband died in a blizzard. With the help of the friendly St. Bernard and jovial Jack Oakie, they set up camp and find a sudden romance that only fate can interrupt.With great scenery and some thrilling action sequences, this seems slight on plot but that doesn't stop it from being often thrilling. Directed with gusto by the legendary William Wellman, this never sags. There's even some light humor, particularly an adorable sequence when the dog heads off to the howling of wolves and briefly makes an adorable new friend. DVD prints run short by almost 20 minutes making me wonder what ever happened to the full, original print, and if this is one released for T.V. broadcasts.

This is pretty good, as adaptations go. The author of the story, Jack London, was quite a guy and came up with some gripping adventure stories. In life, he was an oyster pirate in Oakland, a prospector in the Yukon, a correspondent in the Far East, a member of the artist's colony in Carmel, and finally an isolated heroin addict in a house near Napa, dying alone at forty.I haven't read the story since high school but, as a movie, it stands on its own. Clark Gable is the prospector and gambler who fits very well into the north woods. His comic sidekick in Jack Oakie. The dog he wins is Buck, a St. Bernard, who is enormously willful and strong, and is torn between allegiance to his master and "the call of the wild," meaning that out there in the forest is a pack of wolves and one of them is in estrus. Gable has the same problem. He and Oakie manage to rescue a lost damsel, Loretta Young, looking petite and pretty and plump lipped. But she's married and, uh, well, she and Gable obey the call of the wild.They did in real life too. Loretta Young was whisked out of town to bear a daughter. A few years ago, long after the two miscreants had disappeared down the memory hole of everyone but withering old movie buffs, a photo of her appeared in the press. Unfortunately for her, she looked much more like Gable than Young, except no visible mustache. She passed away only a few weeks ago, or I wouldn't have written this.William Wellman directed with his usual dash. It's not long, it's packed with action, and if you pay attention it raises some interesting moral and philosophical questions. Are we really that different from the beasts? How much slippage should we expect to see between nature and culture?

Based very loosely on the Jack London novel,this is a star-vehicle for the rough and likable Clark Gable.Thrown in there's a dog named Buck and Jack Okie as his comic sidekick, for Gable to bond with.Then there's beautiful Loretta Young for him to romance (which he also did in real-life,resulting in an illegitimate child.)Shot on location in Washington State the movie has a rugged outdoor look from which it benefits immensely.The portrait of the rough and tumble gold mining town of Skagway looks almost authentic.The performances are pretty standard.Gable is his rough and likable self,Jack Okie,the likable buffoon ,Loretta Young,a good love-interest and Reginald Owen a despicable villain.All in all an entertaining adventure movie.

The Yukon Gold Rush: A savage dog and a lonely man each respond to THE CALL OF THE WILD, that primordial release of primitive urges, in their own way.It should be understood immediately that this movie only borrows the title and a few incidents from Jack London's classic novel. And at that point the comparison between the two should end. This film, rousing & adventurous, is able to stand on its own merits. An excellent cast, fine production values (notice particularly the care with which Skagway & Dawson are depicted) and location shooting in Washington State are the film's strongest assets. The plot, meant solely for entertainment, is pure hokum...Clark Gable brings his trademark masculinity to a role that didn't require a lot of stretching of his thespian muscles. But in essentially playing himself he is perfectly cast. One cannot overcome the suspicion that London's original story was reworked for the star. Gable had been through this before - remote setting, forces of nature, beautiful woman, adultery. Think RED DUST in the snow.Loretta Young is the beautiful woman. From scene to scene, no matter what the hardship, she remains living proof that a first class Hollywood makeup job can withstand the worst ravages of the Klondike. This is perhaps too harsh. Like Gable, little more is required of her than to exude physicality. She is indeed a treat to the eyes, even if her inclusion in the plot is patently ludicrous. (The on screen attraction between Gable & Young wasn't faked. A daughter, ostensibly 'adopted' by Young in France, would be the result.)As Gable's sidekick, comic Jack Oakie has one of his best screen roles. Getting to play most of his scenes strictly for laughs, he adds chuckles to the story which, one assumes, would have outraged London. Twisting his usual pomposity to a sinister bent, English character actor Reginald Owen is memorable as the film's villain. Dangerously wicked, he makes us want to know more about this man called Smith, with money to burn and a raging temper. The screenplay, wisely, leaves his biography up to the imagination of the viewer.Sidney Toler & Herman Bing are very good in small roles. Movie mavens will recognize Arthur Housman, veteran of many Laurel & Hardy comedy shorts, as a Skagway drunk with a surprisingly mean punch.The affection between Gable and Buck, the great St. Bernard with whom he shares so many scenes, is obvious.