The Call of the Wild (1972)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Ken Annakin

Writers:

Federico De Urrutia (Italian version)
Hubert Frank (German version)
(more)

Release Date:

March 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Family

Tagline:

Jack London's epic saga of gold fever, romance and adventure.

Plot:

A house dog is abducted and brought to the north as a sled dog. |

Plot Keywords:

Dog | Tragedy | Dog Sled | Wolf | Gold Rush

Cast

Charlton Heston	...	John Thornton
Michèle Mercier	...	Calliope Laurent
Raimund Harmstorf	...	Pete (as Raymond Harmstorf)
George Eastman	...	Black Burton
Maria Rohm	...	Mercedes
Juan Luis Galiardo	...	Seze
Sancho Gracia	...	Taglish Charlie
Friedhelm Lehmann	...	Charles
Horst Heuck	...	Hal
Rik Battaglia	...	Dutch Harry
Alf Malland	...	Constantine
Alfredo Mayo	...	Judge Miller
Sverre Wilberg	...	Colonel
Olov Pedersen	...	Red Sweater
Per Amvik	...	François
Torbjørn Halvorsen	...	Perrault
Hans Stormoen	...	Master of Ceremonies
Kåre Siem	...	Piano Player
Dan Rosse	...	Old Miner
Roy Bjørnstad	...	Storeman
Ola B. Johannessen	...	Con Man
Per Tofte	...	Runner
Antonio Mayans	...	Jack
Jennifer Roberts	...	Mollie
Jody Hanson	...	Alice
Buck	...	Buck
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Luis Barboo	...	(uncredited)
Charly Bravo	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Ken Annakin

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Federico De Urrutia		Italian version
Hubert Frank		German version
Jack London		novel
Tíbor Reves		uncredited
Harry Alan Towers		writer (as Peter Welbeck)
Win Wells		writer (as Wyn Wells)
Peter Yeldham		written by

Produced by
Artur Brauner	....	producer
George Davis	....	associate producer
Peter Manley	....	associate producer
Harry Alan Towers	....	producer

Original Music by
Carlo Rustichelli

Cinematography by
John Cabrera

Film Editing by
Thelma Connell

Art Direction by
Knut Solberg

Costume Design by
Brit Hartmann
Grethe Wang

Makeup Department
Cristóbal Criado	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Miguel Ángel Bermejo	....	assistant production manager
Hans Lindgren	....	production manager
Svein Toreg	....	production manager
Odd Ween	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ian Goddard	....	assistant director
Bente Kaas	....	assistant director
Dudley Lovell	....	second unit director
Ola Solum	....	assistant director

Art Department
Rafael Ablanque	....	assistant art director
Petter J. Borgli	....	props

Sound Department
Doug E. Turner	....	sound mixer (as Douglas Turner)

Camera and Electrical Department
Dudley Lovell	....	photography: second unit
Hans Nord	....	camera operator
Egil S. Woxholt	....	additional photographer (as Egil Woxholt)

Production Companies

• Central Cinema Company Film (CCC)
• Oceania Produzioni Internazionali Cinematografiche
• Universal Pictures France (UPF)
• Massfilms (associate)
• Ízaro Films

Distributors

• Intercontinental Releasing Corporation (IRC) (1975) (USA) (theatrical)
• Constantin Film (1972) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb (1974) (East Germany) (theatrical)
• Direct Source (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• Essex Home Video (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• GoodTimes Home Video (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• GoodTimes Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• United American Video (1990) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Il richiamo della foresta (Italy)
L'appel de la forêt (France)
La selva blanca (Spain)
Ruf der Wildnis (West Germany)

Runtime:

Norway:104 min | Spain:105 min | USA:100 min

Country:

UK | France | West Germany | Italy | Spain

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-12 (cut) | Australia:PG | Norway:12 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | West Germany:6

Filming Locations:

Lapland, Finland

Company:

Central Cinema Company Film (CCC)

Quotes:

John Thornton: You hit that dog one more time, I'm gonna kill ya.
Hal: Go to hell! He's mine and I'll do what I like with him.
John Thornton: I shot four varmints already this morning. One more don't matter none to me.

Movie Connections:

Version of The Call of the Wild: Dog of the Yukon (1997) (TV)

A sad and uplifting Jack London adaptation that is not to be missed. You can rarely go wrong with 'Chuck'.

I don't know about other people, although looking at the score this website has given this film I can only ponder, but when it comes to international team work in making a film, I often love the results. In fact, I loved this movie and thought it was extraordinary. Oh and the emotion, it blew me away. 'Call Of The Wild' is a very emotional story of a German Sheppard's forced journey from 19th Century California to the Goldrush of the Alaskan wilderness and the meeting with its new owner with which it becomes closer to than with anyone or anything else. A very simple story indeed, but the legendary Jack London knew how to tell a great high adventure tale on an epic scale and he obviously fancied dogs very much as is shown with his minute details about his subjects. I believe that Ken Annakin (the director of this film) realized London's vision to perfection and translated it brilliantly to the screen.

The sheer realism that Jack London told his stories with takes you to another world and it takes your breath away with their uplifting finales. Ken Annakin had done a wonderful job with directing "Call Of The Wild". The dog in the film is an actor itself as it plays such an integral part of the film. Not even half way into it, it is almost certain that you will fall in love with the dog. Its emotions and gestures are all natural, and it's easy to relate to the dog's journey. Five minutes into the film, I was hooked. The dog had such a commanding presence that not even Charlton Heston could get in its way. And then there is Charlton Heston, a man of such phenomenal, legendary influence on film history. Yet even with his power, fame and success he is one of the few actors in the world who's fame doesn't distract from the film. It's his strong presence and every-man, human and subtle performances that set him apart from many actors on the same level of fame. He is always the same 'Chuck', but he is more like we are and that's why we loved his films so much. So, when you see him inevitably getting closer and attached to the dog, it feels so convincing and real, it drains you of all emotions.

Call me crazy, but when the credits at the end were rolling I felt like crying. Here you are, in the middle of god's nowhere in the heart of the Alaskan wilderness; two mammals - a dog and a man - who have no families and nothing to come home to find one another and become the closest, most reliant friends as it is a key player in their survival of the unforgiving hardships of the Goldrush and the wilderness in between them and the Gold. The scenes where 'Chuck' finds the dog after not seeing him for a long time are so uplifting and you can see the happiness and joy in Heston's eyes. However, nothing beats the finale when the dog and the man are departed for the last time in tragedy. It's so sad and it makes you think about how big their journey together was and how close they were to one another. Yet, the film still finishes on a positive note with the dog and his offspring symbolizing "life goes on".

What really set the mood for the film more than the harsh wilderness and the hardships that the two faced throughout, was the unusual, alienating music written and composed by Carlo Rustichelli, which at first seems out of place and very weird, but soon becomes the film's underlying haunting atmosphere and power. In a way, the music paints a picture of struggle and isolation better than anything I've ever heard in my life. By the end of the film, I didn't want anything else, it was perfect. And of course, the music wouldn't have been any good without the wonderful cinematography that gave a clear realization of how vast the landscape is.

Ken Annakin's "Call Of The Wild" is easily a worthy addition to the adventure lover's film collection. You will feel like you have been on an epic journey. It captures the importance of dogs in those times - for dogs were at times worth more than Gold as they were the only things that could get you around the deep snows of Alaska. Rarely have I seen such a realistic and graphically harsh portrayal of the Goldrush years and the men with their dogs and sleds that fought, searched and died for the Gold. And in the fore-front there is a most captivating story about love and friendship between two different species.

Adventure fans, go no further than this great escapist master work. Yes, there is wooden acting in some parts, but the core of the film doesn't fail one bit. The film is a definite product of the 70s and adds a lot of nostalgia, only adding to the atmosphere. I absolutely surrendered to the film's beauty and power and I can confidently call it a classic. They don't make em' like this anymore!