Call of the Wild is a 1972 film directed by Ken Annakin, based on the Jack London book about John Thornton (Charlton Heston) a prospector in the 1897 Klondike Gold Rush trying to eke out a living in the harsh conditions of the bitterly cold Yukon region of Alaska, and Buck the German Shepherd dog he befriends.
Thornton struggles against unscrupulous rivals and natural hazards in the extreme conditions and is greatly helped by Buck who has his own story to tell: he was abducted from a family home and taken north to become a working sled dog. Man and dog forge a true bond of friendship, working together to survive life in the treacherous frozen North
Jack Thornton has trouble winning enough at cards for the stake he needs to get to the Alaska gold fields. His luck changes when he pays $250 for Buck, a sled dog that is part wolf to keep him from being shot by an arrogant Englishman also headed for the Yukon. En route to the Yukon with Shorty Houlihan -- who spent time in jail for opening someone else's letter with a map of where gold is to be found -- Jack rescues a woman whose husband was the addressee of that letter. Buck helps Jack win a $1,000 bet to get the supplies he needs. And when Jack and Claire Blake pet Buck one night, fingers touch. Written by Dale O'Connor
A young boy heads off to the Yukon after hearing tales about the Gold Rush, and he forms an unwavering friendship with a heroic Alsatian dog called Buck. Written by Jonathan Broxton
A print of this film survives in the Museum of Modern Art Film Archives.
hn Thornton: You hit that dog one more time, I'm gonna kill ya. l: Go to hell! He's mine and I'll do what I like with him. hn Thornton: I shot four varmints already this morning. One more don't matter none to me.
te: I've never seen so many people. hn Thornton: And more are coming all the time. I tell ya, Pete, if this is the promised land, I'll take the open trail.
