The Call of the Wild

Starring: Clark Gable, Loretta Young, Jack Oakie, Reginald Owen
Directed by: William A. Wellman
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
1935

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Two friends (Clark Gable, Jack Oakie) head deep into the Alaskan wilderness, following a map that is supposed to lead to gold. Along the way, they find a woman (Loretta Young) searching for her missing husband- who happened to be the owner of the original map to the gold!

Review:

Tim: The Call of the Wild is a clever action adventure movie that tells its story a little too straightforward, and is a little too convenient with the plot. That being said, I couldn't help but really enjoy this movie. I got caught up in the adventure and the characters, and I found myself having fun, along for the ride. I was able to overlook some of the flaws and silliness, because of the convincing story. I can't say this is a great movie, but it was a very enjoyable one.

On an adventure level, this is a very strong movie. We have our small group of protagonists braving the wild, battling the elements, all for that elusive gold at the end of the treasure map. They battle wolves, rivers, the greedy side of humanity, insufficient funds, and more. These are all quite exciting and make for a quick paced story. I also absolutely love the expensive decision to actually film this movie in the wilderness. It wasn't actually in Alaska, but the beautiful landscape and setting is one of the great strengths of this film. That added an important element of realism to the entire film.

I do wish that this movie had stayed truer to its Jack London source material, but I don't think this was a fatal flaw. It might have hurt a bit, but I respect the changes to make this a starring vehicle for Clark Gable.

Gable was a big reason why I so enjoyed this movie. He is definitely a "manly" man, and it is legitimately fun to watch him trekking through the wilderness in search of gold. Gable had that likeable charisma that allowed audiences to get on his side, and root for him to succeed. He really makes this movie with his effortlessly charming performance. I also enjoyed Loretta Young. Young and Gable have amazing chemistry in this movie, which is not surprising because they had a real-life romance on the set (and an out-of-wedlock child, but that's another matter). They were terrific together on screen. I also enjoyed Jack Oakie. Now, I admit his over-the-top silliness and overacting did hurt the film on occasion. However, his genuine, fun performance also helped a great deal. I really believed that Gable and Oakie were close friends on screen. They worked well together. Much of this film's success is due to the Gable-Young-Oakie pairing. I legitimately enjoyed each of these characters, and loved watching them together on screen.

While this is a strong movie, it does have its flaws. The story wraps up a little too conveniently and nicely. I know that other endings were originally filmed, but a happier one was chosen instead. I am not sure I agree with this decision. Still, while flawed, The Call of the Wild is a very enjoyable adventure movie. Too few of these films are made, even today, and I loved going on this adventure with these great characters. This was a fun movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Mutiny on the Bounty, Gone With the Wind, Treasure of the Sierra Madre