Challenge to Be Free
| Challenge to Be Free | |
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Theatrical poster
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| Directed by | Tay Garnett |
| Produced by | Chuck D. Keen |
| Written by | Anne Bosworth Chuck D. Keen |
| Based on | story by Dick North |
| Starring | Mike Mazurki |
| Narrated by | John McIntire |
| Music by | Ian Bernard |
| Cinematography | Chuck D. Keen |
| Distributed by | Pacific International Enterprises |
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Release date
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Running time
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88 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Challenge to Be Free (aka Mad Trapper of the Yukon and Mad Trapper) is a 1975 Alaska Pictures film directed by Tay Garnett and stars Mike Mazurki. Challenge to be Free was a fictionalized account of the 1931 Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) pursuit of a trapper named Albert Johnson, the reputed "Mad Trapper of Rat River".
Another film exploring the same topic was The Mad Trapper (1972), a British made-for-television production. A later fictionalized account, Death Hunt (1981), also based on the story of the RCMP pursuit of Albert Johnson, was directed by Peter R. Hunt, and starred Charles Bronson, Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson and Carl Weathers.
In Alaska, Trapper (Mike Mazurki) attempts to live in harmony with nature but is aware that other trappers are using inhumane traps. When he is confronted by rival trappers over his interference with their trap lines, they bring along Sargent (Fritz Ford) the local police officer. Feeling intimidated, Trapper fights back, shooting his way out of his cabin and embarking on a desperate attempt to escape the authorities.
Challenge to Be Free was filmed mainly on location in Alaska, as the locale of the "Mad Trapper" manhunt was changed from the Yukon to the United States. As an American production, Johnson's character was changed to, simply, the "Trapper". The theme song, "Trapper Man" was featured. It was filmed and originally released as "The Mad Trapper of the Yukon" in 1972, but was later re-released in 1975 to a wider audience.
Reviewer Leonard Maltin characterized Challenge to Be Free as being "... A very charming film, wonderful for younger viewers."
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