The Call of the Wild (1923 film)

The Call of the Wild
Advertisement in Motion Picture News
Directed by	Fred Jackman
Produced by	Hal Roach
Written by	Fred Jackman
Based on	The Call of the Wild by Jack London
Starring	Jack Mulhall Walter Long Sidney D'Albrook Buck the dog
Cinematography	Floyd Jackman
Production company	Hal Roach Studios
Distributed by	Pathé Exchange
Release date	1923 (1923)
Running time	7 reels
Country	United States
Language	Silent (English intertitles)

The Call of the Wild is an American silent film based on the popular book by Jack London. The film was written and directed by Fred Jackman and produced by Hal Roach. The feature was released on September 23, 1923 and distributed by Pathé Exchange. Prints of the movie are archived at the Museum of Modern Art.

The story opens with Buck as a puppy, being ushered into a happy family as a Christmas present for a little girl. He grows up a faithful and loving friend of the children until one day he is stolen and sold as a sled dog in the Klondike. Here, under cruel treatment, he learns many lessons and develops a keen dislike to the man who stole him and clubbed him into submission. One experience follows another for Buck until he finds a real friend in his last master to whom he proves his faithfulness in the climax.

The cinematographer for the film was Floyd Jackman, brother of director Fred Jackman, who was president of the American Society of Cinematographers at the time. Floyd and Fred filmed some of the scenes on location in Truckee, California and in Colorado. Truckee was one of Hollywood’s favorite locations for filming during the early part of the 20th century, with close to a 100 movies and sequences being filmed there and in the surrounding area. The popular television series Bonanza filmed there as well. Truckee was often chosen for filming winter scenes, because of the area's similarity to the Alaskan wilderness. The 1935 film adaption of London's novel starring Clark Gable and Loretta Young filmed there as well on a special set constructed near Prosser Creek.

Sol Lesser is credited for discovering Buck, the animal star of the film. The story goes that several years before production began on the 1923 movie, the producer wanted to film an adaption of London's novel himself, but he knew of no dog that could play the hero Buck. Then one day he inadvertently ran across a full-blooded St. Bernard puppy, and realized that in a few years, this dog would grow up to be his Buck. So he purchased the dog and gave him the name and turned him over to a trainer. It was not reported why Lesser did not end up making the feature himself, instead of Roach. In London's book, Buck is described as a St. Bernard-Scotch Collie mix.