User Reviews

Wiliam Wellman is the director at the helm of this version of Jack London's immensely popular novel. As an adventure, this movie offers a lot of fun because of the enormous appeal of its star, Clark Gable. He is a man's man. Mr. Gable projected such an aura about himself that he carried from film to film, making him one of the favorites of all audiences. The gold rush is presented as it should have been for the people that went in search of riches in the inhospitable confines of Alaska.

In this version, Loretta Young plays Claire Blake, the woman who conquered Jack Thornton's heart. The rumored affair between Ms. Young and Mr. Gable is fun to look at. What's real, and what not? It's up to the stars to know and for us, the viewers, to guess. Ms. Young and Mr. Gable were appealing players, as they prove in this film.

In other roles, Jack Oakie, Reginald Owen, Frank Conroy, and other old faces from films of the era make wonderful appearances. Above all, Buck, the great St. Bernard dog in the film is amazing. It's a joy to watch Mr. Gable's scenes with Buck as they compliment one another in that frigid background.

THE CALL OF THE WILD (20th Century Pictures, 1935), directed by William A. Wellman, released at the time when classic literature becomes classic cinema, ranks one of the finer Jack London based stories transferred to the screen in spite the fact that it's actually a free adaptation to his classic 1903 novel. In true Hollywood tradition, this version plays like a matinée western, handsome hero, comic sidekick, pretty heroine and nasty villain. Instead of a horse, there's a tough St. Bernard by the name of Buck, who, unlike the novel, is a secondary character, leaving much of the story to its hero, Jack Thornton.

Opening title: "Yukon, 1900, Skagway - mushroom metropolis, the first stop on the long trail to the gold fields." After gambling away his fortune at the gambling tables of The Great Northern where people gather together for wine, liquor and cigars, Jack Thornton (Clark Gable) meets up with his old pal, "Shorty" Houlihan (Jack Oakie). Having served a six month jail sentence for opening another man's letter containing a map to a gold mine compiled by the late Martin Blake, Shorty, who copied the map by memory after destroying the original, invites Thornton to accompany him in the search. Along the way, Thornton acquires vicious St. Bernard named Buck from Joe Groggins (Sidney Toler), saving the animal from being shot by the demanding Mr. Smith (Reginald Owen), whom the dog despises; and Claire (Loretta Young), of San Francisco, camping alone in the woods surrounded by wolves, who happens to be the wife of John Blake, son of the late gold prospector. Blake, who's been missing for a week, is believed to be dead. Not wanting to leave the Blake woman alone in the wild, Thornton takes her with them. Together they form a partnership searching for gold while Blake (Frank Conroy), very much alive, having fallen victim to Smith and his murderous assistants (Charles Stevens and Lalos Encinas) out to get the claim for themselves.

With THE CALL OF THE WILD having been screened earlier by Pathe (1923) with Jack Mulhall; adapted again in 1972 starring Charlton Heston, and a several more in later years, it's the Gable version that's remembered best. Gable, on loan from his home studio of MGM, makes one of the finer Jack London heroes, forceful and confident; and perfect Hollywood leading man by the way of romance. Buck, having little to do plot-wise, serves the film's purpose with a key scene in the Dawson City sequence where he pulls a thousand pound load sled through the cheering crowd of spectators a hundred yards on slippery snow towards his calling master as part of a $1,000 bet Thornton made with Smith. Aside from fine chemistry between Gable and Young (who worked together again in the 1950 MGM comedy, KEY TO THE CITY), Buck has his call of the wild with a female dog companion as well.

Anyone reading the closing cast credits will notice that Katherine DeMille, listed for the role of Marie, is non-existent in the final print. According to Bob Dorian, former host of American Movie Classics, during one of its many broadcasts during the 1990s, mentioned that DeMille's scenes were cut after its initial premiere due to her questionable character, reducing its original 95 minute length to 81, where it has been since. It's believed her character appeared during the latter portion of the opening saloon sequence, prior to Thornton's purchase of Buck, which explains the immediate cut from one scene to another. As it stands now, no prints involving "Marie" exists today. What has survived, according to an episode of the 1970s TV documentary, "That's Hollywood," narrated by Tom Bosley, is a cut scene involving Smith's shooting Shorty over a gambling debt. Because audiences couldn't accept comedian Jack Oakie getting killed, it was cut with Oakie's scenes rewritten. Unlike most movies at that time, filmed mostly inside the studio set, THE CALL OF THE WILD ads touches of realism with its location shooting in the Washington State mountains. Rumor has it that freezing temperatures  caused production delays. Overall, THE CALL OF THE WILD is best noted for the off-screen romance chemistry between Gable and Young, as profiled during A&E's "Biography" on either Gable or Young.

Of all the Gable movies placed on VHS and DVD, it's a wonder why THE CALL OF THE WILD was never distributed on home video, considering its popularity due to frequent commercial TV revivals in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, unlike the now forgotten WHITE FANG (20th-1936), another Jack London based story transferred to the screen. Starring Michael Whalen and Jean Muir, it's opening titles read "A sequel to "The Call of the Wild." Aside from the title character being an offspring of Buck, and no sign of Clark Gable's Jack Thornton, there is a villain in the story named "Beauty" Smith, as portrayed by John Carradine, but not the same Smith wonderfully portrayed by Owen. Besides its former broadcasts on American Movie Classics prior to 2005, THE CALL OF THE WILD has also appeared on the Fox Movie Channel and Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: November 7, 2012)(***)

Gable has it all for a short while: easy pickings gold nuggets, a gorgeous girlfriend he found in the wilderness, a half-wild soul mate lead dog and a bashful wisecracking partner. But, his grasp on all of these is slippery, as the plot develops. I don't fault Hollywood for departing so flagrantly from London's story, which too was just a yarn. I found this version much more entertaining and profound, despite the stereotypical boss-sidekick relationship between Gable and Jack Oakie.

Gable seems to represent sort of an ideal adventurous entrepreneur: a riverboat gambler at heart, who is willing to take big risks and to work for his fortune when necessary, but who tries to grab all he can and beat out the competition. The chief villain is a stereotypical pretentious cutthroat tycoon: the worst kind of capitalist. In contrast, Gable recognizes certain limits in gaining his fortune and honors his commitments to his partners, be they human or animal. Loretta's creed is yet more tempered: You will get what you want only if you deserve it. See the movie to find out how these various creeds interact to determine the outcome.

This is perhaps Gable's most enjoyable role, along with those in "Mutiny on the Bounty" and "Boom Town". As in most of his best roles, Gable comes across as rakish: part hero, part scoundrel, but never dull. Like Gable, Loretta is at her physical peak at this time, making for a very romantic-looking couple.

Jack London's novel The Call Of The Wild is pretty much ignored in this 1935 adaptation. The title remains the same and there IS a dog named Buck involved in parts of the action, but apart from that the similarities are virtually non-existent. Far greater emphasis is placed on the human characters in the film than in the book. One has to assume that the film was written as a vehicle for Clark Gable, a big outdoor adventure yarn in which the star could get in to and out of a variety of hair-raising escapades in the frozen wilderness. The fact that London's novel is essentially an animal story with a few human characters passing through the narrative is of little significance to scripter Gene Fowler and director William Wellman. That's not to say The Call Of The Wild is a disposable film; the unusual and expensive decision to film on genuinely cold, mountainous locations (Washington state standing in for Yukon) shows that this was envisaged as a serious box office winner.

Struggling gold prospector Jack Thornton (Gable) and his goofy sidekick Shorty Hooliham (Jack Oakie) travel around the Yukon in the 19th Century, searching for an elusive gold strike that will make them richer than rich. They are helped in their adventures by a St Bernard dog named Buck. Also busily scouring the land for gold is the sinister English-man Smith (Reginald Owen), a cruel rival who has a mysterious past and even a little history with Thornton's dog. During their wanderings, Jack and Shorty come across a woman called Claire Blake (Loretta Young) whose husband has gone missing in the snowfields and could be dead. Claire teams up with Jack, Shorty and Buck, but it isn't long before she finds herself falling for Thornton's roguish charm, even though she cannot be sure if her husband is dead or alive.

The movie is very enjoyable in its old-fashioned way. I'm a believer in the theory that films should try to be faithful to their source material, at least to a reasonable extent, so in some ways I felt dismayed at the lack of respect towards London's original story. However, once I'd got that small irritation out of my system I found The Call Of The Wild a perfectly likable star vehicle. Gable is solid in a role that asks little of him other than to appear rugged and fearless. Owen is very good as the villain of the piece, while Young shares a good chemistry with the hero (in real-life, she and Gable were lovers). Jack Oakie is the least impressive of the key actors, mugging rather embarrassingly as the inevitable comical sidekick. The location work in Washington state adds a sense of authenticity to the film that is very uncommon for a movie made in the studio-bound '30s. On the negative side, though, the film settles for a very convenient ending which ditches plausibility so that the course of true love and personal success can run smoothly (indeed, IMPROBABLY smoothly) for the main protagonists. Of its type and era, however, The Call Of The Wild is watchable and entertaining fare.

This is my first exposure to anything regarding THE CALL OF THE WILD. Meaning that I haven't read Jack London's original novel, never saw any of the earlier film versions, and did not see any of the later remakes. Even as a Charlton Heston fan I've so far avoided his 1972 edition because it's said to be pretty bad; even Heston begged his fans not to see it! But all that may soon change, as I enjoyed the 1935 version, starring Clark Gable and Loretta Young.

Gable is well cast as Jack Thornton, a rugged and adventurous type who travels the Yukon on a hunt for gold with the aid of his comical sidekick Shorty (Jack Oakie) and man's best friend, Buck the dog. In the midst of their quest they stumble upon a shaken woman (Young) whose husband has disappeared in the wilderness and may or may not be dead. Fearing the worst, Young joins the expedition and the expected romance with Gable gradually takes shape.

For me, one of the highlights of the picture was British actor Reginald Owen who scores high with his portrayal of a nasty rich man who's also competing with Gable for the loot. Never short on snobbish insults, and harboring a personal vendetta against Thornton's dog Buck, Owen is a delight in every scene he's in. The same cannot necessarily be said for Jack Oakie, however... as Shorty, his goofy shenanigans sometimes verge on the overbearing.

A nice mixture of adventure, villainy, romance, and some comedy that occasionally works, makes for a mostly good time. I was a little let down by the convenient ending. *** out of ****

Clark Gable meets Loretta Young in this 1930s adaptation of Jack London's The Call of the Wild, which takes place in Alaskan territory. I've never read the book, but I can only imagine that this was probably not very faithful to the novel, due to its emphasis of comic relief by supporting actor Jack Oakie. This is the movie that changed Clark and Loretta's life, as they fell in love during the making of this film, and she went away in private to have his baby - a fact she never told the public. While that may be neither here nor there, in reviewing this film, it's pretty evident that something was going on, by their quiet scenes together, which are very intimate and deep, considering this is a 1930s film. The plot revolves around a map that is needed to find a gold mine. Her husband, yes her husband, was the owner of the map, but Clark and Jack go after the gold mine, with Jack's memory and a rough sketch of it to use. They find Loretta alone, after her husband has been lost in the wilderness looking for help. Reginald Owen is very good and memorable as a nemesis in trying to find the gold mine too, when he learns of it. The production values and performances are solid and deliver the goods, but its corny comic relief mars the film's attempt to hit the mark with viewers, especially with its abrupt ending. I thought the novel was mainly about the dog, but, while the dog, who Clark is attached to, does have some screen time, the film doesn't feel like a dog film. The producers were probably thinking that would alienate some viewers, so they centered on pairing attractive leads Clark and Loretta together and Jack Oakie's one-liners. While I liked the film on the whole for Loretta's loveliness, memorable love scenes between her and Clark, and Reginald Owen's credible contribution to the film, I still feel it misses the mark for a completely fulfilling movie experience.

If you are a lover of Jack London's CALL OF THE WILD, then you probably should skip this film, as it takes a lot of liberties with the book. In many ways, the original story is really forgotten and it's only a very rough approximation of the book. So, as a rendition of the original it stinks. BUT, if you ignore the book and just watch it for the fun of it and let go of your preconceptions, it's a wonderful film for anyone except Literature teachers.

Clark Gable is at his best and Loretta Young is absolutely beautiful in the film. While I never thought she was one of the prettiest actresses, the cinematographer really did his work and make her look radiant (I mean that in a good way--not in the CHARLOTTE'S WEB way). Jack Okie is fine as the loyal friend and the movie strongly concentrates on people and not the dog--now that's an interesting choice, huh? Overall, one of the better adventure films of the era and well worth watching.

The Yukon Gold Rush: A savage dog and a lonely man each respond to THE CALL OF THE WILD, that primordial release of primitive urges, in their own way.

It should be understood immediately that this movie only borrows the title and a few incidents from Jack London's classic novel. And at that point the comparison between the two should end. This film, rousing & adventurous, is able to stand on its own merits. An excellent cast, fine production values (notice particularly the care with which Skagway & Dawson are depicted) and location shooting in Washington State are the film's strongest assets. The plot, meant solely for entertainment, is pure hokum...

Clark Gable brings his trademark masculinity to a role that didn't require a lot of stretching of his thespian muscles. But in essentially playing himself he is perfectly cast. One cannot overcome the suspicion that London's original story was reworked for the star. Gable had been through this before - remote setting, forces of nature, beautiful woman, adultery. Think RED DUST in the snow.

Loretta Young is the beautiful woman. From scene to scene, no matter what the hardship, she remains living proof that a first class Hollywood makeup job can withstand the worst ravages of the Klondike. This is perhaps too harsh. Like Gable, little more is required of her than to exude physicality. She is indeed a treat to the eyes, even if her inclusion in the plot is patently ludicrous. (The on screen attraction between Gable & Young wasn't faked. A daughter, ostensibly 'adopted' by Young in France, would be the result.)

As Gable's sidekick, comic Jack Oakie has one of his best screen roles. Getting to play most of his scenes strictly for laughs, he adds chuckles to the story which, one assumes, would have outraged London.

Twisting his usual pomposity to a sinister bent, English character actor Reginald Owen is memorable as the film's villain. Dangerously wicked, he makes us want to know more about this man called Smith, with money to burn and a raging temper. The screenplay, wisely, leaves his biography up to the imagination of the viewer.

Sidney Toler & Herman Bing are very good in small roles. Movie mavens will recognize Arthur Housman, veteran of many Laurel & Hardy comedy shorts, as a Skagway drunk with a surprisingly mean punch.

The affection between Gable and Buck, the great St. Bernard with whom he shares so many scenes, is obvious.

The beginning of Call of the Wild (a very loose adaptation of Jack London's novel of the same name) is made up of hard to decipher plot set up exposition which I was only able to get my head around until my third viewing; surely there could have been a more interesting and engaging way the film could have delivered all this information to the viewer. Likewise, a scene during the beginning of the film in which Jack Thornton (Gable) returns to his room only to find his love interest (and possible prostitute) Marie (Katherine deMille) having an affair with another man doesn't appear to have any effect on the rest of the plot. According to TCM originally Marie had an earlier scene but this was cut from the original print of the film. After this rather static opening, the film gets rolling and finds one of its emotional cores.

Call of the Wild is one of the best dog movies with its complex relationship and emotional bond between Gable and the Saint Bernard named Buck, one majestic looking beast. Buck is a dog that would be of no use to Jack yet is willing to pay $250 to save its life. The image Gable hugging the pooch tells more than words can; truly man's best friend.

Arguably the most powerful scene in the film is that of Buck trying to pull 1,000 pounds as the result of a bet. You couldn't ask for a more powerful and barbaric display of willpower knowing if he doesn't succeed his life will be taken. The dog in the film appears to be legitimately struggling regards the weight it is actually carrying in real life. Much of the scenes in Call of the Wild featuring dogs would never make it to screen today due to the unethical treatment of animals which is more than apparent on screen. Near the beginning of the film two dogs fight each other on screen and uncut which today would ether to edited to create the illusion of a fight or with horribly unconvincing CGI. Likewise, the general handling of the dogs and even the use of an actual rabbit as bait for dogs to hunt creates a gritty and brutal realism on screen which could not be replicated today.

Reginald Owen is the show stealer as Mr. Smith, the posh, sinister English gentleman with a sick vendetta against a dog; those ridiculous magnified eyes give him the look of a madman. Likewise, Jack Oakie as Shorty comes off to me as an uncowardly version of the Cowardly lion, even down to that laugh. Shorty was killed off in the original cut of the film, as evident from the foreshadowing of his dice turning up snake eyes after Gable throws them to him. The new ending in which Shorty and Jack are reunited prevents the film from being darker in vein like The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.

It took me a long time to get the appeal of Loretta Young but I gradually came to see her immense likeability, partially in due to those gazing, soulful eyes. In Call of the Wild her makeup is applied flawlessly despite being stuck in the freezing cold wilderness but she's still she's a tough cookie who can lecture Gable on a thing or two. I love a good man and woman alone in the wilderness film in which their chemistry fully shines through and the process of falling in love happens organically which in this instance may have been aided by Gable and Young's affair they had during the production which bore a child named Judy. In a moment of art imitating life Shorty even says; "You know I know a couple of people who used to fool around like that and they got children now".

I like this sub-genre of the northern western, a refreshing alternative to the mundanity I can often experience in traditional westerns. This is aided by the extensive use of location shooting present in Call of the Wild with those beautiful mountains, silhouetted trees and all that gleaming white snow - I don't believe there could be a better natural light reflector than the white stuff.

I'm certainly not writing this review to praise Clark Gable. Loud,adamant,disrespectful to his director, William Wellman,and usually late on the set for this flick, Gable suffered from being overly confident about his slightly-above-average acting ability. His spoiled temperament and tardiness abruptly came to an end one day when Bill Wellman reprimanded him for his egregious disposition, and frankly told him that if he arrived late again on the set the next day, he would be canned immediately. Gable clammed up. He arrived on the set the next day and every day thereafter until the film was finally completed. This incident was verified on a PBS special.

There are some brilliant things in CALL OF THE WILD, such as the vivid portrait of frontier life at the turn of the century. This is, though, largely a disappointing version of Jack London's novel. Much of his anti-capitalism is here, but reduced to the emotional progress of Clark Gable. The theme of tame/wild is invoked - dog, woman, nature - but the crucial Buck plot is sidelined and made cute. The acting irritates in its refusal of depth, although Loretta Young's entrance could be straight out of Cocteau. The landscape is beautiful to look at, but there is little sense of nature as devouring or malevolent.

Based very loosely on the Jack London novel,this is a star-vehicle for the rough and likable Clark Gable.Thrown in there's a dog named Buck and Jack Okie as his comic sidekick, for Gable to bond with.Then there's beautiful Loretta Young for him to romance (which he also did in real-life,resulting in an illegitimate child.)Shot on location in Washington State the movie has a rugged outdoor look from which it benefits immensely.The portrait of the rough and tumble gold mining town of Skagway looks almost authentic.The performances are pretty standard.Gable is his rough and likable self,Jack Okie,the likable buffoon ,Loretta Young,a good love-interest and Reginald Owen a despicable villain.All in all an entertaining adventure movie.

I'm the last person to say, "The movie was OK, but the book was better." The problem here is that other than the title and the name of the dog, there is no connection between the two. While the movie is a decent story involving the Yukon with lots of adventure, the whole plot of the book went by the wayside. Of course, we have two big stars of the early cinema, Clark Gable and Loretta Young, with romance the object, and a big race as the climactic moment. So it has pretty good quality and storytelling. But it is misleading to use the title of the Jack London book. It's like doing a Poe movie called "The Pit and the Pendulum" and having no pit and no pendulum. If I were to evaluate the movie on its own merits, I would say it is about average.

Call of the Wild, The (1935)

**** (out of 4)

Incredible film has Clark Gable going to look for a gold mine only to cross paths with Loretta Young. As the adventure begins the two quickly fall in love. This is one of the greatest pictures I've seen that no one really talks about. Great action, great adventure, great drama, great laughs, great romance and overall just one hell of a film. Gable is wonderful in showing all his tough side but the film also allows him to be quite gentle, especially in the scenes with the dog. The beauty of Young shines through nicely as she delivers another very good performance. Wellman and Gable would have a falling out on this film and wouldn't work together again until Across the Wide Missouri.

Too bad THE CALL OF THE WILD wasn't filmed in color because it looks mighty picturesque in classic B&W cinematography filmed in Washington state. CLARK GABLE, as a gold prospector, and LORETTA YOUNG, as his female interest, provide the right chemistry for the romantic angle of the tale. JACK OAKIE is along to supply some laughs that seem forced and not really necessary--but fans of outdoor adventures will surely like this Jack London tale that has been turned into a vehicle for Gable and Young.

BUCK, the dog, is especially impressive as an animal caught between the "call of the wild"--wolves, that is--and his human relationship with owner Gable. He's good at showing little nuances that indicate he's uncertain whether to leave Gable or not to follow his natural instincts when he hears the cry of the wolves.

REGINALD OWEN makes an impressive villain and FRANK CONROY is fine as Loretta's husband. Most chilling scene of all has the greedy men who steal the gold drowning in the rapids when their canoe overturns and they're dragged down by the weight of the gold they're carrying.

The chemistry between Gable and Young is strong--and she looks lovelier than ever in all her close-ups. Most fans know that she and Gable were having a torrid romance at the time.

This was one of the films Clark Gable was in between "It Happened One Night" and "Mutiny on the Bounty". Today it's remembered mainly for what happened between Gable and Loretta Young off camera.

This is a very loose adaptation of the Jack London book, but you expected that going in. Much of it was filmed at Mt. Baker (in January!) and those scenes are wonderful to look at- especially the scenes filmed on the Nooksack River. The actors do a great job considering how cold it was. Plus we now get the original 1935 release version as opposed to the reissue version which is a whopping 14 minutes shorter-Katherine DeMille finally gets her moment. I found the film entertaining but I do wish they had stayed with the original ending instead of going with that silly "happy ending". I won't go into the details except to say that the original ending does explain some of the dialogue and character reactions we get in the last 30 minutes. We have the preview audience to blame for that.

The last time Clark Gable got loaned out for a film was the year before and he won an Academy Award. This time Louis B. Mayer got a good price for him from Fox for Call of the Wild.

Fox also did something unusual in that the film was shot on location with the mountains of Washington state serving as the Canadian Rockies. Some really stunning cinematography is done for this film, especially in the river scenes. Too bad color was not in use back then.

Watching Gable, Loretta Young, and Jack Oakie on a raft pulling it to shore in what must have been freezing water reminded me so much of the stunts Gable did for The Misfits. Of course back then he had the youth and vim and vigor to do such things.

The film served as the meeting place for Gable and Young they carried on a torrid affair that resulted in Loretta Young giving birth. Back then it would have been a career death sentence for a star to give birth to an out of wedlock daughter, especially for the very Catholic Ms. Young. A whole elaborate charade was concocted with Loretta adopting her own daughter as a single mom.

No Oscars this time for Gable, but a good strong performance as a rugged prospector up in the Klondike during the gold rush. Of course being involved with Loretta sure helped in the love scenes. Young plays a woman apparently abandoned in the snow by her husband who's presumed dead.

Jack Oakie as Gable's sidekick and Reginald Owen as the English villain engaged in some claim jumping are the best two of the supporting actors. Of the human variety.

Then there's Buck, Gable's trusty St. Bernard who he rescues from Reginald Owen. In that rugged country good sled dogs can come in mighty handy and Buck sure proves his worth. Up there, they are indeed man's best friend.

Hollywood has a nasty habit of using famous book titles to name their films which have little to do with the novels' plots. 20th-Century Pictures August 1935's "Call of the Wild" is a perfect example. Losely based on Jack London's 1903 Alaskan adventure story that enthralled readers for decades, the film studio dropped the author's personal tale of Buck the dog and built a fictitious romantic angle between the plot's protagonist Jack Thorton (Clark Gable) and one Clare Blake (Loretta Young), who is alone in the woods while her husband is missing. The St. Bernard-scotch collie Buck does play a small role in the movie, winning a bet for Jack pulling a heavy sled and his yearning to return to the wild.

The 20th-Century Picture's version was the first "Call of the Wild" talkie brought to the screen after the 1923 silent. The film was the last movie 20th-Century released before merging with Fox Films to become 20th Century-Fox Film Corporation. For comic relief, Jack Oakie plays "Shorty" Hoolihan. Lending dramatic opposition to Jack and 'Shorty' are Englishman Mr. Smith (Reginald Owen) and his two villain partners who try to blunt Jack's quest for gold. Director William Wellman was just setting up his cameras for "Call of the Wild" in the Sierra Nevada Mountains when the weather turned mild, melting a good portion of the region's snow. The entire production team had to relocate to its backup location in Washington state.

"Call of the Wild" is famous for the relationship Gable, 34, had with the 22-year-old Young. England's Madeline Carroll, fresh off her highly-praised role in Alfred Hitchcock's "The 39 Steps," was to play opposite Gable before Young was given the lead. While on location, the two became romantically involved even though Gable was married. The actress soon found herself pregnant and hid her status from the studio to prevent a scandal (She was three-months pregnant when filming her next movie, Cecil B. DeMille's "The Crusades."). After her daughter's birth, Young named her Judy and sent her to an orphanage. 19 months later, the actress officially adopted her. When Young married radio producer Tom Lewis four years after the adoption, Judy took his last name. Gable visited her only once, when she was 15, while Judy was unaware the actor was her real father.

After appearing in a string of hits, including his Oscar role in 1934's "It Happened One Night," Gable was in a trio of mediocre films, which triggered a drinking spree. He became ornery and difficult to deal with on the set for his directors. MGM loaned him out to 20th Century for "Call of the Wild" to send him a message to sober up in the outdoor cold mountain environment. It must have worked since his more agreeable disposition in his next four films gave MGM a string of hits, including the Academy Awards Best Picture, "The Mutiny on the Bounty." Film critic Ian Jane wrote, "Just as famous for the off-screen romance that took place on location between Gable and Young as for anything else, 'Call Of The Wild' remains a good watch, a well-made film with some stunning location photography that really helps to seal the deal in regards to the movie's snowy, cold realism."

At the peak of the gold rush in Alaska in 1900, a gambling prospector meets an old friend recently released from prison who possesses a map showing a gold-rich plot. Meeting a widow on the way who is also seeking the gold, the trio set off in search.

First sound film based, loosely, on the famous novel by Jack London. Clark Gable and Jack Oakie are the prospectors who team up with Loretta Young. Gable is in good form and there is chemistry with Young, with an apparent involvement off screen. Some of the scenes involving animals are outdated.

Back in the day, I'm sure audiences flocked to see Call of the Wild to see top stars of the day, Clark Gable and Loretta Young, in a film together. Nowadays, it's pretty much remembered as the movie that resulted in a secret love child that's no longer secret. In case you're not up on your silver screen trivia, the morally judgmental, notoriously prudish Loretta Young (who also had an affair with the married Spencer Tracy) had an affair with Clark Gable that resulted in a child. Rather than tell him, she did the classic "go to Europe for a few months and come back with an adopted child" scheme that belongs more in a melodrama rather than in real life.

After that story, who cares what Call of the Wild is about! For those of you who do care, it's loosely based off Jack London's novel. Clark Gable and Jack Oakie are trappers searching for gold in Alaska, and Clark wins a dog in a poker game. On the way to their next gold-search, they run into Loretta Young and both take a shine to her. Which one do you think she'll pick? Which one did she hide the existence of her child, even though she knew he always wanted a child? Maybe she should have realized she lived in a glass house before forcing her costars to put coins in a "swear jar". . .

This film begins with a prospector by the name of "Jack Thornton" (Clark Gable) deciding to call it quits after finding gold in the Yukon and head back to the United States. But prior to that, he decides to stop off in a small town called Skagway to celebrate his good fortune by drinking and gambling--subsequently losing all of his money in the process. Just then, as luck would have it, he happens to run into an old friend named "Shorty Hoolihan" (Jack Oakie) who tells him of a letter he had stolen which indicated where a rich gold strike was located back in the Yukon. And to prove it, he shows Jack a rough map he had copied from memory which indicates where the gold is supposedly located. Although Jack is initially reluctant to believe Shorty's claims, he eventually changes his mind and decides to use whatever credit he has to purchase the necessary equipment for the two of them to conduct a search of that area. And it's in the process of purchasing the equipment that he comes upon an extremely savage sled dog that makes everything possible. Not only that, but it's also during their trek into the Yukon that they come upon a young woman named "Claire Blake" (Loretta Young) who had been stranded in the arctic wilderness and left to fend for herself against a pack of wolves. Not only that, but as it turns out, her husband "John Blake" (Frank Conroy) just happened to be the recipient of the detailed letter describing where the gold strike was located and had left Claire in search of food a couple of days earlier. To that effect, since he hasn't returned, both Jack and Shorty conclude that he is dead and decide to take Claire--who is initially reluctant to leave the area--to the Canadian town of Dawson City where she will be safe. Of course, the fact that she knows the exact location of the gold also gives them the opportunity to question her about that as well. What they don't count on, however, is that a cruel and extremely vicious person named "Mr. Smith" (Reginald Owen) has become aware of the gold strike and is headed their way--and he is quite willing to do whatever it takes to stake his claim to it. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this film was loosely based on the famous novel written 32 years earlier by Jack London. And while it doesn't adhere that closely with the book, the film still managed to maintain my interest for the most part anyway. Admittedly, I didn't especially care for the manner in which the character of Shorty was utilized for comedic effect but, for some odd reason, movie studios back then liked having someone play the buffoon in films of this sort. Oh well. Be that as it may, while not a great film by any means, it passed the time well enough, and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.