Call of the Wild

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 ****