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White Wilderness

  • 19581958
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 12m
IMDb RATING
5.4/10
450
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
White Wilderness (1958)
  • Documentary
  • Family
The wildlife of the arctic is explored in this true-life adventure.The wildlife of the arctic is explored in this true-life adventure.The wildlife of the arctic is explored in this true-life adventure.
IMDb RATING
5.4/10
450
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • James Algar
  • Writer
    • James Algar
  • Stars
    • Winston Hibler
    • Volmer Sørensen
Top credits
  • Director
    • James Algar
  • Writer
    • James Algar
  • Stars
    • Winston Hibler
    • Volmer Sørensen
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 6User reviews
    • 8Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 2 wins & 2 nominations total

    Photos45

    White Wilderness (1958)
    White Wilderness (1958)
    White Wilderness (1958)
    White Wilderness (1958)
    White Wilderness (1958)
    White Wilderness (1958)
    White Wilderness (1958)
    White Wilderness (1958)
    White Wilderness (1958)
    White Wilderness (1958)
    White Wilderness (1958)
    White Wilderness (1958)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Winston Hibler
    • Narratoras Narrator
    Volmer Sørensen
    • (Danish narrator)as (Danish narrator)
    • Director
      • James Algar
    • Writer
      • James Algar
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    The wildlife of the arctic is explored in this true-life adventure.
    • fake documentary
    • denali national park
    • true life adventure
    • lemming
    • actual animal killed
    • 2 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • From The Top Of The World! A fabulous new adventure in exciting entertainment
    • Genres
      • Documentary
      • Family
    • Certificate
      • Approved
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This picture was filmed in Alberta, Canada, which is not a native habitat for lemmings. They were imported from Manitoba for use in the film, and were purchased from Inuit children by the filmmakers. The Arctic rodents were placed on a snow-covered turntable and filmed from various angles to produce a "migration" sequence; afterwords, the helpless creatures were transported to a cliff overlooking a river and herded into the water. The entire sequence was faked using a handful of lemmings deceptively photographed to create the illusion of a large herd of migrating creatures. It was this film that perpetuated the myth in popular culture of lemming suicide, something that's never been reported to have occurred in real life.
    • Goofs
      Contrary to popular belief repeated in this film, lemmings do not commit suicide en masse by jumping off cliffs into the sea. However cyclical population explosions do induce lemmings to migrate to unfamiliar territory where they are crowded and prone to accidents such as falling off cliffs or drowning but these are not considered suicide in any sense.
    • Connections
      Edited into The Best of Walt Disney's True-Life Adventures (1975)

    User reviews6

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    "This is the story of life meeting and conquering the bleakest environment on Earth."
    Oscar-winning Disney documentary, directed by James Algar, about life in the Arctic (filmed in Canada). As with the other Disney nature documentaries I've seen from this period, the beautiful photography of the scenery and wildlife is what makes this worth recommending. There's exciting footage of rushing rivers and glaciers breaking apart and playful footage of polar bears playing, etc. Oliver Wallace's excellent score compliments the action well. A good thing, too, as Winston Hibler's monotone narration can be sleep-inducing. There have been many similar television and film documentaries in the decades since this was made but the footage here is so good it still manages to impress. Some scenes were staged, including the unpalatable 'lemming suicide' scene. Today, where discussions of the environment are concerned, there are inevitable axes to grind and flags to be raised. What's refreshing about seeing older docs, such as White Wilderness, is that they are just trying to provide a look at nature's many wonders in an informative and entertaining way. There's no agenda. Some elements may be dated but, for the most part, this is still a great documentary with lovely nature photography that should please most viewers.
    helpful•9
    28
    • utgard14
    • Dec 23, 2015

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 12, 1958 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • A True-Life Adventure: White Wilderness
    • Filming locations
      • Alberta, Canada
    • Production company
      • Walt Disney Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 12 minutes
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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