White Fang (1991)

Jack London's classic adventure story about the friendship developed between a Yukon gold hunter and the mixed dog-wolf he rescues from the hands of a man who mistreats him.

Director:

Randal Kleiser

Writers:

Jack London (novel), Jeanne Rosenberg (screenplay)

Stars:

Ethan Hawke, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Jed

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jed	...	White Fang
Klaus Maria Brandauer	...	Alex
Ethan Hawke	...	Jack
Seymour Cassel	...	Skunker
Susan Hogan	...	Belinda
James Remar	...	Beauty
Bill Moseley	...	Luke
Clint Youngreen	...	Tinker (as Clint B. Youngreen)
Pius Savage	...	Grey Beaver
Aaron Hotch	...	Little Beaver
Charles Jimmie Sr.	...	Older Indian
Clifford Fossman	...	Old Timer #1
Irvin Sogge	...	Old Timer #2
Tom Fallon	...	Prospector
Dick Mackey	...	Sled Dog Prospector

Storyline

Jack London's immortal tale of courage and survival comes to life amid the breathtaking beauty of the great Alaskan frontier. Ethan Hawke stars as a young man trying to fulfill his father's dying wish to find gold in the treacherous Yukon valley. His incredible Journey begins when he meets a veteran gold miner who guides young Jack to his father's claim. Along the way, Jack discovers a kindred spirit who will change his life forever a magnificent wolf-dog named White Fang. From the taming of a wolf, to the taming of the wild, he must find the courage to conquer his fears and become a man in this outdoor adventure.

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Plot Keywords:

based on novel | boy and his dog | owner dog relationship | wolf hybrid | wolf dog | 

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Taglines:

A courageous young man and a magnificent wolf in an epic struggle of survival.

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

The title character was performed by Jed, an Alaskan Malamute-Canadian timber wolf hybrid, who also acted as "Wolf" in The Journey of Natty Gann (1985). Gary Winkler was his original owner. He later gave Jed to Clint Rowe to perform for cinematic productions.

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Goofs

While Jack is re-taming White Fang (at 1:25:35), countless ATV tire tracks are seen underfoot, smoothing out the river sand, near his Dad's gold claim.

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Quotes

Jack Conroy: Is there any good reason why we can't just bury him here? I don't think he'll know the difference.
Alex Larson: I gave him my word.

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Connections

Referenced in At the Movies: Serial Mom/White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf/Cops & Robbersons/Backbeat/32 Short Films About Glen Gould (1994)

User Reviews

A Boy and his Wolf

***SPOILERS*** Heartwarming Jack London tale of a hybrid wolf/dog puppy who was out on his own trying to survive the harsh weather and the Alaskan Yukon's frozen and dangerous countryside.

The pup, who's mother was caring for it until she died, due to being shot by a gold prospector, was trying to go it alone with no family or wolf pack to provide food care or safety for it is later caught in a trap by a local Inult Eskimo Grey Beaver, Plus Savage, who gives the puppy the name "White fang" due to it's over-sized dagger-like killing canine teeth.

Later at the local town when Grey Beaver, with White Fang, was there to trade in furs for food and supplies some of the people spotted the unusual wolf/dog and set a huge sled dog on White Fang who the wolf/dog made short odor of. The owner of the sled dog Beauty Smith, James Ramer,forces Grey Beaver to give up White Fang to him for compensation for what he did to his lead sled dog and trains the wolf/dog to be a fighting dog at the local illegal dog fighting pen.

White Fang terribly abused and brutalized by Beauty to be a killer wins dozens of dog fights for his greedy owner until one night in a fight with a much younger and powerful bull-dog is almost killed only to be saved by young Jack Conroy, Ethan Hawke,as the Royal Mountie Police broke into the dog fighting pen discontinuing the vicious savagery going on there. White Fang saved Jack's life earlier in the film, before he was taken from Grey Beaver by Beauty Smith, when the powerful and courageous wolf/dog stared down a giant Alasken Bear who was about to maul and kill the wounded young man and now Jack was returning the favor.

Back at the shed Jack was with his partner Alex Larson, Klaus Maria Brandauer,a friend of Jack's late father who died in the wild Alsaken wilderness and left the claim to the shack and mine to him. jack patching the wounded canine showed the love and kindness to White Fang that he never knew and soon became Jack's, as well as Alex's,best friend.

Striking a gold load at the mine Jack,together with White Fang, go to town to see if the gold he found in his mine is genuine which it proves to be. Beauty Smith spot's the young man and his former fighting wolf/dog and together and with a number of his criminal associates follows them back to the shack in order to kill both Jack and Alex and steal their gold but They didn't count on White Fang. The brave and ferocious wolf/dog put the whole gang out of commission and ended up plowing his ferocious teeth into the hated Beauty's derrière.

Touching tearful and uplifting ending with White Fang coming back to Jack who earlier chased the wolf/dog into the wild. That was after he decided to leave the Yukon with Alex and his girlfriend Belinda, Susan Hogan, for San Francisco to open a hotel, with the money they made from the gold mine, with Jack being a co-partner. Wonderful story for kids and grownups of all ages with some of the most scenic and beautiful photography, around the towns of Halnes & Skagway Alaska, ever put on film.

Details

Official Sites:

Disney's Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 January 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

White Fang

Filming Locations:

Haines, Alaska, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$14,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,640,712, 21 January 1991

Gross USA:

$34,793,160

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$34,793,160

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Pictures, Silver Screen Partners IV, Hybrid Productions Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1