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.

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.

Nature seems to have a way of fighting back against those who try to steal its natural resources. Those searching for gold in the Yukon are prey to all sorts of natural obstacles, from the rushing rivers of cold, flowing water as well as the often non-stop snow that often comes with blizzard conditions. The men who went there often never came back, and those who did found a new sense of respect for nature's wrath.

Jack London's tale of brave and villainous men is also a love story of man's desire to conquer the great outdoors. It is a story of the devoted friendship of man and dog, and often, the dog is more the hero than the human. For Clark Gable, the desire for gold doesn't come without its risks, and with a loyal St. Bernard by his side, the adventure he finds will be more valuable than gold.

Keeping his prize St. Bernard is not without its challenges, betting it on a challenge that he can pull a thousand pounds. But the dastardly Reginald Owen isn't about to loose gracefully, and makes great effort to win back his loss. Along the way, Gable meets stranded Loretta Young who believes that her husband died in a blizzard. With the help of the friendly St. Bernard and jovial Jack Oakie, they set up camp and find a sudden romance that only fate can interrupt.

With great scenery and some thrilling action sequences, this seems slight on plot but that doesn't stop it from being often thrilling. Directed with gusto by the legendary William Wellman, this never sags. There's even some light humor, particularly an adorable sequence when the dog heads off to the howling of wolves and briefly makes an adorable new friend. DVD prints run short by almost 20 minutes making me wonder what ever happened to the full, original print, and if this is one released for T.V. broadcasts.