To be honest, the behind-the-scenes goings on during this, the filming of the third film based on Jack London’s Call of the Wild, is nearly as interesting as anything that happens on screen. Stars Clark Gable and Loretta Young fell in love during the cold nights shooting in Northern Washington. When Young, a devoted Catholic became pregnant, she left for England after the film wrapped. She gave birth in secret, and then—incredibly—had her daughter delivered to an orphanage where she later “adopted” her.

Directed by William Wellman and released in 1935, Call of the Wild stars Gable as Jack Thornton, a prospector who has a run of bad luck gambling. As luck would have it, he runs into an old friend, and amiable ex-con Shorty Hoolihan (Jack Oakie). Shorty has some information that just might help Jack make up for his gambling losses. It seems he’s heard about a supposedly well stocked goldmine, but he’ll need Jack’s help to find it. Jack acquires Buck, a large St. Bernard, to act as his sled dog.

Shorty learned of the mine from a letter he intercepted illegally from a prospector named Blake to Blake’s son. As Shorty and Jack make their way through the frozen Yukon, they come across Claire Blake (Loretta Young), who is the wife of Blake’s son. They had been searching for the mine as well, but Claire’s husband having set off in search of supplies and food has been missing for two days. Jack believes he’s dead, but perhaps this is just wishful thinking, since he already has feelings for the beautiful Claire.

A well made film aided by some stunning location shots, Call of the Wild makes for a pleasant experience. William Wellman was one of Hollywood’s most able directors, and he keeps the story moving from start to finish. While the screenplay certainly takes liberties with Jack London’s source material, the sense of adventure and the excitement of the quest for gold remains intact.

Performances are fairly solid all around; while Jack Oakie is occasionally over the top, he’s provides welcome comic relief. Clark Gable and Loretta Young are the main reason to give this movie a look. The chemistry between the two is obvious. Gable expertly displays macho personality that oozes from so many of his characters. In contrast, Loretta Young is gorgeous and passive, but not as needy as she first appears. The film may not be a classic, but it serves as an enjoyable look at two of Hollywood’s fondly remembered legends.

Presented in the 1.37:1 aspect ratio, 20th Century Fox has provided a very nice transfer. While the grain structure is a bit on the heavy side and softness occasionally creeps into the image, for an eighty year old film, the elements are in good shape. Contrast is solid, and there are no real digital anomalies.

Call of the Wild features a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track which is pretty good for its age. While an occasional, slight hiss is noticeable, dialogue, effects, and score are completely intelligible.

English, French, and Spanish subtitles are included.

The following extras are available:

  • Commentary by Darwin Porter: Porter is clearly knowledgeable, offering interesting biographical information on the actors, anecdotes about the film and the shoot. Fans should give this a listen.
  • Theatrical Trailer (1:45, SD) A re-release trailer, the audio is rather poor.