Hawk of the Wilderness
Encyclopedia
Hawk of the Wilderness is a Republic
Movie serial based on the Kioga novel of the same name by pulp
writer William L. Chester.
Kioga is very similar to the character of Tarzan
, whom Herman Brix had also played on film in the 1935
, Edgar Rice Burroughs
produced
serial The New Adventures of Tarzan
.
that may be the ancestral home of all Native Americans
, is shipwreck
ed. The only survivors are Dr Rand's son and his servant Mokuyi. Years later, a message from the sinking ship is found and an expedition sets out to find the island again. Part of the crew, led by smuggler Solerno, mutinies
when they reach the island, abandoning Dr Munro and his expedition. Fortunately, Dr Munro and company are rescued by Kioga, the adult son of Dr Rand, who has been raised on the island by Mokuyi.
. The serial was budgeted for $117,987 but the final negative cost
rose slightly to $121,168.
Tuffie was cast when his trainer, during the interview, said "Tuffie, it's dark in here. Turn on the light." Tuffie did so by finding the switch, pulling a chair across to reach it and flipping the switch with his paw.
Silent parts of the serial were filmed with a one-inch lens. Cameraman Edgar Lyons had initially been filming more of the clouds in the sky than the actors, with the effect of partially cutting them out of the shot. The studio complained. Director William Witney
compromised with the use of the wider lens, which would take in both cloudscape and actors. Only silent scenes were shot in this manner because the camera would be both closer to the actors and take in more of the surroundings, preventing the microphone from getting close enough to work properly.
It was also one of twenty-six Republic serials re-released as a film on television in 1966. The title of the film was changed to Lost Island of Kioga. This version was cut down to 100-minutes in length.
Source:
This was one of the two 12-chapter serials released by Republic in 1938, the other was The Fighting Devil Dogs
. This year began the studio's standard release pattern of two 12-chapter and two 15-chapter serials in every year. This pattern remained until 1944 with the exception of 1942, which was only one 15-chapter serial released.
Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures was an independent film production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, operating from 1934 through 1959, and was best known for specializing in westerns, movie serials and B films emphasizing mystery and action....
Movie serial based on the Kioga novel of the same name by pulp
Pulp magazine
Pulp magazines , also collectively known as pulp fiction, refers to inexpensive fiction magazines published from 1896 through the 1950s. The typical pulp magazine was seven inches wide by ten inches high, half an inch thick, and 128 pages long...
writer William L. Chester.
Kioga is very similar to the character of Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
, whom Herman Brix had also played on film in the 1935
1935 in film
-Events:*Judy Garland signs a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer .*Seven year old Shirley Temple wins a special Academy Award.*The Bantu Educational Kinema Experiment started in order to educate the Bantu peoples.-Top grossing films:-Academy Awards:...
, Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic Mars adventurer John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.-Biography:...
produced
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
serial The New Adventures of Tarzan
The New Adventures of Tarzan
The New Adventures of Tarzan is a 1935 American film serial in 12 chapters. It is a more authentic version of the character than most other adaptations, with Tarzan as a cultured and well educated gentleman as in the original Edgar Rice Burroughs novels. It was filmed during the same period as the...
.
Plot
Dr Rand, leading and expedition to an uncharted island in the Arctic circleArctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
that may be the ancestral home of all Native Americans
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
, is shipwreck
Shipwreck
A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....
ed. The only survivors are Dr Rand's son and his servant Mokuyi. Years later, a message from the sinking ship is found and an expedition sets out to find the island again. Part of the crew, led by smuggler Solerno, mutinies
Mutiny
Mutiny is a conspiracy among members of a group of similarly situated individuals to openly oppose, change or overthrow an authority to which they are subject...
when they reach the island, abandoning Dr Munro and his expedition. Fortunately, Dr Munro and company are rescued by Kioga, the adult son of Dr Rand, who has been raised on the island by Mokuyi.
Cast
- Herman Brix as Kioga ("Hawk of the Wilderness"), son of Dr Rand, a survivor of the initial shipwreck and raised by Mokuyi on the island
- Ray MalaRay MalaRay Mala was the first Native American movie star and is the most prolific film star that the state of Alaska has thus far produced. Ray Mala was recently named a "Top Ten Alaskan" by TIME Magazine...
as Kias, Kioga's native sidekick - Monte BlueMonte BlueMonte Blue was a movie actor who began his career as a romantic leading man in the silent film era, and later progressed to character roles....
as Yellow Weasel, villainVillainA villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
ous shaman opposed to Kioga, the Munros and the Smugglers - Jill MartinJill MartinJill Martin is a sportscaster and television personality. She is a reporter for the New York Knicks contributing to the pregame, halftime and postgame shows. Martin is also a contributor on NBC's " Today Show", reporting on the latest fashion trends and entertainment stories...
as Beth, Dr Munro's daughter - Noble JohnsonNoble JohnsonNoble Johnson was an African American actor and film producer.-Biography:Standing 6'2" at 215 pounds, his impressive physique and handsome features made him in demand as a character actor and bit player...
as Mokuyi, the former servant of Kioga's late father. Rescued Kioga and, as the only other survivor of the shipwreck, raised him on the island - William Royle as Solerno, smuggler searching for wealth on the uncharted island
- Tom ChattertonTom ChattertonTom Chatterton was an American actor.Born in Geneva, New York, Chatterton began his film career in 1913 at the New York Motion Picture Company under director Thomas H. Ince. Although never a major star, Chatterton had several leading roles in early silent films...
as Dr Munro, a scientist who leads an expedition to discover the fate of his old friend Dr Rand - George EldredgeGeorge EldredgeGeorge Eldredge was an American character actor. Although he never became a major performer, Eldredge played in over 180 movies during a career that stretched from the 1930s to the early 1960s. He also had a prolific television career during the '50's...
as Allen Kendall, a member of Dr Munro's expedition - Patrick J. KellyPatrick J. KellyPatrick J. Kelly was one of the founders and the first commissioner of the East Coast Hockey League in 1989. Kelly was named Commissioner Emeritus of the ECHL following the 1995–96 season, after serving as Commissioner for the first eight seasons of the ECHL. The league playoff champions wins a...
as William Williams, AKA Bill Bill, another member of Dr Munro's expedition - Dick WesselDick WesselDick Wessel was an American film actor. Born in Wisconsin, Wessel appeared in over 270 films between 1935 and 1966. He is best remembered for his chilling portrayal of the ruthless strangler Harry "Cueball" Lake in Dick Tracy vs...
as Dirk - Fred ToonesFred ToonesFred "Snowflake" Toones was an African-American film actor comedian of the early sound era...
as George, Dr Munro's servant - Tuffie the dog as Tawnee
Production
Hawk of the Wilderness was filmed between 18 September and 13 October 1938, with location filming in the High SierraHigh Sierra
High Sierra is an early heist film and film noir written by W.R. Burnett and John Huston from the novel by Burnett. The movie features Ida Lupino and Humphrey Bogart and was directed by Raoul Walsh on location at Whitney Portal, halfway up Mount Whitney.The screenplay was co-written by Bogart's...
. The serial was budgeted for $117,987 but the final negative cost
Negative cost
Negative cost is the cost of actually producing and shooting a film. It does not include such costs as distribution and promotion.Low-budget movies, for example The Blair Witch Project, can have promotional expenses that are much larger than the negative cost.The term comes from the costs up to the...
rose slightly to $121,168.
Tuffie was cast when his trainer, during the interview, said "Tuffie, it's dark in here. Turn on the light." Tuffie did so by finding the switch, pulling a chair across to reach it and flipping the switch with his paw.
Silent parts of the serial were filmed with a one-inch lens. Cameraman Edgar Lyons had initially been filming more of the clouds in the sky than the actors, with the effect of partially cutting them out of the shot. The studio complained. Director William Witney
William Witney
William Nuelsen Witney was an American film and television director. He is best remembered for the movie serials he co-directed with John English for Republic Pictures such as Daredevils of the Red Circle, Zorro's Fighting Legion and Drums of Fu Manchu.He directed many Westerns during his career,...
compromised with the use of the wider lens, which would take in both cloudscape and actors. Only silent scenes were shot in this manner because the camera would be both closer to the actors and take in more of the surroundings, preventing the microphone from getting close enough to work properly.
Theatrical
Hawk of the Wilderness official release date is 3 December 1938, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges.Television
In the early 1950s, Hawk of the Wilderness was one of fourteen Republic serials edited into a television series. It was broadcast in six 26½-minute episodes.It was also one of twenty-six Republic serials re-released as a film on television in 1966. The title of the film was changed to Lost Island of Kioga. This version was cut down to 100-minutes in length.
Critical reception
The burial of Kias in the final chapter is regarded by Cline as one of the "very few successful attempts at drama in serials."Chapter titles
- Mysterious Island (28min 59s)
- Flaming Death (16min 40s)
- Tiger Trap (16min 46s)
- Queen's Ransom (16min 50s)
- Pendulum of Doom (16min 35s)
- The Dead Fall (16min 40s)
- White Man's Magic (16min 41s)
- Ambushed (16min 41s)
- Marooned (16min 41s) - a re-cap chapter
- Camp of Horror/Caves of Horror (16min 39s)
- Valley of Skulls (16min 41s)
- Trail's End (16min 40s)
Source:
This was one of the two 12-chapter serials released by Republic in 1938, the other was The Fighting Devil Dogs
The Fighting Devil Dogs
The Fighting Devil Dogs is a 12-chapter Republic movie serial starring Lee Powell and Herman Brix, the latter better known by his later stage name, Bruce Bennett. It was directed by William Witney and John English...
. This year began the studio's standard release pattern of two 12-chapter and two 15-chapter serials in every year. This pattern remained until 1944 with the exception of 1942, which was only one 15-chapter serial released.