The Call of the Wild (1908 film)
Encyclopedia
The Call of the Wild is a 1908
American short adventure film
directed by D.W. Griffith. An adaption of Jack London's novel The Call of the Wild
, it starred Charles Inslee
, Harry Solter
and Florence Lawrence
. The film was made by the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company
when it and many other early film studios in America's first motion picture industry were based in Fort Lee, New Jersey
at the beginning of the 20th century.This film is preserved in the paper print collection of the Library of Congress.
) rejects a proposal from an Indian brave (Charles Inslee
) in this early one-reel Western melodrama. Despite the rejection, the Indian still comes to the girl's defense when she is abducted by his warring tribe. In her first year in films, Florence Lawrence was already the most popular among the Biograph Company's anonymous stock company players. By 1909, she was known the world over as "The Biograph Girl."
1908 in film
The year 1908 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*Thomas Edison formed the Motion Picture Patents Company, with goals of controlling production and distribution, raising theater admission prices, cooperating with censorship bodies, and preventing film stock from getting into the hands...
American short adventure film
Adventure film
Adventure films are a genre of film.Unlike pure, low-budget action films they often use their action scenes preferably to display and explore exotic locations in an energetic way....
directed by D.W. Griffith. An adaption of Jack London's novel The Call of the Wild
The Call of the Wild
The Call of the Wild is a novel by American writer Jack London. The plot concerns a previously domesticated dog named Buck, whose primordial instincts return after a series of events leads to his serving as a sled dog in the Yukon during the 19th-century Klondike Gold Rush, in which sled dogs...
, it starred Charles Inslee
Charles Inslee
Charles Inslee was an American actor. He appeared in 127 films between 1908 and 1921.-External links:...
, Harry Solter
Harry Solter
Henry Lewis "Harry" Solter was an American silent film actor, screenwriter and director.-Career:Solter began his career as an actor in 1908 with Biograph Studios. That same year he met actress Florence Lawrence while making the film Romeo and Juliet for Vitagraph Studios and married on August 30...
and Florence Lawrence
Florence Lawrence
Florence Lawrence was a Canadian inventor and silent film actress. She is often referred to as "The First Movie Star." When she was popular, she was known as "The Biograph Girl," "The Imp Girl," and "The Girl of a Thousand Faces." Lawrence appeared in more than 270 films for various motion...
. The film was made by the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company
American Mutoscope and Biograph Company
The American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, was a motion picture company founded in 1895 and active until 1928. It was the first company in the United States devoted entirely to film production and exhibition, and for two decades was one of the most prolific, releasing over three thousand short...
when it and many other early film studios in America's first motion picture industry were based in Fort Lee, New Jersey
Fort Lee, New Jersey
Fort Lee is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 35,345. Located atop the Hudson Palisades, the borough is the western terminus of the George Washington Bridge...
at the beginning of the 20th century.This film is preserved in the paper print collection of the Library of Congress.
Plot/Cast
A white girl (Florence LawrenceFlorence Lawrence
Florence Lawrence was a Canadian inventor and silent film actress. She is often referred to as "The First Movie Star." When she was popular, she was known as "The Biograph Girl," "The Imp Girl," and "The Girl of a Thousand Faces." Lawrence appeared in more than 270 films for various motion...
) rejects a proposal from an Indian brave (Charles Inslee
Charles Inslee
Charles Inslee was an American actor. He appeared in 127 films between 1908 and 1921.-External links:...
) in this early one-reel Western melodrama. Despite the rejection, the Indian still comes to the girl's defense when she is abducted by his warring tribe. In her first year in films, Florence Lawrence was already the most popular among the Biograph Company's anonymous stock company players. By 1909, she was known the world over as "The Biograph Girl."