Inferno bianco

TCM just showed The Wild North today, in a version that had closed captioning added and looked as if it was digitally remastered since its last broadcast on TCM some years ago. Maybe Time-Warner will finally release the DVD of the movie in the near future. MGM in the early fifties turned out a series of high quality star vehicles, which were taken for granted then. With its small cast, The Wild North is like another movie of the period, The Naked Spur, which also deals with bringing a prisoner in. The Wild North has fine location photography in Idaho, a script that moves along and even some photographic effects courtesy of A. Arnold Gillespie. By 1956, with the forced sale of its Loew's theaters, the firing of Dore Schary as head of production and the end of contract system for studio talent, MGM went into a slow death spiral. There would be no more studio pictures like The Wild North, as MGM cut its output and filled a big chunk of its slate of releases with independent productions and movies made overseas. But at least I now have The Wild North on DVD, recorded from today's broadcast, as a souvenir from a vanished era in Hollywood history.

The Wild North was shot in the Boulder Mts of central Idaho, near Sun Valley Resort. My father, Clayton Stewart, was the resort's contact with MGM and for years helped directors find the right settings for movies. I can take you to the exact locations of the outdoor scenes, some of which were: along upper Big Wood River not far from Russian John Forest Service Ranger Station; along Big Wood near where the North Fork comes into the main channel; along the front of the Boulder Mountains near where Baker Creek comes in, and near Boulder Creek; up Trail Creek above Trail Creek Cabin; and on Galena Summit. Sun Valley resort supplied the trained dog teams and sleds. I was a girl when the movie was shot, and when the Sun Valley portion of the film was finished, Stewart Granger gave me the snowshoes he had used in the film, which I still have. I also have a set of black and white photos taken by Dad during the filming. This is an exciting adventure movie with a breathtaking setting and some great wilderness action.

I enjoyed both Corey and Granger performance. However, I especially liked Corey's strong character performance in "The Wild North". Corey's understated character contrasts well with the mountain man persona of Granger. In later years, Corey always was cast in submissive, retiring roles which really did not suit him. Corey projects a strong 'quiet' type of presence and with a high level of integrity. Cinema photography and accuracy is especially fabulous in this movie. No fake Hollywood sets for this movie.

The story builds as the character development becomes apparent. Viewers begin to identify and feel for the characters making the story even more vivid and realistic. The best compliment I can pay this movie is that it allowed me to feel like I was up North with them during the trek!

I first saw this movie in 1952 at a theater in Chattanooga tenn when it first was released. It mesmerized me then and has done the same 10 to 20 times I have seen it since. It has a reality to it that is totally lacking in most hollywood films. And maybe the main reason its to my liking is Steward Granger. He was the narrator of the books on tape title ( call of the wild ) and he made the experience infinitely more enjoyable and exciting for me . Thanks ,my name is barney and I am 68 yrs. I hope ted Turner will release this title to dvd or vhs at some point from his film library.

I first saw The Wild North when I was just fresh back from Korea in 1953. I was so impressed by the story and the scenery that I returned to the little movie theater down the block to see it three more times before it was replaced on the bill. The action is terrific and the scene where the wolves attack Wendell Corey and Stewart Granger makes your heart pound. The setting is breath taking and the ending is perfect. The Movie makers paid great attention to detail, right down to the Tea Cartons and the Tobacco packages. I loved it. If they ever release it again, I'll see it for the fifth time.