The Clash of the Wolves

The Clash of the Wolves is a 1925 American silent Western film produced and distributed by Warner Bros. Directed by Noel M. Smith, the film stars canine actor Rin Tin Tin, Charles Farrell and June Marlowe. It was filmed on location in Chatsworth, California, and at what would later become the Joshua Tree National Park.[2] It was transferred onto 16mm film by Associated Artists Productions[3] in the 1950s and shown on television. A 35mm print of the film was discovered in South Africa and restored in 2003. In 2004, The Clash of the Wolves was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.[4][5]

The Clash of the Wolves
Lobby card
Directed byNoel M. Smith
Written byCharles Logue
Story byCharles Logue
StarringRin Tin Tin
Charles Farrell
June Marlowe
CinematographyEdwin B. DuPar
Allen Thompson
Joseph Walker
Edited byClarence Kolster
Production
company
Distributed byWarner Bros.
Release date
  • November 28, 1925 (1925-11-28)
Running time
74 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent (English intertitles)
Budget$89,000[1]
Box office$270,000[1]

Plot

Lobo, wolfdog leader of a wolf pack, has a price on his head. One day while suffering from a thorn in his paw, he is found by Dave Weston, a borax prospector and befriended. The animal returns love and loyalty. Later, Lobo saves Dave from attacks of scheming villain William 'Borax' Horton, who has designs on Dave's claim. Once again the villain attacks the young prospector and leaves him for dead on the site of the claim. Lobo arrives and Dave sends him with a message to town for help. In the meantime, a posse is hunting Lobo, but he manages to escape them and, at the same time, decoy them to Dave. There, they learn that Lobo is man's best friend.

Cast

Reviews and reception

Michael L. Simmons wrote in the Exhibitors Trade Review, that "He (Rin-Tin-Tin) brings to the role of leader of a wolf-pack, an intelligence, a beauty of motion, an impressive cleverness that should find wide favor. He is a spectacle, in my opinion, well worth the price of admission." Simmons went on to say that "It is obvious throughout; every time the human cast stacks up alongside the exploits of the animal players, the latter stands out far ahead in the ability to compel interest."[6] Motion Picture News reviewer George T. Pardy praised the performance of Rin-Tin-Tin, saying; "his work all through is extraordinary and far above that of his average doggish contemporaries in filmland...the thrills are many and pungent, mostly arising from the endeavors to trap or shoot Lobo of folks who know that there is a price set on the head of the kingly wolf."[7] A review in The Film Daily was critical of the film stating, "No doubt the author is chiefly to blame for furnishing a script that is a mixture of dizzy melodrama, burlesque, caricature - anything in fact far removed from reality. Director Noel Smith struggled bravely with it. He deserves credit for getting over the dog sequences with a snap and a punch. The rest of the weak story seemed to have him licked."[8]

Box Office

According to Warner Bros records the film earned $232,000 domestically and $38,000 foreign.[1]

Preservation status

A 35mm projection print of The Clash of the Wolves was found in South Africa and returned to the United States. It underwent restoration and preservation in 2003.[9][10] Abridged and full versions survive in the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation.[11]

Accolades

In 2004, The Clash of the Wolves was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.[12][5]

References
  1. Warner Bros financial information in The William Shaefer Ledger. See Appendix 1, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, (1995) 15:sup1, 1-31 p 4 DOI: 10.1080/01439689508604551
  2. "Clash of the Wolves". silentera.com. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  3. 1957 MOVIES FROM AAP Warner Bros Features & Cartoons SALES BOOK DIRECTED AT TV
  4. "Librarian of Congress Adds 25 Films to National Film Registry". Library of Congress. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  5. "Complete National Film Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  6. Michael L. Simmons (November 1925). "The Clash of the Wolves". Exhibitors Trade Review. 19 (1): 29.
  7. George T. Pardy (November 1925). "The Clash of the Wolves". Motion Picture News. 32 (22): 2572.
  8. "The Clash of the Wolves". The Film Daily. 34 (44): 6. November 1925.
  9. "Clash of the Wolves (motion picture)". Library of Congress. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
  10. "Clash of the wolves". UCLA Film and Television Archive. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
  11. Catalog of Holdings The American Film Institute Collection and The United Artists Collection at The Library of Congress, p. 31, c.1978 the American Film Institute
  12. "News from the Library of Congress". loc.gov. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
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