The Call of the North
"A Tale of Vengeance and Redemption in the Savage North"
Plot
Ned Stewart's father, Graehme, is falsely accused of adultery and murdered while innocent, leaving Ned consumed by a desire for vengeance. Ned sets out to track down those responsible for his father's death, but his quest for revenge leads to his capture by the very men he seeks to punish. The captors sentence Ned to 'la longue traverse' - a brutal journey through the wilderness designed to ensure his death through exposure and hardship. As Ned endures this harrowing expedition, he begins to question his path of revenge and discovers deeper truths about his father's legacy. The film follows Ned's transformation from a vengeful son to a man who must choose between continuing the cycle of violence or finding redemption in the unforgiving northern wilderness.
About the Production
The Call of the North was one of the early feature-length productions from the Jesse L. Lasky company, which would later become Paramount Pictures. The film utilized both studio sets and location shooting to create the wilderness atmosphere. The production employed several innovative techniques for the time, including location shooting in rugged terrain to achieve authenticity. The film's title sequences and intertitles were created using the latest letterpress techniques available in 1914.
Historical Background
1914 was a pivotal year in world history, marking the beginning of World War I in Europe, though the United States would not enter the war until 1917. In the American film industry, 1914 represented a transitional period as the industry was shifting from short films to feature-length productions. The Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company, which produced this film, was part of the emerging Hollywood studio system that would soon dominate global cinema. The film's themes of wilderness survival and frontier justice resonated with American audiences who were experiencing rapid industrialization and urbanization, creating nostalgia for the disappearing frontier era. The technical aspects of filmmaking in 1914 were still evolving, with directors and cinematographers experimenting with new techniques for storytelling in the silent medium.
Why This Film Matters
'The Call of the North' represents an important artifact from the early American feature film era, showcasing the transition from short subjects to longer narrative forms. The film contributed to the development of the adventure genre in cinema, establishing tropes and narrative patterns that would influence countless subsequent films. Its depiction of wilderness survival and moral redemption reflected American cultural values of the early 20th century, including ideals of masculinity, honor, and the relationship between civilization and nature. The film also demonstrates the early collaboration between literature and cinema, adapting popular novels for the new medium. As a product of the Jesse L. Lasky company, it forms part of the foundation of what would become Paramount Pictures, one of Hollywood's major studios.
Making Of
The production of 'The Call of the North' represented a significant milestone for the Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company, which had been founded only the previous year in 1913. Oscar Apfel, the director, brought considerable experience from his work with Biograph Studios and his collaborations with D.W. Griffith. The filming process involved both studio work at the Lasky facilities in Los Angeles and location shooting in California's wilderness areas to achieve authentic outdoor sequences. The cast was drawn largely from stage actors who were making the transition to the new medium of motion pictures, with Robert Edeson being a particularly prominent theatrical star. The production team faced the technical challenges of 1914 filmmaking, including the need for natural lighting in outdoor scenes and the limitations of camera equipment of the era. The film's adaptation of Stewart Edward White's popular novel required condensing the literary work into a format suitable for silent cinema, relying on intertitles to convey dialogue and narrative exposition.
Visual Style
The cinematography of 'The Call of the North' was handled by the Lasky company's regular camera department, utilizing the latest equipment available in 1914. The film featured a mix of studio photography and location shooting, with the outdoor scenes being particularly notable for their time. The cinematographers employed natural lighting for exterior sequences, creating authentic wilderness atmosphere. The camera work included some dynamic movement for the era, with tracking shots used during the journey sequences. The visual composition followed the theatrical traditions of the time, with actors often positioned centrally in the frame. The film's visual style reflected the transition from the more static compositions of early cinema to the more mobile and sophisticated techniques that would emerge in the late 1910s.
Innovations
For its time, 'The Call of the North' demonstrated several technical achievements in early cinema production. The film's use of location shooting in wilderness areas was relatively ambitious for 1914, requiring the transportation of heavy camera equipment to remote sites. The production employed multiple camera setups for the outdoor sequences, allowing for more dynamic visual storytelling than was typical in earlier films. The film's editing techniques, including cross-cutting between parallel actions, showed the growing sophistication of narrative construction in American cinema. The intertitles were produced using high-quality letterpress techniques, ensuring clear readability for audiences. The film's five-reel length represented the growing trend toward feature-length productions, requiring more complex narrative structure and pacing than shorter films.
Music
As a silent film, 'The Call of the North' would have been accompanied by live musical performance during its theatrical run. The typical presentation would have featured a piano accompanist in smaller theaters or a small orchestra in larger venues. The musical selections would have been drawn from popular classical pieces and standard photoplay music of the era, with the accompanist improvising to match the on-screen action and emotional tone. No original composed score was created specifically for the film, as was common practice in 1914. The music would have emphasized the dramatic moments, particularly during the revenge sequences and the wilderness journey scenes. Modern screenings of the film typically feature newly composed scores or carefully selected period-appropriate music.
Famous Quotes
No dialogue survives as this is a silent film, but key intertitles included: 'He swore vengeance for his father's death', 'The long journey begins - from which none return', 'In the wilderness, a man finds his true self'
Memorable Scenes
- The opening revelation of Graehme's false accusation and murder
- Ned's capture and sentencing to 'la longue traverse'
- The wilderness journey sequences showcasing the harsh northern landscape
- The climactic confrontation where Ned must choose between vengeance and mercy
- The final redemption scene where Ned finds peace with his father's memory
Did You Know?
- This was one of the first feature films produced by Jesse L. Lasky's company, which later evolved into Paramount Pictures
- The film is based on the novel 'The Call of the North' by Stewart Edward White, a popular author of outdoor adventure stories
- Director Oscar Apfel was one of the pioneering directors of early American cinema, having worked with D.W. Griffith earlier in his career
- The term 'la longue traverse' used in the film refers to a historical practice of sending condemned people on a death march through harsh wilderness
- Robert Edeson, who played the lead, was a prominent stage actor who successfully transitioned to silent films
- The film was released during the early boom period of American feature films, when audiences were growing accustomed to longer narratives beyond short subjects
- Theodore Roberts, who appears in the cast, would become one of Cecil B. DeMille's favorite character actors in the 1920s
- Winifred Kingston was one of the early stars of the Lasky company and appeared in several of their productions
- The film's survival status makes it particularly valuable for film historians studying early American feature production
- The wilderness themes in the film reflected the American public's continued fascination with frontier stories, even as the frontier era was ending
What Critics Said
Contemporary critical reception for 'The Call of the North' was generally positive, with reviewers of the era praising its ambitious scope and outdoor photography. The Motion Picture News noted the film's 'powerful dramatic situations' and 'excellent performances by the cast.' The New York Dramatic Mirror highlighted the film's effective use of location scenery and its faithful adaptation of the popular source novel. Modern film historians view the movie as an important example of early American feature production, though it is often overshadowed by more famous works from the period. Critics today appreciate the film for its historical value and its role in the development of the American adventure film genre.
What Audiences Thought
Audience reception in 1914 was reportedly strong, with the film performing well at the box office for the Jesse L. Lasky company. Contemporary audiences were drawn to the film's outdoor adventure elements and its dramatic revenge narrative. The story's themes of honor and redemption resonated with early 20th-century American moviegoers. The film's success helped establish the Lasky company as a producer of quality feature films, contributing to the growing acceptance of longer movies by theater audiences who had been accustomed to programs of multiple short subjects. Modern audiences who have had the opportunity to see the film through archival screenings appreciate it as a window into early American cinema and the storytelling techniques of the silent era.
Film Connections
Influenced By
- Literary adventure novels of the early 20th century
- Stage melodrama traditions
- D.W. Griffith's narrative techniques
- Contemporary wilderness literature
- American frontier mythology
This Film Influenced
- Subsequent wilderness adventure films of the silent era
- Later revenge narratives in American cinema
- Films exploring themes of moral redemption
- Journey films featuring transformation through hardship
You Might Also Like
Film Restoration
The preservation status of 'The Call of the North' (1914) is uncertain, with many films from this era being lost or incomplete. The film is not listed among the definitively lost titles in major film archives, suggesting that copies or fragments may exist in private collections or smaller archives. The Library of Congress and the Museum of Modern Art have extensive silent film collections, though specific holdings of this title are not publicly documented. Film preservation organizations continue to search for and identify surviving elements from early American features. If copies exist, they would likely be on 35mm nitrate film stock, requiring specialized preservation efforts to prevent deterioration.