''The Clash of the Wolves'' is a 1925 American silent

Western film The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...

produced and distributed by

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

Directed by

Noel M. Smith Noel Mason Smith (May 22, 1895 – September 20, 1955) was an American film director and writer. He directed more than 120 films between 1917 and 1952. He was born in Rockland, California, and died in Los Angeles, California. Selected fil ...

, the film stars canine actor

Rin Tin Tin Rin Tin Tin or Rin-Tin-Tin (September 1918 – August 10, 1932) was a male German Shepherd born in Flirey, France, who became an international star in motion pictures. He was rescued from a World War I battlefield by an American soldier, L ...

Charles Farrell Charles David Farrell (August 9, 1900 – May 6, 1990) was an American film actor of the 1920s silent era and into the 1930s, and later a television actor. Farrell is probably best recalled for his onscreen romances with actress Janet Gaynor ...

and

June Marlowe June Marlowe (born Gisela Valaria Goetten, November 6, 1903 – March 10, 1984) was an American film actress who began her career during the silent film era. She was best known for her performance of "Miss Crabtree" in the ''Our Gang'' sho ...

. It was filmed on location in

Chatsworth, California Chatsworth is a suburban neighborhood in the City of Los Angeles, California, in the San Fernando Valley. The area was home to Native Americans, some of whom left caves containing rock art. Chatsworth was explored and colonized by the Spanish b ...

, and at what would later become the

Joshua Tree National Park Joshua Tree National Park is an American national park in southeastern California, east of San Bernardino and Los Angeles and north of Palm Springs. It is named after the Joshua trees (''Yucca brevifolia'') native to the Mojave Desert. Origin ...

. It was transferred onto 16mm film by

Associated Artists Productions Associated Artists Productions, Inc. (a.a.p.) later known as United Artists Associated was an American distributor of theatrical feature films and subjects for television. Associated Artists Productions was the copyright owner of the ''Popey ...

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 The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...

and selected for preservation in the

National Film Registry The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation, each selected for its historical, cultural and aesthetic contributions since the NFPB’s inception ...

Plot

Lobo,

wolfdog A wolfdog is a canine produced by the mating of a domestic dog (''Canis familiaris'') with a gray wolf (''Canis lupus''), eastern wolf (''Canis lycaon''), red wolf (''Canis rufus''), or Ethiopian wolf (''Canis simensis'') to produce a hyb ...

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 Borax is a salt ( ionic compound), a hydrated borate of sodium, with chemical formula often written . It is a colorless crystalline solid, that dissolves in water to make a basic solution. It is commonly available in powder or granular for ...

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

as Lobo * Nanette as Lobo's Mate *

as Dave Weston *

as May Barstowe *

Heinie Conklin Heinie Conklin (born Charles John Conklin; July 16, 1880July 30, 1959) was an American actor and comedian whose career began in the silent film era. Early years Conklin was born Charles John Conklin on July 16, 1880, in San Francisco, Califo ...

as Alkali Bill *

Will Walling William Walling (June 2, 1872 – March 5, 1932) was an American actor of the silent era. He appeared in 60 films between 1921 and 1932. He is known for his role as the railroad president in the 1926 film '' The Great K & A Train Robbery'', ...

as Sam Barstowe *

Pat Hartigan Pat Hartigan (born 1950) is an Irish former hurler who played for his local club South Liberties and at senior level for the Limerick county team in the 1970s. He is regarded as one of Limerick's greatest-ever players. Early and private l ...

as William 'Borax' Horton

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." ''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." 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."

Box Office

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

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. Abridged and full versions survive in the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation.

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.

References

External links

* ''The Clash of the Wolves'' essay by

Susan Orlean Susan Orlean (born October 31, 1955) is a journalist, television writer, and bestselling author of ''The Orchid Thief'' and '' The Library Book''. She has been a staff writer for ''The New Yorker'' since 1992, and has contributed articles to many ...

br>
* ''The Clash of the Wolves'' essay by Daniel Eagan in America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry, A&C Black, 2010 , pages 107-10

* * * *
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