King of the Grizzlies
Cast & Crew
Ron Kelly
John Yesno
Chris Wiggins
Hugh Webster
Jack Van Evera
Winston Hibler
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Moki, a Cree Indian in the late 19th-century West, works as a foreman on the ranch belonging to his former Army commanding officer, Colonel Pierson. Moki wears the sign of the tribal totem on his hand--a four-toed track, the mark of the grizzly bear. A grizzly bear invades Pierson's land and kills a steer, and Pierson shoots the bear and one of her cubs, missing the other. The surviving cub falls over a cliff and into a river and is swept downstream. Moki searches for the cub and learns that it has only four toes on one of its feet. He names it Wahb, which means four-toed grizzly, captures the bear, and sets him free on the outskirts of Pierson's land. Wahb survives and grows to maturity. At 3 years of age, Wahb appears and frightens a ranch hand, whereupon Pierson orders Moki to trap the bear; but Wahb avoids capture. Several years later, Moki encounters Wahb in the mountains. As the bear does not harm him, Moki concludes that a mystical tie binds Wahb's destiny with his own. Wahb reappears on the Pierson ranch at roundup time and stampedes the cattle. Pierson sets out to kill Wahb, but the wily bear doubles back and begins to track his pursuer. Moki attempts to warn Pierson of his danger but to no avail. Pierson meets the bear head on; his horse rears and Pierson is thrown. Wahb is about to attack Pierson when Moki intervenes and makes the Cree sign of friendship to the bear, causing him to lumber off. Pierson raises his rifle to shoot, but Moki stops him when he notices Wahb scratching a mark on a nearby tree. Moki interprets the tree-marking as a sign that the bear will never again return to Pierson's ranch.
Director
Ron Kelly
Cast
John Yesno
Chris Wiggins
Hugh Webster
Jack Van Evera
Winston Hibler
Big Ted
Crew
William W. Bacon Iii
Buddy Baker
Lloyd Beebe
Jack Boyd
Cangary Ltd.
Robert O. Cook
Marinho Correia
Wilf Culley
Don Hall
Winston Hibler
Evelyn Kennedy
Alan Maley
Franklyn Marks
Gregg Mclaughlin
Robert F. Metzler
William Morgan
Reginald Morris
Al Niemela
Roger Palmer
Rod Peterson
Dell Ray
William Redlin
Bob Rowland
Terry Rowland
Jack Speirs
Jack Speirs
Stoney Indian Nation
Erwin L. Verity
Walt Disney Productions
Norman Wright
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Filmed on location in Alberta and British Columbia along the eastern approaches to the Canadian Rockies, at Moraine Lake in Banff National Park, in the Kananaskis Forest and on the Kananaskis River, at Takakkaw Falls in Yoho National Park, on Bow River, and at the Stoney Indian Reservation. Released in Canada ca. 1971.
Miscellaneous Notes
Released in United States Winter February 1970
Released in United States Winter February 1970
