Call of the Forest
Cast & Crew
John F. Link
Robert Lowery
Ken Curtis
Chief Thundercloud
Black Diamond
Charlie Hughes
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Rancher Bob Brand persuades fellow rancher Sam Harrison to help him capture a wild black stallion to give to his seven-year-old son Bobby when he arrives from the East. Together they isolate the stallion, who is the leader of a large herd, lasso him and lock him inside Bob's corral. Bob then leaves to pick up Bobby at the train station, unaware that his scheming neighbors, one of whom is Harrison, suspect that he has discovered Lost Mine, which is located in the badlands near the home of a seemingly crazy old Indian named Stormcloud. After Bob delivers Bobby to the ranch, he presents him with the stallion and tells him that he named the horse King because he was the king of his herd. Bobby notices that King has a splinter stuck in his foot and removes it, after which King appears relieved. In the badlands, meanwhile, Harrison and Gillman are searching for the mine, when suddenly, Stormcloud begins shooting at them. Bob tells Bobby that he plans to leave for a few days to search for the fabled mine and asks Bobby to look after the ranch while he is gone. Days later, King escapes from the corral and gallops into the wilderness some distance away from the ranch. When Bobby finds King, he realizes that he has injured his leg and is unable to stand. Unwilling to desert King, Bobby lies down on the ground next to him, where he stays throughout the night. The next morning, King and Bobby are awakened by Stormcloud, and King appears to have recovered. When Bobby tells him about his father's plan to find the mine, Stormcloud says that he would like to repay Bob, because he has done much to help his people. Stormcloud then recounts a legend which tells how many generations before, his tribe attacked a group of white gold prospectors. Now, Stormcloud explains, the tribe has come to regret the attack. Stormcloud then gives Bobby a Bible which was stolen from one of the prospectors. Bobby goes to the ranch and gives the bible to Bob, who discovers a map to the mine that Stormcloud drew inside the back cover. When Harrison learns about the map, he goes to the ranch, shoots Bob and steals the Bible. The fatally injured Bob falls to the ground, knocks over a lantern and starts a fire, which soon engulfs the entire house. After Bobby escapes the burning house, the sheriff organizes a search party, which includes Harrison. The following day, King awakens Bobby, who fled into a nearby field. Bobby urges his beloved stallion to rejoin his herd, and the horse reluctantly departs. Harrison then arrives, and after Stormcloud accuses him of killing Bob, he shoots Stormcloud in the arm and begins firing at Bobby. Meanwhile, King leads the herd in a stampede toward Harrison, who is trampled to death. Bobby then sees the Bible lying on the ground next to Harrison's corpse, grabs it and rides away on King.
Director
John F. Link
Cast
Robert Lowery
Ken Curtis
Chief Thundercloud
Black Diamond
Charlie Hughes
Martha Sherrill
Tom Hanly
Fred Gildart
Eula Guy
Jimmy The Crow
Beady The Raccoon
Ripple The Deer
Fuzzy The Bear
Crew
Emanuel Barton
Craig Burns
Asa Boyd Clark
Robert Clark
Harry Eckles
Edward Finney
Glen Glenn
Johnny Goodwin
Karl Hajos
Bud Hooker
Hugh Hooker
James Knott
Morris Landres
Pop Levi
Ray Mercer
Robert Murdock
Byron Nelson
Edward Stein
Karl O. Struss
Curley Twiford
Donald Verk
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working titles of this film were Untamed and The Flaming Forest. Although the onscreen credits "introduce" actor Charlie Hughes, the second film he made, the 1948 Monogram production The Fighting Ranger, was actually released before Call of the Forest (see below). Adventure Pictures was not credited onscreen as the film's production company, but was listed as such in October 1947 Hollywood Reporter production charts and in a April 15, 1949 Hollywood Reporter news item. On May 27, 1949, a Hollywood Reporter news item noted that Lippert had acquired the picture and was planning to release it through Screen Guild after several additional days of filming were completed.
