Untamed
Cast & Crew
George Archainbaud
Ray Milland
Patricia Morison
Akim Tamiroff
William Frawley
Jane Darwell
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
When a fondness for alcohol and nightclubs begins to interfere with his work, New York society doctor Bill Crawford is advised by his own physician and the directors of his hospital to pull himself together. To cure himself, Bill leaves for the wilds of Canada, accompanied by his friend Les Woodbury. While on a hunting expedition, Bill is mauled by a bear and his guide, Joe Easter, takes him home to his young wife Alverna to recuperate. After leaving Bill in Alvy's care, Joe returns to the woods and during his absence Bill learns of Alvy's unhappiness and isolation. Rescued by Joe from the streets of Seattle, Alvy married him out of gratitude and is regarded as a brazen hussy by her narrow minded-neighbors, who soon begin gossiping about Alvy and Bill. When village physician Dr. Billar dies of a heart attack, a recuperated Bill takes over his cases and realizes that he has finally found contentment in his work. However, when he and Alvy find themselves falling in love, Bill decides that he must leave. On the eve of his departure, an epidemic breaks out and the only medication that can prevent it is found at a clinic in another village. As a blizzard rages, Bill rides off to procure the remedy and Alvy follows. Soon after, Joe returns home and is told by his neighbors that Alvy and Bill have run off together. Enraged, Joe takes his dog sled after them and finds them nearly frozen to death with the medical bag. Realizing that they have not betrayed him, Joe puts them in his sled and begins the journey home. Upon their arrival, they realize that the medicine has fallen out along the trail and Joe returns for it. He arrives at their village with the medicine, but has frozen to death. With the medication, Bill prevents the epidemic and decides to stay in Canada while Alvy returns to New York with Les. A year later, after purging herself of her yearning for the city, Alvy returns to Canada to marry Bill.
Director
George Archainbaud
Cast
Ray Milland
Patricia Morison
Akim Tamiroff
William Frawley
Jane Darwell
Esther Dale
J. M. Kerrigan
Eily Malyon
Fay Helm
Clem Bevans
Sibyl Harris
Roscoe Ates
J. Farrell Macdonald
Gertrude W. Hoffmann
Charles Waldron
Darryl Hickman
Charlene Wyatt
Bahe Denetdeel
Donna Jean Lester
Guy Wilkerson
Byron Foulger
Helen Brown
Susan Paley
Marion Martin
Charles Stevens
Brenda Fowler
Hazel Keener
Ann Doran
Pauline Haddon
Dorothy Adams
Wilfred Roberts
Crew
Frederick Hazlitt Brennan
Frank Butler
Hans Dreier
William Flannery
A. E. Freudeman
Stuart Gilmore
W. Howard Greene
Edith Head
George Hippard
Henri Jaffe
Don Johnson
Paul Jones
Natalie Kalmus
William Lebaron
Gene Merritt
Walter Rouloffs
Leo Tover
Wally Westmore
Victor Young
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Sinclair Lewis' novel was serialized in Collier's (13 February-8 May 1926). Although Victor Young is credited with musical score onscreen, the Paramount Release Dialogue Script contained in the Paramount Script Files at AMPAS credits Dr. William Axt with score. A news item in Hollywood Reporter notes that Paramount borrowed Axt from M-G-M to compose and conduct the musical score. Axt's particpation in the final film has not been determined, however. According to Paramount publicity materials contained in the Production Files at the AMPAS Library, the film was shot on location at Big Bear, CA. A news item in Hollywood Reporter adds that the film was also shot on location at Lake Arrowhead, CA. The snow in the blizzard scene was made from flaked turnips, uncooked corn and gypsum. The bear in the picture was a 640-pound Siberian bear named Big Boy. Studio publicity adds that Akim Tamiroff's makeup for his death scene was created by Wally Westmore, the head of Paramount's makeup department. In 1926, Paramount distributed Mantrap, directed by Victor Fleming and starring Ernest Torrence and Clara Bow, which was based on the Sinclair Lewis novel of the same name (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films; 1921-30, F2.3468).
