earlytalkie
This may be one of the least known of the famous Republic serials. And that's a shame since it's one of their very best. It's little known, perhaps, because it may still have a copyright holding it back from much exposure. Unlike Undersea Kingdom, S.O.S. Coast Guard, Robinson Crusoe On Clipper Island or the other public domain serials readily available on a variety of DVD labels, you can only find this on an out-of-print VHS double tape set. Hawk Of The Wilderness features beautiful locations and a very good, original music score by William Lava. It also features lively action, a terrific shipwreck in the first chapter, and good performances by a good cast. The version I've been watching seems to be taken from the old VHS tape, and that version was a superior print with crystal-clear picture and sound. The clarity of the film print heightened the majesty of the truly beautiful locations, artistically photographed. There is a good script and a few surprises for those who find the screenplays of such serials predictable. This is one old serial worth seeking out for fans of the genre. I'm not saying where I'm getting this from, since I believe Paramount still holds the rights to it. All I can tell you is: "Seek and ye shall find".
John T. Ryan
To borrow nautical terminology, this is one top film from stem to stern. There is very little to criticize.In Chapter 1, we have Scientist and Explorer, Lincoln Rand his Wife, Infant Son, family dog are all trapped inboard ship in stormy, choppy sea. Along with the family is Mokyui, Rand's American Indian assistant.The ship is clearly headed to wreckage and Mr. Rand places a message of there whereabouts and news of the in a bottle.Addressing the message to a Dr. Munro, and referring to "an unknown Treasure. Sealing it with wax, he pitches it into the stormy waters. He then sends the baby, Mokyui and Fido into a Lifeboat to the safety of the shore of this unknown island. The Senior Rand stays to attend to his bed-ridden spouse. The ship soon wrecks, they are lost.A great montage of film showing 20 years passing (it started in 1918) and the bottle found by a gang of modern day coastal pirates. They deliver message to the Professor Munro, who is gathered with a group who undertake a voyage to this island. They hire the Solerno Gang, not knowing of their Criminal Behaviour.Meanwhile, we see that Mokyui, Lincon Rand, Jr. and the pup have survived and are living on the island. They are in a Stone Age Existence, the Boy having reverted to a Primitive way of life. He has developed into a powerful, athletic warrior known to the islands as Kioga,the Hawk of the Wilderness. The Rand group is an outlaw band to the main Indian Tribe, headed by 'Yellow Weasel' The following Chapters deal with the struggles encountered by the Rand Group, the Munro Party, the Solerno Gang and the Local Tribe. There are so many things done well in this Serial, that I may well forget to mention all.First, there is such a beautiful setting, being a hilly, mountainous area, with tall, old pine trees being the predominant growth in the forest. The combination of the hills and valleys, the more temperate look than most other Serials and Westerns made by Republic.* (I read somewhere that a Northern California locale was employed, making for some of the most beautiful scenery in any Serial.The plot is at once believable, but also just fantastic enough to generate long interest with its Saturday Matinée crowd. The fight scenes are finely staged, and remember, they were staging a struggle among 3 groups-not the usual 2.In contrast to the Scientists, the Hostile Redskins and Kioga's Friends, we have George to provide comic relief of a Black Stereotype. The actor,Fred Toones, known professionally as 'Snowflake' was a performer , who did his job very well as evidenced by his credits. He had roles in many A pictures as well as the B, or Westerns and Serials. He was prominently featured in the sleeper, THE BISCUIT EATER.We must mention the one former University of Washington footballer and 1928 Olympic Shot Puter, Herman Brix. Later to become known as a fine dramatic actor, Bruce Bennet, he was nearly the perfect actor to portray Kioga. His Athletic and obviously powerful physique being impossible not to notice. **Lastly, as usual, we have great Republic Pictures music in the theme and the incidental music, both. The opening theme (by William Lava?)sets the table of emotions and has a good sound to it, as if it were adapted from Native American Sounds and Themes. HAWK OF THE WILDERNESS has aged well. It is a favourite with fans and has been "revived" for fan showings, I'm told. It will remain interesting and exciting to many a generation. How do we know? Well. just screen it for your kids or grand children (who haven't seen it) and watch their reactions. You can't fool these kids.And They'll tell you so!* Most 'B' Westerns and Serials have a Mediterranian, semi-arid look of their surroundings. This is because they were most often filmed in near by Hollywood locations in dessert, or in Griffith Park. There being great disparity to Northern California, which photographs like the North Woods.** Young Mr.Brix developed his powerful, athletic build, not in any gymnasium, but rather by working in his father's logging camp as a Lumberjack!
oscar-35
I wanted to see this film serial because my grandfather acted in it. His name was James Spencer. I found this serial to be a great example of the genre of that time. While I found some of the plot points alittle "dated", I can see why these projects caught the imagination of our best directors of today, ie. Spielburg & Lucas. BTW.. If you see the first episode, one of the scientists crew who land on the lost island is the great cowboy star and once married to Dina Shore, George Montgomery.
