|
Bear Hunt in the Rockies
(1910) United States of America
B&W : One reel / 975 feet
Directed by Edwin S. Porter
Cast: Frank Dickens [himself]
Edison Manufacturing Company production; distributed by Edison Manufacturing Company. / Cinematography by Edwin S. Porter. / © 11 January 1910 by Edison Manufacturing Company [J137181, J137182, J137183, J137184]. Released 11 January 1910. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format. / Edison production number 6572.
Documentary.
Synopsis: [The Moving Picture World, 15 January 1910, page ?] Many pictures have been made of wild animals, but always, so far as we know, under conditions of captivity. In this picture, however, there is not the slightest departure from absolutely natural conditions. Nor is there any attempt at acting. An actual bear hunt is reproduced just as it occurred from the beginning to the end. Our representative was sent to Marble, Col., where he joined the camping outfit of Frank Dickens, hunter and guide, well known to all who hunt big game in that section of the country. Through the magic aid of the camera everyone who sees this picture is privileged to leave with the hunting party and to journey through the indescribably beautiful scenery of Colorado in the quest for the bear. We go through gorges and over mountains, penetrate forests and follow mountain trails where safety lies only in the surefooted horses; and all this in the very heart of the Rockies, with the snow-capped peaks showing in the distance. The altitude is about 10,000 feet, and both horse and man can do only a limited amount of work on account of the rarefied air. We go into camp, and from there we start on our actual hunt, accompanied by our dogs, barking in exultant chorus. The big bear is first seen swimming a stream from which a young woman is catching trout. The encounter is not at all to her liking, and she beats a precipitate retreat to camp. Taking advantage of the campers’ absence, Bruin later on enters the camp, steals a grouse hanging alongside one of the tents and disappears with it into the forest. Here his quiet is broken by the baying of the dogs, and this is the beginning of his end. We see him treed, the fatal shot fired which brings him to the ground, the fight with the dogs, and finally we see Bruin thrown across a horse’s back and the journey back to camp. En route a young cub is roped and brought into camp in that manner, and the final scene shows the big bear swung up, with the dead cub on the ground.
Reviews: [The Moving Picture World, 22 January 1910, page ?] Something new in wild animal pictures. Heretofore hunt pictures have been made with animals either in captivity or trained so as not to be dangerous. But in this instance the operator joined an actual hunt, and the audience goes with the party from the time they start until the bear is killed and taken to camp. It is reproduced on the screen with amazing fidelity and offers numerous thrills before the rifle shot brings the huge beast to the ground. The way the young woman, fishing, retreats to camp when the bear swims the stream is a touch of comedy that gives a touch of life that increases the interest. The scenery of the Colorado Rockies is faithfully reproduced. To those who have been fortunate enough to clamber over these magnificent mountains and thread their narrow defiles, this picture will appeal with irresistible power. And those who have not been there can rest assured that the reproduction is faithful and is almost as good as seeing the originals, without the attendant discomforts. Of course discomforts will not deter the enthusiast from climbing a mountain, but they do exert some influence on others; and this picture is a good substitute. The technical work is uncommonly good, considering the difficulties under which much of it was performed. It is a picture which should secure for the company the congratulations of all who appreciate the labor involved in obtaining it. // [New York Dramatic Mirror, 22 January 1910, page ?] This fine film has educational as well as some dramatic value. It depicts with fidelity what appears to be a real bear hunt in the Rocky Mountains. The natural scenery is superb, and the bear is a sure enough bear. A considerable party sets out on the hunt on horseback, and with pack horses conveying their camp material. In the party are two ladies — actor ladies evidently, as they fall at times to conceal their professional training. One of them goes fishing, and is having luck, when a bear appears. She pretends to be frightened and starts to run, but in front of the camera comes the fatal desire to pose, and we realize that the danger from the bear is mere pretense. When she arrives at the camp she again poses, facing the camera, while she tells her experience to those standing behind her. The dogs are now called, and the bear is pursued, treed and shot. We are mercifully spared a scene showing the details of butchering. Later a cub is roped, and led home by the party. Taken as a whole, the film is decidedly entertaining.
Survival status: (unknown)
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 5 April 2024.
References: MovPicWorld-19100108 p. 28 : Website-AFI.
|
