Baree, Son of Kazan (1918 film)

Baree, Son of Kazan is a 1918 American silent film adventure based on the novel Baree, Son of Kazan by outdoor writer James Oliver Curwood. The film was directed by David Smith, the brother of Albert E. Smith, one of the founders of Vitagraph. Nell Shipman, an influential female actress and producer, stars in the film. In 1925, David Smith remade the same story with Anita Stewart.^[1]

An incomplete or abridged version of the film survives.^[2]

Plot

As described in a film magazine,^[3] McTaggart (Garcia), factor of the Lac Bain trading post, is infatuated by the charms of Nepeese (Shipman), daughter of Perriot (Rickson), a trapper, but is repulsed by the girl. In his journey to Perriot's cabin he has trapped a half-wolf, half-dog, whose enmity he has aroused by his bitter treatment. Nepeese befriends the animal and when McTaggart, stung by the girl's continued defiance, attacks her, the dog springs to her defense only to be quelled by the factor's revolver. Perriot, entering the cabin, grapples with McTaggart but is shot to death. Nepeese flees from the cabin and, pursued by McTaggart, jumps over a cliff. The dog, left alone, wanders the north country, his every move motivated by hate for McTaggart. McTaggart finally traps the dog and leaves it to die, but he is rescued by Jim Carvel (Whitman), an outlaw. The dog, lonesome for his old home, leads his new friend to the scene of his former happiness and is overjoyed to find Nepeese. McTaggart, aware of her return, enters her tent at midnight and the dog avenges all the wrongs done him by snuffing out the life of the factor.

Cast

• Nell Shipman as Nepeese
• Gayne Whitman as Jim Carvel
• Al Ernest Garcia as 'Bush' McTaggart
• Joe Rickson as Perriot

Reception

Like many American films of the time, Baree, Son of Kazan was subject to restrictions and cuts by city and state film censorship boards. For example, the Chicago Board of Censors cut, in Reel 2, the intertitle "I guess I'm about through with you", Reel 4, all but the first and last fight scenes between man and young woman, man suggestively leering at young woman, reduce fight scenes between men by half, shooting of Perriot, all struggle scenes except first and last, intertitle "From now on you belong to me", and the arson scene.^[4]

References

External links

• Baree, Son of Kazan at the Internet Movie Database
• Synopsis of Baree, Son of Kazan at AllMovie
• Glass slide