Summary
Dick Norton is a man defined by the shifting sands of his environment, moving from the arid heat of desert prospecting to the unforgiving frost of the Klondike. In this 1926 survivalist drama, Norton’s transition from a hopeful miner to a principled mining engineer sets him on a collision course with Mortimer Pearson, a man who views the wilderness not as a challenge to be met, but as a resource to be plundered through deceit. When Norton’s moral compass prevents Pearson from executing a crooked scheme, the conflict turns personal. The arrival of Norton’s lover, Violet Winter, and her ailing father provides Pearson with the leverage he needs to dismantle Norton’s reputation. A desperate struggle ends with a misplaced tie tac—a small, seemingly insignificant accessory that becomes the catalyst for a murder frame-up after a local mine owner is silenced. As Norton languishes behind bars, the film pivots from a standard frontier conflict into a race against time. The narrative weight shifts to Lightning Girl, Norton’s canine companion, who serves as the bridge between the incarcerated hero and his eventual redemption. The film culminates in a high-stakes cabin siege where the boundaries between law, survival, and vengeance are blurred in the snow.
Synopsis
A desert prospecter, Dick Norton, decides to head to the Klondike in search of gold. In the Klondike, Norton becomes a mining engineer whose honesty upsets a crooked Mortimer Pearson. Norton's girlfriend, Violet Winter and her father suddenly arrive in town. The father has taken ill. A fight breaks out between Pearson and Norton over Violet. In the struggle, which Norton wins, Norton's tie tac is caught on Pearson's sleeve. Pearson sends his men to obtain directions to a valuable mine. During the theft, the owner, Dowing, is shot, but is able to write a message. Pearson places Norton's tie tac on the body and steals the note. Norton is arrested for the murder. Violet, hoping to save her father's life, turns to Pearson, who has an Indian take her father to a doctor. Meanwhile, Lightning Girl keeps watch outside of Norton's jail-house window. Pearson coerces Violet to accompany him on a trip to claim the stolen mine. Norton sends Lightning Girl to get his coat, which has a file in it. He escapes and the pair head off after Pearson and Violet. Lighting and Norton arrive just in time to save Violet from an attack in a cabin. Norton and Pearson fight, with Norton grabbing the papers and tossing Pearson out. Pearson heads to town to get help since the papers include the note from the dead man. Finding the note, Norton knows they are now in danger. He gives all the papers to Lightning Girl and sends her to Dolan's. As Lightning Girl makes her way, Norton and Violet fight off the killers. Lightning and Dolan's gang arrive just in time.
Review Excerpt
"Is this film worth watching today? Short answer: Yes, but only if you have a deep appreciation for the 'dog-hero' subgenre of the 1920s.
The Call of the Klondike is specifically for silent cinema historians and fans of early canine stars like Rin Tin Tin. It is absolutely not for viewers who require complex legal logic or high-definition spectacle.
The Direct Verdict
1) This film works because Lightning Girl delivers a more compelling emotional performance than most of her human co-stars.
2) Thi..."
