Kazan (1949)
Directed by Will Jason
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson
Based on a James Oliver Curwood story, Kazan was one of those "little" pictures of the late 1940s which gained a lofty reputation when it was championed by a handful of film critics. The title character is a huge white dog, running wild in the Canadian wilderness. Mistreated by cruel woodsmen, Kazan learns to trust mankind through the kindness and consideration of government wildlife expert Thomas Weyman (Steve Dunne). Lois Maxwell, the future Miss Moneypenny of the "James Bond" movies, plays the daughter of sadistic Maitlin (Roman Bohnen), who with fellow villain Jepson (Joe Sawyer) hopes to groom Kazan for the illegal dogfight circuit. George Cleveland provides a touch of much-needed comedy relief. Even at 65 minutes, Kazan is a bit too leisurely for its own good, but it's a surefire audience pleaser whenever it pops up on TV.
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Keywords
animal, friendship, dog, fighter, lover, retraining, wild [undomesticated]