AllMovie

Buck the Saint Bernard gets top billing in this adaptation of the novel by Jack London, and he earns it -- his performance eclipses that of such well-known actors as Jack Mulhall and Walter Long. As a puppy, Buck is a Christmas gift to a group of children. But after growing up in a loving home, he is stolen and sold as a sled dog in the frozen Klondike. He learns hatred at the cruel hands of Hagin, "the man with the club" (Long). The other dogs teach him the ways of the Northwoods, and he proves himself in a vicious struggle with a wolf-dog. Finally Buck finds a friend in Jack Thornton (Mulhall). Buck fights for Thornton's life and afterwards goes into the wild where he finds his mate. In spite of his fine performance, Buck had some competition for stardom -- at the same time this picture came out, Warner Brothers released Where the North Begins, another Northwoods tale featuring a dog. This canine was the immortal Rin Tin Tin.