Gentle Giant (1967)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

James Neilson

Writers:

Edward J. Lakso (writer)
Walt Morey (novel)

Release Date:

25 October 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Family

Tagline:

A wisp of a boy...A ton of bear...And a whole angry town trying to tear them apart

Plot Keywords:

Bear | Based On Novel

Cast

Dennis Weaver	...	Tom Wedloe
Vera Miles	...	Ellen Wedloe
Ralph Meeker	...	Fog Hanson
Clint Howard	...	Mark Wedloe
Huntz Hall	...	Dink Smith
Charles Martin	...	Mike McDonaugh
Rance Howard	...	Tater Coughlin
Frank Schuller	...	Charlie Mason
Robertson White	...	Swenson
Rick O'Barry	...	Mate (as Ric O'Feldman)
James Riddle	...	Skipper
Jerry Newby	...	1st Townsman
Frank Logan	...	2nd Townsman
Alfred Metz	...	Fisherman
Levirne DeBord	...	Fisherman

Also Known As:

Gentle Ben (USA) (working title)
Drengen og bjørnen (Denmark) [da]
Gigante buono, Il (Italy) [it]
Grand ours et l'enfant, Le (Belgium: French title) (TV title) [fr]
Lempeä jättiläinen (Finland) [fi]
Oso Ben, El (Spain) [es]
Paraxenoi filoi (Greece) [el]

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Florida, USA

Company:

Ivan Tors Productions

Movie Connections:

Featured in Child of Rage (1992) (TV)

YOUNG LAD WITH HIS VERY OWN BEAR.

Set in and filmed near Florida's Everglades, this motion picture, made essentially for children, stars Clint Howard, younger brother of Ron, as seven-year-old Mark Wedlow who, along with his father Tom (Dennis Weaver, a wildlife officer, and mother Ellen (Vera Miles) becomes involved in a series of emergency-based adventures concerning Ben, a young black bear. Mark's first contact with Ben takes place when the latter is a cub, as the boy watches from hiding as three poachers, played by veteran tough guy Ralph Meeker, ex-Bowery Boy Huntz Hall, and Clint's real-life father Rance, hunt down Ben's dam with Meeker's character killing her with a rifle shot, then capturing her offspring for future use as a source of lucrative bear meat. Based on the novel Gentle Ben by Walt Morey, this work inspired a spin-off popular late 1960's television series of the same name, also starring young Clint and Weaver, and features a series of incidents which showcases the remarkably uninhibited fondness which Mark displays toward one of the largest imaginable pets, seven feet and 750 pounds. Portrayed by an exceedingly well-trained animal, Bruno, big Ben is shipped to a zoo after an unfortunate occurrence, but escapes into the Everglades, and subsequent events, replete with family oriented scenes focussing upon a needed rapport between the youngster and animals, most non-ursine, presents cliches a-plenty but gives an opportunity to enjoy another solid performance from the fetching Miles.