JACK LONDON (1943)Michael O'Shea, Susan Hayward & Osa Massen |Adventure| Colorized | Cinema One

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Jack London, also known as The Story of Jack London, is a 1943 American biographical film made by Samuel Bronston Productions and distributed by United Artists. It was directed by Alfred Santell and produced by Samuel Bronston with Joseph H. Nadel as associate producer, from a screenplay by Isaac Don Levine and Ernest Pascal based on the 1921 book The Book of Jack London by London's second wife, Charmian London.

The film starred Michael O'Shea as Jack London and Susan Hayward with Osa Massen, Harry Davenport, Frank Craven and Virginia Mayo.

Synopsis

The film follows scenes from the life of the writer-adventurer Jack London (Michael O'Shea, who somewhat resembled London) who was, among other things, oyster pirate, hobo, sailor, prospector and war correspondent. The film begins and ends with footage from 1943 of the launch of the liberty ship Jack London. In Oakland in 1890, after an accident involving a female colleague at the factory where he works, the young London quits and borrows money to buy a boat in which to illegally harvest oysters. The boat is soon impounded by police, one of his partners killed, and he is left without means. London signs on as an able seaman on a five-month trip to the Bering Sea, during which he begins to write. A brief stay at university proves frustrating as his stories are dismissed as "raw" despite London's defence of them as observed occurrences. He moves to the Yukon where he writes a story about a bar singer. Snowed in for months he writes Call of the Wild, which he sells to a publisher, who compares him to Rudyard Kipling, one of London's idols. The publisher introduces him to Charmian Kittredge (Susan Hayward). By the turn of the century London's career has taken off. He is asked by a newspaper to cover the Boer War, but on arrival at Plymouth, the war has already ended. London returns to Charmian.

Despite a promise not to leave Charmian again, London is given another foreign correspondent assignment, this time to Japan, where he is told of the start of the Russo-Japanese War. In Korea, an army captain reveals the Japanese aim to sack Manchuria and then Mongolia for raw materials as part of a long-term plan to conquer China, and then dominate the US and England. London's coverage of the taking of the Yalu River proves a scoop. However, he is arrested on charges of spying for Russia, and in a brutal prison witnesses the murder of his fellow inmates by the Japanese. Eventually, London is freed after the intervention of the White House. Back in the US, London attempts but fails to sell articles attesting to his view that there is a coming threat from Japan.

Cast

Michael O'Shea as Jack London
Susan Hayward as Charmian Kittredge
Osa Massen as Freda Maloof
Harry Davenport as Prof. Hilliard
Frank Craven as Old Tom
Virginia Mayo as Marnie
Ralph Morgan as George Brett
Jonathan Hale as Kerwin Maxwell
Louise Beavers as Mammy Jenny
Leonard Strong as Captain Tanaka
Regis Toomey as Scratch Nelson
Paul Hurst as 'Lucky Luke' Lannigan
Lumsden Hare as English Correspondent
Hobart Cavanaugh as Mike, Saloonkeeper
Conway Morgan as Richard Harding Davos
Robert Homans as Captain Allen

Directed by: Alfred Santell
Written by: Ernest Pascal, Charmian London (book)
Produced by: Samuel Bronston
Cinematography: John W. Boyle, Lee Garmes
Edited by: William H. Ziegler
Music by: Fredric Efrem Rich
Production Company: Samuel Bronston Productions
Distributed by: United Artists
Release Date: December 24, 1943
Running Time: 94 minutes
Country: United States
Language: English
Box Office: Over $900,000