“THE FAR CALL”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 742, 15 August 1929, Page 15

“THE FAR CALL”

SCENES OF LITTLE KNOWN ISLANDS -The Far Call,” Allan Dwarr’s gripping picture of the fut-poachers in the North Pacific, portrays one of the most interesting groups of islands in the world, the Phibilofs, These islands, discovered by Gerassin Pribilot in 178«. at tliat time were the "headquarters’* for the millions of fur-seal that swarmed from Bering Sea to the latitude of California. Although small in size (the total area of the group Is only 180 square miles, and the largest island. St. Paul, is bui 14 miles long) the rocky, shelving beaches were literally coveted with seals at one time. A “census" made in 1875 shows that some two and a - half million of the animals were on the various rookeries at the peak of the season, which runs from May to November. The islands formerly belonged to Russia, but were transferred to tho United States at the time of the Alaska purchase. The population, mostly Aleut natives, numbers about 400, of whom the majority live on St. Paul, where the action of the picture takes place. Due to the activities of poach - ers. and the growth of the pelagic, or deep-sea. sealing, the herds have been decimated. In 1»00 there were scarcely half a million ol the animals left, and the number is steadily decreasing, despite the efforts of the United Btates and the Canadian Government* to check the slaughter by converting the islands into a sanctuary. Although the group and the surrounding waters are constant!.' patrolled by revenue cutters, occasional poaching raids have proved enormously successful from a financial standpoint. Such a raid forms the theme of "The Far Call.” which thus brings this littleknown bit of American territory to the attention of tho theatre-going public. Charles Morton, Leila Kyatns, Ulrich Haupt and Stanley J. Sandford have the principal roles in the production, based on Edison Marshall’* novel of the same name. Arthur Stone. Ivan Llnow, Warren Humer. Charles Middleton. Pat Hartigan end Dan Wolheim head the supporting cast and furnish much of the lawless atmosphere that makes the film an unusually realistic one.