''The Bears and I'' is a 1974 American drama film directed by Bernard McEveety and written by

John Whedon John Ogden Whedon (November 5, 1905 – November 22, 1991) was an American screenwriter. He is best known for his writing for the television series ''The Donna Reed Show'' during the 1950s. Whedon also wrote for ''The Great Gildersleeve'' on ...

. The film stars Patrick Wayne,

Chief Dan George Chief Dan George (born Geswanouth Slahoot; July 24, 1899 – September 23, 1981) was a chief of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, a Coast Salish band whose Indian reserve is located on Burrard Inlet in the southeast area of the District of No ...

, Andrew Duggan, Michael Ansara and Robert Pine. The film was released on July 31, 1974, by

Buena Vista Distribution Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, formerly known as Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc. until 2007, is an American film distribution studio within the Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. It ha ...

Plot

Robert (Bob) Leslie, a Vietnam veteran goes to the remote homeland of a fallen comrade to deliver his personal effects to his father, a First Nations chief and shaman. He is taken with the beauty of the west and decides to stay a while to find himself. Bob finds three orphaned cubs and begins to raise them, with the intent of teaching them to be independent. However, in the process he grows attached to them, causing him to waver in his determination to release them back into the wild. Meanwhile, the indigenous population faces eviction by the federal government, which wants to build facilities in the part of the national park where they reside. Bob tries several times to speak to the park board on their behalf, but his ignorance of Native history leads to conflict between him and his friend's people. Some register evident frustration, while others resist the authorities' intent with threats of violence. As the tension escalates, one man turns his anger towards Bob and attacks his home and the bears, leading to a forest fire that endangers the park and its inhabitants, human and animal. As he comes to understand the wisdom of his friend's father and the danger the bears face, Bob realizes he must push the bears away.

Cast

* Patrick Wayne as Bob Leslie *

as Chief Peter A-Tas-Ka-Nay * Andrew Duggan as Commissioner Gaines * Michael Ansara as Oliver Red Fern * Robert Pine as John McCarten *

Valentin de Vargas Valentin de Vargas (born Albert Charles Schubert; April 27, 1935 – June 10, 2013) was an actor known for appearing in films in the 1950s and 1960s. Two of his prominent roles were as a gangster threatening Janet Leigh in Orson Welles' ''Touch o ...

as Sam Eagle Speaker * Hal Baylor as Foreman

Music

The film's score was written by

Buddy Baker Elzie Wylie "Buddy" Baker Jr. (January 25, 1941 – August 10, 2015) was an American professional stock car racing driver and commentator. Over the course of his 33-year racing career, he won 19 races in the NASCAR Cup Series, including the 198 ...

. The film features one original song, "Sweet Surrender," written and performed by

John Denver Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997), known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, activist, and humanitarian whose greatest commercial success was as a solo singe ...

. The song plays during the film's opening credits, as well as during an interlude as Bob begins to bond with the three bear cubs.

References

External links

* * 1974 films Walt Disney Pictures films American drama films 1974 drama films Films scored by Buddy Baker (composer) Films about bears Films directed by Bernard McEveety Jr. Films produced by Winston Hibler 1970s English-language films 1970s American films {{1970s-drama-film-stub

Plot

Cast

Music

See also

References

External links