''The Courage of Kavik the Wolf Dog'', also known as 'Kavik the Wolf Dog', is a 1980 made-for TV adventure film based on the novel

Kävik the Wolf Dog ''Kävik the Wolf Dog'' is a novel written in 1968 by Walt Morey. It won the 1968 Dutton Animal Book Award as a draft, resulting in its subsequent publication. Quote: Walt's books have twice won the Dutton Junior Animal Book Award. Made-for-TV m ...

Plot

Kavik, a champion sled dog, who has just won a race in

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

, is sold for $4000 to George Hunter, a ruthless businessman from

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

, who has local business interests. The plane carrying the dog crashes into the snow-covered wilderness; the pilot is killed and the dog is more dead than alive. The crash site is found by Andy Evans, a young boy who lives in the nearby fishing settlement of Copper City. He struggles to get the dog home and begs his parents to let him ask the local doctor to take a look at Kavik. Dr Walker does, initially reluctantly, have a look and does his best to deal with Kavik's multiple injuries. The dog slowly recovers and starts to bond with Andy. However, due to its near death experience Kavik is terrified of other dogs and is quick to run away when confronted. But Hunter arrives on a regular trip and claims back the dog, taking him to a kennel in his palatial Seattle home. Hunter's kennel manager, seeing that the dog is unhappy and unlikely to be a champion racer, allows him to escape. Kavik manages to stow away on a coastal

ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...

and travels north. He struggles over inhospitable terrain, learning to fight other dogs and wolves for his food. Barely alive, he makes it back to Copper City, and reunites with Andy. Hunter arrives, angrily demanding the return of the dog. Andy's father, Kurt, equally angrily claims that the dog will be happier with them than with Hunter. Hunter, who employs Evans and practically owns the whole town, gives in with ill grace, selling Kavik to the Evans family for a token sum.

Cast

Ronny Cox Daniel Ronald Cox (born July 23, 1938) is an American actor, singer and songwriter. His best-known roles include Drew Ballinger in ''Deliverance'' (1972), George Apple in ''Apple's Way'' (1974–75), Ozark Bule in '' Bound for Glory'' (1976), Co ...

... Kurt Evans *

Linda Sorenson Linda Sorenson (born January 19, 1940) is a Canadian film, television and voice actress, best known for playing Mrs. Stegman in ''Class of 1984'', Warden Howe in '' Murphy Brown'', Virginia Reeves in '' Material World'' and Isabelle Carrington in ...

... Laura Evans * Andrew Ian McMillan ... Andy Evans *

John Ireland John Benjamin Ireland (January 30, 1914 – March 21, 1992) was a Canadian actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in ''All the King's Men'' (1949), making him the first Vancouver-born actor to receive an Oscar nomin ...

... George Hunter *

Chris Wiggins Christopher John Wiggins (January 13, 1931 – February 19, 2017) was an English-born Canadian actor. Career He started out as a banker in his home country before he began his acting career in Canada, where he moved in 1952. Wiggins is probably ...

... Dr Vic Walker *

John Candy John Franklin Candy (October 31, 1950 – March 4, 1994) was a Canadian actor and comedian known mainly for his work in Hollywood films. Candy rose to fame in the 1970s as a member of the Toronto branch of the Second City and its '' SCTV'' ser ...

... Pinky

Production

Much of this television film was shot in

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

Banff National Park Banff National Park is Canada's oldest National Parks of Canada, national park, established in 1885 as Rocky Mountains Park. Located in Alberta's Rockies, Alberta's Rocky Mountains, west of Calgary, Banff encompasses of mountainous terrain, wi ...

. Additional filming locations were in

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

and

External links

* 1980 films Films about dogs Canadian adventure films Canadian television films English-language Canadian films Films directed by Peter Carter 1980s Canadian films {{adventure-film-stub