''The Mad Trapper'' is a 1972 British

made-for-television A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

docudrama film. ''The Mad Trapper'' is based on the 1931

Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal police, federal and national police service of ...

(RCMP) pursuit of a trapper named Albert Johnson, the reputed "Mad Trapper of Rat River"."The Mad Trapper (1972)."
''IMDb''. Retrieved: 2 December 2014. A later film exploring the same topic was ''

Challenge to Be Free ''Challenge to Be Free'' (a.k.a. ''Mad Trapper of the Yukon'' and ''Mad Trapper'') is an anti-hero film directed by Tay Garnett and starring Mike Mazurki. The film's plot was a loosely based on the 1931 Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) purs ...

'' (a.k.a. ''Mad Trapper of the Yukon'' and ''Mad Trapper'') (1975) directed by

Tay Garnett William Taylor "Tay" Garnett (June 13, 1894 – October 3, 1977) was an American film director and writer. Biography Early life Born in Los Angeles, Garnett attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and served as a naval aviator in Wo ...

and stars Mike Mazurki. A later fictionalized account, ''Death Hunt'' (1981), also based on the story of the RCMP pursuit of Albert Johnson, was directed by Peter R. Hunt, and starred Charles Bronson, Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson and Carl Weathers."Full cast & crew: Death Hunt (1981)."
''IMDb''. Retrieved: 2 December 2014.

Plot

In the Yukon, an American trapper (Del Henney) attempts to live in peace but is aware that other trappers resent his presence. When he is confronted by rival trappers, they bring along Millen (George R. Robertson), the local RCMP officer. Feeling intimidated, the trapper fights back, shooting his way out of his cabin, killing Millen and embarking on a desperate attempt to escape the authorities. The hazardous trek through the Arctic in the middle of winter becomes an epic manhunt, led by "Sarge" (Tom Drake (actor), Richard Alden). The RCMP eventually employ dog teams, radio and aircraft to bring down their prey.

Cast

* Tom Drake (actor), Richard Alden as "Sarge" * Joe Austin as Ernie * Brandon Brady as R.C.M.P. Carter * Del Henney as The Mad Trapper * Neil McCallum as Eames * Dan McDonald as King * George R. Robertson as Millen

Production

''The Mad Trapper'' was filmed mainly on location in the Yukon and Alaska, the same locales of the "Mad Trapper" manhunt.

Reception

Reviewer Leonard Maltin noted ''(The) Mad Trapper'' was made in 1972 and was based on the story of "... a fur trapper pursued by the law in Arctic surroundings."Maltin 2009, p. 229.

Notes

References

Bibliography

* Anderson, Frank W. and Art Downs. ''The Death of Albert Johnson, Mad Trapper of Rat River.'' Surrey, British Columbia, Canada: Heritage House, 1986. . * Maltin, Leonard. ''Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide 2009''. New York: New American Library, 2009 (originally published as ''TV Movies'', then ''Leonard Maltin’s Movie & Video Guide''), First edition 1969, published annually since 1988. . * North, Dick. ''The Mad Trapper of Rat River: A True Story of Canada's Biggest Manhunt''. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Macmillan Company, 1972. .

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mad Trapper 1972 television films British television films 1970s adventure films Northern (genre) films Television films based on actual events Films set in the 1930s Canadian folklore Royal Canadian Mounted Police in fiction Films set in Yukon 1970s chase films 1970s English-language films