The Adventures of the Wilderness Family facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Adventures of the Wilderness Family |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Stewart Raffill |
| Produced by | Arthur R. Dubs |
| Written by | Arthur R. Dubs Stewart Raffill |
| Starring | Robert Logan Susan Damante-Shaw Hollye Holmes Ham Larsen |
| Music by | Gene Kauer Douglas M. Lackey |
| Cinematography | Gérard Alcan |
| Editing by | R. Hansel Brown |
| Distributed by | Pacific International Enterprises |
| Release date(s) | December 19, 1975 |
| Running time | 100 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Money made | $31,223,000 |
The Adventures of the Wilderness Family (also known as The Wilderness Family) is a 1975 family film. It was directed by Stewart Raffill. The main actors are Robert Logan, George Buck Flower, and Susan Damante-Shaw. This movie was so popular that it had two sequels: The Further Adventures of the Wilderness Family (1978) and Mountain Family Robinson (1979). The movie was filmed in the beautiful Gunnison National Forest in Colorado.
Contents
Story of the Wilderness Family
Skip Robinson is a construction worker living in Los Angeles, California, with his family. He feels tired of city life, especially because of the smog and busy streets. He also worries about his daughter's health. So, Skip decides to move his family to the Rocky Mountains for a fresh start.
He moves his wife Pat and their two children, Jennifer (who is eleven) and Toby (who is seven), to the wilderness. They build their own cozy cabin near a big lake. They soon learn that living in nature can be full of surprises!
New Life in the Mountains
The Robinson family starts to get used to their new mountain home. A few days after building their cabin, Toby and Skip go hunting with their dog Kress. They catch a grouse for dinner. Later, while climbing a hill, Skip and Toby almost get caught in a landslide.
After the landslide, they find two young grizzly bear cubs. The cubs had lost their mother in the same landslide. The Robinsons decide to adopt the cubs for a while. But Pat and Skip tell the children that the cubs will need to go back into the wild when they grow up.
Over the next few weeks, the family learns more about mountain life. Besides the bear cubs and Kress, they also become friends with a raccoon they name Bandito. One day, Jenny and Toby find cougar cubs near their den while picking flowers.
The family still gets letters and packages from friends and family in Los Angeles. Pat's mother sends letters, and Jenny and Toby get schoolbooks. Skip keeps hunting and fishing for food, while Pat takes care of the cabin. The children focus on their schoolwork.
Animal Encounters
One day, Skip is fishing with the two grizzly cubs when a large black bear scares them. Later, Jenny and Toby are walking with Kress and meet the same black bear. Toby runs back to get his parents. Jenny follows Kress, who scares the bear away. Skip quickly grabs his rifle and goes to find Jenny.
While trying to find their way back, Jenny and Kress are chased by a pack of gray wolves. The wolves chase them to a lake and almost attack Jenny. Kress bravely fights off the wolves until Skip arrives. Skip drives the pack away, and Jenny is safe, though very scared.
Meeting Boomer and Samson
The next day, the family meets a friendly old mountain man named Boomer. Boomer tells them he was a friend of Skip's uncle, Ol' Jake. Ol' Jake used to live in the same area and took good care of the local animals. He even raised a friendly black bear named Samson from a cub. Samson is the same big black bear the Robinsons have seen!
Boomer also warns them about Three-Toes, a famous grizzly bear known for bothering people's homes. Boomer has to leave when the two bear cubs accidentally scare away his mule, Flora.
Later, a large bear walks into their cabin while the family is outside. The children think it must be Samson. Skip remembers Boomer's advice and tries to be friendly. It works! The bear is indeed Samson, and he becomes friends with the family, even joining them for dinner. The Robinsons feel more at home, gathering food from the forest and spending time with their new animal friends and Boomer.
A Dangerous Storm
One day, Pat and Jenny are picking berries when they meet Three-Toes. Kress bravely protects them, and Pat gets Jenny to safety. Jenny is very scared and feels unwell. Skip goes to find Kress and track Three-Toes.
The next morning, Jenny's condition has gotten worse. Skip tries to call for help, but the radio's batteries are dead. He has to walk a long way to get help. During a big windstorm, Three-Toes tries to break into the cabin. Pat tries to fight him off.
Suddenly, Samson comes to help! He fights Three-Toes while Pat reloads her gun. Samson holds the grizzly off long enough for Pat to protect her family, and Three-Toes is stopped. Skip returns with a doctor, and Jenny starts to feel better. Pat was unsure about staying, but she agrees that this is a better life for her family. Boomer then shows up, and his mule runs off again, making everyone laugh. The children run off to help him.
Main Actors
- Robert Logan plays Skip Robinson
- Susan Damante-Shaw plays Pat Robinson
- Hollye Holmes plays Jenny Robinson
- Ham Larsen plays Toby Robinson
- George Buck Flower plays Boomer
