THE MIX TAP & GRILL TO SUPPORT OLDE FIREHALL RENOVATIONS
At the very successful July 6th WOLF DOG screenings, I had an opportunity to chat with a great number of people. Many of whom are new to the village and still others are long time residents. Among them was resident Dave Swieger, who was involved with a campaign to save the old Markdale Public School building. Sadly, public support waned at that time and an integral part of our history was lost. Its my sincere hope that apathy and indifference won't be the epitaph on this historic building.
Lastly, the distribution rights of WOLF DOG may become public domain by 2008. We want WOLF DOG not only returning to town, but also to your home video library! Stay tuned.
click on the above poster!
The Annual Markdale
ICE CREAM FESTIVAL
for Jeff Wilson's
2005 PHOTO TOUR of the
WOLF DOG FARM!!
DON GARRARD
Actor who played Lee Trent
in WOLF DOG
CABLE TV
June 20/05
April 14/04
June 1/05
June 1/05
Dec. 14/05
Y es, Canada! In August of 1957, Markdale, ON, Canada was invaded by a 20th Century Fox film crew and some big show business names for the filming of a movie temporarily titled "A Boy And His Dog." Though the excitement came and went quite quickly, the memories left by this spectacular event on the people who either witnessed it, or participated as walk-on extras, remain vivid. Among locals, it remains best known as "The Movie Made In Markdale."
We have recently had a copy of WOLF DOG forwarded to us (as you will see, if you check out our pages), but by all means: If someone out there has any information as to the whereabouts of the original film version, or a very good video copy, please sign our guest book, or email us as soon as possible by clicking "Contact Us" below!!
Also, check out the links at the bottom left of this page. For historic photos of Markdale, please visit the "About Markdale" link directly below. A couple of pieces of interest are a photo of a 1950 Ford "woody" wagon similar to the one used in WOLF DOG and the old Fire Hall, which was the site of an "interesting" dog fight scene. Let's just say, they couldn't have added the disclaimer that "no animals were injured in the course of this production" and leave it at that! Lots of fascinating stuff here, so enjoy!
Freshly graduated from high school, young Ruth Graham was working for the Markdale weekly community publication, when it was announced that this central Grey County village would be the location of a western movie called "The Sherriff Of Manitoba." When the film crew arrived in August of 1957, the script had changed to be a "boy and his dog" story, but then-editor Gordon Craig hustled her out the door nonetheless, demanding a scoop. Though she suffered the cold feet of inexperience, she didn't let him down and provided a splash that would linger in the local psyche for decades to come.
It seems a professional wrestler/film stuntman named Alex Dunseith had moved into a farm near the tiny hamlet of Holland Centre, Ontario (north of Markdale), which his employer Mr. Arthur Gottlieb had recently acquired. Mr. Gottlieb was a Pickering, Ontario farmer with two unusual hobbies: Independent filmmaker and professional wrestling promoter. Dunseith had begun as a Gottlieb pro wrestler, but got into animal training and cared for Gottlieb's horses for the "Hawkeye and the Last Of The Mohicans" TV series. He was also an extra in "Hawkeye", as well as concurrent Normandie projects "Tugboat Annie" and "Cannonball". With the great popularity of the "Lassie" film series, an idea about making a film of that genre no doubt emerged. Gottlieb landed the Holland Centre area acreage with this in mind and Dunseith was likely hired to care for the dogs, horses and cattle there before and during filming. Having connections to Normandie Films, "Regal Films Canada" was incorporated and their promotion people began approaching Markdale with their plans. Amidst their queries, response to requests for "walk-thru extras" went beyond all expectation.
When Producer/Director Sam Newfield announced he would be shooting another epic that fall ('Flaming Frontier'), he led some to believe it would be filmed locally also (eventually filmed on location at Pickering, Ontario and Griffith Park, California). After all, the entire crew, including star Jim Davis, said they loved our area! The possibilities seemed endless. The local starry-eyed youth of that sweltering summer of '57 could foresee Markdale becoming "Hollywood North." But it certainly never did. In fact, "Flaming Frontier" was the final project in Newfield's long and storied career.
When the locally-filmed feature was released, many locals saw it at an Owen Sound, Ontario moviehouse. The movie by now renamed "Wolf Dog," would inexplicably disappear for decades, but would never be forgotten.
Article: "Excitement Fills Young & Old..." (part II)
Editorial: Markdale newspaper editor Gordon Craig
Ruth Graham "Wins $500 Scholarship"
"Stars Of Markdale's First Movie"
"They Kept Traffic Moving"
"Going Over Script Between Scenes"
* Phony newspaper Ad (do not take seriously)
Dundalk Herald 06-01-05 Article
Markdale 06-01-05 "Guest Editorial"
"My father's a tougher man than you'll EVER be. He's got more bravery in his little finger than you got in your whole body. He won his medals in a REAL war. He don't have to kill people like you do."
-Paul Hughes to Trent,his captor in WOLF DOG
LOBBY CARDS II (Allison Tribute)
SUMMARY: THE SEARCH FOR "WOLF DOG"
CAST & CREW PLOT SUMMARY INTERVIEWS
OBSERVATIONS/QUESTIONS ABOUT MARKDALE
Success At Last - Contact Us!
Markdale - A Proud Part of Grey County
The Avridge Farm
The filming site for the 1958 movie, WOLF DOG!
