A growing source of silent era film information. This listing is from The Progressive Silent Film List by Carl Bennett. Copyright © 1999-2013 by Carl Bennett and the Silent Era Company. All Rights Reserved.

About This Listing  /  Report Omissions or Errors in This Listing

Back to God’s Country
Also known as L’instinct qui veille in Canada and in France.
(1919) Canadian
B&W : Six reels
Directed by David M. Hartford

Cast: Nell Shipman [Dolores LeBeau], Wheeler Oakman [Peter Burke], Wellington Plater [Captain Rydal], Charles Arling [‘Sealskin’ Blake], Roy Laidlaw [Baptiste LeBeau], Charles Murphy [Rydal’s sidekick], William G. Colvin [murdered mountie], Ronald Byram, Tresore the dog [Wapi], Brownie the bear [Cubby], Rex the dog [Tao]

Curwood-Carver Productions, Incorporated (Shipman-Curwood Productions) production; distributed by First National Exhibitors’ Circuit, Incorporated. / Produced by Ernest Shipman. Scenario by Nell Shipman and James Oliver Curwood, from the short story “Wapi, the Walrus” by James Oliver Curwood. Cinematography by Dal Clawson and J.M. Walker (Joseph Walker). Edited by Cyril Gardner. Presented by James Oliver Curwood. / © 13 October 1919. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.37:1 format. / Song “Back to God’s Country” by Paul M. Sarazan and Jack B. Weil. Variety-19200102 p. 73 lists actor Roy Laidlaw as Ralph Laidlaw and lists the source story as “Wapi, the Killer.”

Drama: Northwoods.

Survival Status: Print exists in the Library of Congress film archive (American Film Institute collection) [35mm positive].

Keywords: Animals: Bears, Dogs - Asians: Chinese - Canada - Crime: Murder - Death: Murder - Snow - Weapons: Guns

Listing updated: 2 April 2009.

References: Film credits, film viewing : Brownlow-Parade pp. 290, 330; Shipman-Silent pp. 170, 195-196 : Variety-19200102 p. 73.

Home video: DVD.