With no huffing, puffing, or blowing houses down, the live-action adventure film Never Cry Wolf, PACKed audiences into theaters on this day in 1983. Wolf expert Sam Palahnuk gave D23 some insight into how this film helped shift the myths away from beliefs of real-life “big bad wolves.” “The truth about wolves is far less dramatic,” he says. “Firstly, there’s never been a single reported case of a healthy wolf attacking or killing a person—ever. Rather, wolves are an important part of ecosystems all around the world. Because every prey animal wolves eat is larger and more powerful than they are, wolves can only take down the weak of any herd, and for that reason they actually improve the health of herds. Fairy tales, television, and movies have all contributed to the devastatingly poor PR that wolves suffer from. This basic lack of knowledge translates into hundreds if not thousands of wolves being killed every year. Rarely, however, a film is made that portrays the wolf in a more realistic light. Never Cry Wolf is such an exception. The film is a dramatization of the true story of Farley Mowat (portrayed by Charles Martin Smith), a scientist, who is sent into the frozen tundra to collect evidence of the grievous harm the wolf population is allegedly wreaking on caribou herds. As he struggles to survive, he studies the wolves, and realizes that the old beliefs about wolves and their supposed threat are almost totally false. He also learns that humans represent a far greater threat to the land, and also to the wolves, a species that plays an important role in the ecosystem. While we still have a long way to go, Never Cry Wolf was a vitally important step in helping the public to gain well-deserved respect for this glorious creature.”
