Death of a Legend
Death of a Legend is a 1971 documentary directed by Bill Mason for National Film Board of Canada.
| Death of a Legend | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Bill Mason |
| Written by | Stanley Jackson |
| Produced by | Barrie Howells |
| Starring | Blake James |
| Narrated by | Donald Brittain |
| Cinematography | Bill Mason Kjeld Nielsen (animation) Cameron Gaul |
| Edited by | Bill Mason John Knight (sound) |
| Music by | Eldon Rathburn |
Production company | National Film Board of Canada |
Release date | 1971 |
Running time | 49 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
The film is about wolves and the negative myths surrounding the animal. It helps to dispel the image of wolves as "evil" and demonstrates their role in maintaining the balance of nature. Exceptional footage portrays the wolf's life cycle, the social organization of the pack, and offers glimpses of caribou, moose, deer and buffalo. It was the first documentary to feature footage of wolves being born in the wild, and of their first year of life.
Death of the Legend was followed two years later by Mason's feature-length theatrical documentary on wolves, Cry of the Wild, also for the NFB, which screened throughout North America and earned $5. million. In 1974, Mason completed his third and final film on wolves, Wolf Pack.