If you know anything about Grizzly Adams, it's most likely that you've seen our past movies and television series from the 1970s, produced by our company, Sunn Classic Pictures, Inc. The real Grizzly Adams was a rugged frontier woodsman, hunter, animal trainer, and entertainer with a deep connection with the wildlife of the American West. John "Grizzly" Adams was born in Massachusetts, in 1812, and he grew up in a family of farmers and shoemakers. In 1849, he left behind his wife and two daughters, to create a new career to make money for his family.
During Grizzly's travels, he obtained a cub bear which he named Ben Franklin, after its mother bear had died. The cub was only big enough to fit into Grizzly Adams hands, open its eyes and cry for food. Over the years, Ben and Grizzly were like father and son, protecting each other and having many adventures together including one with the P. T. Barnum Circus where they performed all around the country with Grizzly Adams being the animal trainer. Ben was a big part of the show but Grizzly never completely tamed all the other wild animals as indicated by his many scars and injuries all over his body. Many times, he was nearly chewed up and spit out by many other treacherous bears he trained and worked with. Grizzly became famous and saved most of his money from performing his unusual occupation, but he died early in 1860, after he returned home to Massachusetts to see his wife and daughters one last time.
Our new Grizzly Adams story is present day, and it's about the great, great, great grandson of the original Grizzly Adams. He is also a big man like his grandfather and upon being discharged from the military, he was driving home to his small mountain town when he came upon a terrible car accident. A car had hit a grizzly bear in the road and then swerved off the road and crashed head on into some large trees. Grizzly jumped out of his truck and ran to the car to see if he could help the people inside. He found a husband and wife who were both killed in the accident but their two-year-old little boy Tony, was still alive in the back seat of the car. The door was jammed so Grizzly broke the window with his fist and removed Tony before the car started on fire. The police and fire department arrived on the scene of the accident to find Grizzly Adams, Tony and a baby grizzly bear on the road. The cubs' mother had put herself in front of her cub to save its life prior to the car hitting her. She died in the middle of the road... Both the cub bear and Tony are upset about their losses so Grizzly asks the police if he could drive them into town to be examined by the towns doctor. The policemen grew up with Grizzly Adams and approved his taking Tony and the cub into town. Later in the story, the cub is named Ben and both he and Tony are adopted by Grizzly Adams. This is when their wonderful adventure begins...