A Whale for the Killing

A Whale for the Killing is an American television film that aired on ABC on February 1, 1981. It is loosely based on a true story by environmentalist Farley Mowat, about a whale that is tortured by a fisherman. The incident happened near Burgeo, Newfoundland, while Mowat & family lived there.^[1]

A Whale for the Killing
Genre	Drama
Based on	A Whale for the Killing by Farley Mowat
Written by	Lionel Chetwynd
Directed by	Richard T. Heffron
Starring	Peter Strauss Dee Wallace Kathryn Walker Richard Widmark Bruce McGill
Theme music composer	Basil Poledouris
Country of origin	United States
Production
Executive producers	Hugh M. Hefner Edward L. Rissien
Producers	Robert Lovenheim Peter Strauss
Production locations	Petty Harbour, Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada Bay Area, San Francisco, California
Cinematography	Edmond L. Koons
Editors	Michael Eliot Robert Florio
Running time	145 min.
Production companies	Beowulf Productions Playboy Productions
Original release
Network	ABC
Release	February 1, 1981 (1981-02-01)

The film, based on Mowat's 1972 book of the same name, received two Primetime Emmy nominations.

The Canadian singer Alan Doyle starred as a boy on a bridge in the movie. In 2012 he released his solo album Boy on Bridge which paid tribute to the role.^[2]

Soundtrack

The soundtrack is available on CD from BSX Records.^[3] The score was composed by Basil Poledouris. Also included on the same CD is the soundtrack to the 1992 theatrical film Wind, also composed by Poledouris.