If ever there was a great comeback story, Montana's wildlife is it. The near decimation and recovery of Montana's wildlife population is documented in a new film by Terry Lonner called "Back from the Brink - Montana's Wildlife Legacy." The two-hour, two-part documentary will be shown for free tomorrow night at 7 p.m. at the Myrna Loy for the general public.

"Not too many people know that wildlife in Montana was in a tough situa tion," Lonner said. "At one point, there were only about 3,000 antelope in the entire state and elk weren't common at all. Old timers from the '20s and '30s would get excited if they saw a single deer track."

"Back from the Brink," which was funded by the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Foundation, FWP, the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Program, and Montana Public Broadcasting, features interviews with several of those old timers including 96-year-old Helenan Robert Cooney who was the first wildlife biologist in the state.

Lonner, 60, is also a retired wildlife biologist who worked for FWP for 28 years. He now runs Media Works Studio in Bozeman. His film, "Beef Trail: A Pioneering Montana Ski Area," told the story of the Butte Ski Club and its volunteer-run Beef Trail ski area. The documentary used vintage movie footage, old photos and interviews with several of the old club's members.

"Back from the Brink" uses the same storytelling techniques with interviews from old FWP employees, a history of conservation narrated by actor Joseph Campanella and historical photos.

"The photos came from the old timers' old boxes and shoe boxes," Lonner said.

Lonner estimates he spent thousands of hours researching and putting the film together. His film crew included Jim Williams, a game manager in the Kalispell area, and MSU professor emeritus Harold Picton, who is writing a companion booklet for the film. The project was sparked about 10 years ago when folks from FWP and Montana State University wanted to create something documenting Montana's wildlife history.

"It was initially 30 minutes, then an hour; now it's two hours," Lonner said. "I basically went from being a wildlife biologist to a historian."

Condensing 200 years into just two hours wasn't an easy task and Lonner is already considering a adding a third installment. But folks who have seen the movie are impressed with the two-hour version.

"The complexity of the story is not an easy one to capture," said Craig Sharpe, executive director of Montana Wildlife Federation, a sponsor of the Friday night show. "This really captures it in two hours. They've done a wonderful job. All hunters and anglers should see this film."

"If you're interested in wildlife and the history of conservation, it grabs you," said Ron Aasheim, with FWP's communication education division.

The film will travel around the state before its Montana PBS premiere on Jan. 15 at 6 p.m. It will also be available on DVD ($25) and VHS ($20). Lonner hopes that it will eventually be used as an education tool in Montana schools.

Lonner said anyone who enjoys a good people story will enjoy this film.

"Wildlife is one thing, but it's a people story," Lonner said. "People brought them down and people brought them back."