North to Alaska (B or 3/4 stars)
'North to Alaska' is a fun, frivolous tale of Alaskan gold prospectors in 1898 which blends zany comedy, light romance, & Western action tropes. Really, it's a romantic comedy disguised as a Western. John Wayne & Stewart Granger star as Sam McCord & George Pratt, a couple of lucky miners in Alaska Territory during the famous 1898 gold rush. Since Sam (Wayne) is only man that George can trust, he sends his buddy 'ole pal down to Seattle, Washington to fetch his fiancee, Jenny. But when Sam gets down there, he doesn't like what he sees (George's fiancee, Jenny ... is already a married woman). He DOES like what he sees in a sweet prostitute named Michelle "Angel" (French actress, Capucine), & decides to bring her back up to Nome, Alaska for his pal.
Sam & "Angel" hit it off. But Sam proclaims that he's not the marrying kind. Once they arrive in Alaska, an assortment of misunderstandings occurs. First, George doesn't want some 'tramp' named Angel, he wants Jenny. But then after meeting Angel, realizes that she's something special. This makes Sam jealous, so good friend George decides that he wants to help Sam get together with Angel; who is all too happy to be in Sam's arms if he'll take her. What occurs next is a very funny sequence in which George & Angel try to draw Sam from his cabin to come see what they're up to. All the while, George's little brother Billy (pop singer, Fabian) & local con artist Frankie Canon (comedian, Ernie Kovacs) enter the fray when they try to wrestle Sam & George's gold away from them. Craziness ensues.
What a fun movie! I had no idea going into it (no Academy Award nominations, so-so reviews) that I would enjoy it as much as I do. The film's climax involves a huge outdoor brawl in the muddy streets of Nome, Alaska that had me in stitches. Everyone gets dirty, everyone throws punches, everyone gets punched, there are goats, there are ponies, men, women, & children; I could go on. Again, it's just fun -- the whole movie is. John Wayne gets to show his knack for comedy. We already know that Stewart Granger has the knack. Fabian gets to sing a song & pine for Angel. And speaking of Angel, French actress Capucine totally enchanted me. She's not just some pretty face. Her line deliveries were top-notch; you could tell she had an affinity for the character and the story, at hand. I really liked her.
On the technical front, the film impresses, as well. No part of this movie was actually shot in Alaska, but cantankerous director Henry Hathaway (How the West Was Won, True Grit) makes great use of reel footage from the Yukon in Canada & California. The cinematography is stunning; great vistas, all shot in Cinemascope. The production design (saloons, villages, 19th century sets/props) are all fantastic -- no surprise, as the cinematographer, art directors, costume designers, & sound mixers are all previous Oscar winners or nominees. The pedigree onscreen is exceptional. And last but not least, the film includes a great original song sung by Johnny Horton titled, well, "North to Alaska". Now, nothing in this film has depth or importance (at most, it's a case study for how a man so opposed to marrying could possibly come around to the idea). But as I said earlier, 'North to Alaska' is just a fun movie to experience - no more, no less.
Sam & "Angel" hit it off. But Sam proclaims that he's not the marrying kind. Once they arrive in Alaska, an assortment of misunderstandings occurs. First, George doesn't want some 'tramp' named Angel, he wants Jenny. But then after meeting Angel, realizes that she's something special. This makes Sam jealous, so good friend George decides that he wants to help Sam get together with Angel; who is all too happy to be in Sam's arms if he'll take her. What occurs next is a very funny sequence in which George & Angel try to draw Sam from his cabin to come see what they're up to. All the while, George's little brother Billy (pop singer, Fabian) & local con artist Frankie Canon (comedian, Ernie Kovacs) enter the fray when they try to wrestle Sam & George's gold away from them. Craziness ensues.
What a fun movie! I had no idea going into it (no Academy Award nominations, so-so reviews) that I would enjoy it as much as I do. The film's climax involves a huge outdoor brawl in the muddy streets of Nome, Alaska that had me in stitches. Everyone gets dirty, everyone throws punches, everyone gets punched, there are goats, there are ponies, men, women, & children; I could go on. Again, it's just fun -- the whole movie is. John Wayne gets to show his knack for comedy. We already know that Stewart Granger has the knack. Fabian gets to sing a song & pine for Angel. And speaking of Angel, French actress Capucine totally enchanted me. She's not just some pretty face. Her line deliveries were top-notch; you could tell she had an affinity for the character and the story, at hand. I really liked her.
On the technical front, the film impresses, as well. No part of this movie was actually shot in Alaska, but cantankerous director Henry Hathaway (How the West Was Won, True Grit) makes great use of reel footage from the Yukon in Canada & California. The cinematography is stunning; great vistas, all shot in Cinemascope. The production design (saloons, villages, 19th century sets/props) are all fantastic -- no surprise, as the cinematographer, art directors, costume designers, & sound mixers are all previous Oscar winners or nominees. The pedigree onscreen is exceptional. And last but not least, the film includes a great original song sung by Johnny Horton titled, well, "North to Alaska". Now, nothing in this film has depth or importance (at most, it's a case study for how a man so opposed to marrying could possibly come around to the idea). But as I said earlier, 'North to Alaska' is just a fun movie to experience - no more, no less.