North to Alaska (1960)

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Absolutely Fantastic

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Released in 1960 and directed by Henry Hathaway, "North to Alaska" chronicles events during the Nome Gold Rush in 1900 where a prospector (Stewart Granger) sends his associate (Seattle) to Seattle to bring up his fiancée, but it turns out she's married and so he brings back a dubious substitute from a dance hall (Capucine). Fabian plays the prospector's kid brother who naturally becomes infatuated by the lovely new visitor to their wilderness mining claim. Ernie Kovacs is on hand as a shifty businessman.This is part dramatic Western, part farce and part romantic comedy, yet somehow it magically meshes into a splendid time for the viewer. It starts out on a questionable note with the dreadful title song and a slapstick saloon brawl, but immediately following this the story captures your attention and you find yourself entering into the world of the characters.The protagonists are likable and you do sympathize with Angel's plight (Capucine), hoping she'll eventually hook up with so-and-so. One amusing sequence is when she's alone in the wilderness cabin with the kid where he instantly falls in lust with her. And who can blame him? The forest festival in the first act is also good, particularly the thrilling pole (tree) climbing contest. To be expected, there are also a couple of action shootouts. The movie's similar in tone to 1963's McLintock!" but more compelling and overall entertaining.The film runs 122 minutes and was shot in California (Inyo National Forest, Big Bear Lake, Mammoth Lakes, Point Mugu & Alabama Hills) and Yukon, Canada.GRADE: A-

NORTH TO ALASKA is another comic western for star John Wayne and director Henry Hathaway, this time made with an even lighter touch than usual. An ageing Wayne is backed up by the double-whammy of Stewart Granger and pop singer Fabian, and the story is about gold claims in Alaska which makes this a 'northern' rather than the usual westerns the star was known for. The film peaks early on with a hilarious bar-room brawl which has some great sight gags and stunts and if there isn't much in the way of action after this point, the comedy makes it work. Wayne is the usual two-fisted hero and gently ribs himself while the supporting acts work hard to make their characters work. In the end, Hathaway comes out triumphant by delivering another light and breezy, seemingly effortless, piece of direction.

John Wayne in the 1960s was moving from the tough-guy vehicles that made him an icon into breezier, lighter fare. "North To Alaska" is one of his better light efforts, a story about a pair of gold prospectors trying to save their mine and their sanity when a pretty woman comes to town.Sam McCord (Wayne) knows his way around a bar fight and a tall tree, but he's not as sharp when it comes to hearts. Not that of his partner, George Pratt (Stewart Granger), who just lost the only woman he loves, and not that of Michele "Angel" Bonnet (Capucine), a Seattle prostitute he picks up thinking she's just the thing to pick up George."A Frenchy broke his heart, a Frenchy can fix it," Sam thinks. But it's not that easy. In addition to those other hearts mentioned, there's another Sam doesn't count on: His own.It's not a classic movie. The comedy is too broad at times, and so is the acting. Getting to see Wayne duke it out with fellow icon Ernie Kovacs should be more fun than it is; Kovacs plays his part too straight and his comic genius is outshone here even by Fabian, playing George's horny kid brother Billy.But "North To Alaska" shines in other ways. The cinematography by Leon Shamroy heightens the natural beauty of the location shoot (California doubling for Alaska), pristine rivers and majestic skies. The film is well-paced, with plenty of ambiance but nothing too labored.Best of all, Wayne is terrific fun, a bit of a heavy playing things broad enough so you know it's okay to laugh at him. He's got funny notions about love, which he discourses upon at great length and which of course Angel is going to shove in his face before the movie's over. "It's my only politics: anti-wife! Any woman who devotes herself to making one man miserable instead of a lot of men happy don't get my vote."The best scene in the film has Sam glowering while George makes hay with Angel. Sam brought her over to make George happy, now he's miserable at his apparent success."He's in his silent period," George notes."You look kinda green," Billy chimes in."Shut up!" Sam growls, between pulls of his bottle. It's only a matter of time...I was pleasantly surprised by the two one-named actors in this film, Fabian and Capucine. I thought the latter an undertalented clothes horse from seeing her in "What's New Pussycat" and "The Pink Panther," but she shines here as a woman who just wants a chance and is too easily hurt. It's a minor subplot, but an important one, as she holds her head up and tries to fit in, even when Sam warns her Alaska is not her kind of place."What is my kind of place, Sam?" she asks. As with many of her lines, Capucine finds the right quality of icy fragility to make it come off right. She's really a plus here.Director Henry Hathaway worked several times with Wayne, and seemed especially adept at drawing out the Duke's comic side. It's important to remember Wayne did this film just five years after "The Searchers," it's a jolt to see him in a film that employs comic punch-outs and cartoon sound effects. But for its running time, it works more often than not.

...but still fun. Ernie Kovacs puts the plot, such as there is, into motion with a successful scam - first in a long line of unsuccessful ones - and The Duke has to fight to defend his gold claim, his brother and his best pal, all the while carrying on rather unintended romance with beautiful French prostitute Capucine. It's all pretty silly and obvious, but the principals throw a lot of charm and manic energy into the action and comedy both and the result is surprisingly entertaining in a sledge hammer sort of fashion. The scenery looks gorgeous and the action moves along crisply, plus outdoor movie veterans Stewart Granger and The Duke look perfectly at home on the Edge of Nowhere. The real revelation here, though, is Capucine who shows a rare talent for playing it straight while setting up everyone else. (It was an old Vaudeville axiom that comedians were a dime a dozen, but a good straight man was hard to find.) Capucine proves here, just as she did in The Pink Panther two years later that she can keep her dignity while all about her are losing theirs, thanks to an arch and knowing awareness in the midst of any amount of tomfoolery. There are big fight scenes, big barbecues, bit trees, big landscapes; everything is suitably big, just as you would want in a John Wayne movie. Nothing really special or unexpected happens over the film's considerable length, but as a character comedy set against a big backdrop of big ambition, big greed, big stakes, just plain old big everything, it's a pretty fine way for any Wayne fan to spend two hours on a lazy afternoon.And, since Capucine's supposed occupation is handled in a suitably G- rated fashion (for the early 1960s) the movie is very kid friendly, too. Enjoy.