North to Alaska (1960)

North to Alaska
Directed by Henry Hathaway
Written by John Lee Mahin, Martin Rakin and Claude Binyon from a play by Ladislas Fodor and an idea by John H. Kafka
1960/USA
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
First viewing/Netflix rental

[box] Sam McCord: Ahh, women! I never met one yet that was half as reliable as a horse![/box]

This is the first of the series of entertaining two-fisted rom-coms John Wayne would make in the 60’s.

Sam McCord (Wayne) and George Pratt (Stewart Granger) are partners in an Alaskan mine that has just hit pay-dirt.  George has been engaged for several years to a woman who lives in Seattle and can now afford to marry her.  He has been pining for her the entire time.  The men need to buy some heavy equipment in Seattle and, since Sam is the better businessman, he goes to both do the deal and fetch the fiancee home.

When Sam arrives, loaded with presents, only to find that the fiancee has married another man.  That night he goes to a bordello called the Hen House and gets roaring drunk.  He meets beautiful bad girl Michelle AKA “Angel” (Capucine).  In his inebriated state, he decides it would be a fine idea to take her back to Alaska for George.  She goes for the promise of riches but rapidly falls for Sam.  He is pig-headedly oblivious.

The rest of the film covers Angel and Sam’s comically fiery relationship on the ship and in Alaska, punctuated by a number of brawls between the menfolk.  With Ernie Kovacs as the villain of the piece and Fabian as Granger’s horny kid brother.

This is entertaining but I doubt it will stay in my memory for very long.

Trailer