North to Alaska (1960)

Undescribable Perfection

So much average

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

John Wayne and Stewart Granger play gold miners in Alaska. Wayne goes to Seattle to bring back Granger's fiancée. But when he gets there he finds out she's already married. Not wanting his friend to be disappointed, he brings back French dance hall girl Capucine. The rest of the movie is everybody trying to get with Capucine. Fabian plays Granger's brother. Ernie Kovacs plays a con man. Both are definitely products of this era and I don't mean that as a compliment. Wayne is good in a role he could play in his sleep. It's a light-hearted comedy with some cartoonish action. It's dumb but all in good fun and hard to dislike.

When partners Sam McCord and George Pratt strike it rich in Alaska Sam heads down to Seattle to bring back George's French fiancée... there is a problem though; she has married somebody else! Sam comes up with a solution though; he'll take back another French girl instead; prostitute Michelle 'Angel' Bonet. His intention is that George will be just as pleased with Michelle; Michelle misunderstands though and thinks Sam wants her himself; understandably she is a little put out when she discovers the truth. When they reach Alaska they find out that George it no longer in town; he had to head up to the mine with his younger brother Billy. Needless to say things don't go as Sam expected; Billy falls in love with Michelle and when he finally gets George to meet her he isn't happy about being sent a 'replacement'... the biggest surprise for confirmed bachelor Sam is that he falls for her... but thinks she is with George!! If all that romantic confusion wasn't enough conman Frankie Canon keeps trying to swindle them; first out of a few hundred dollars then out of the mine.I thought I might not enjoy this after an early barroom brawl was full of over the top slapstick and comedy sound effects one would expect in a Loony Tunes cartoon. I soon found myself enjoying it however as it got more sensible; and funnier after that. John Wayne did a good job as Sam; playing him fairly straight rather than going for cheap laughs. French actress Capucine was a delight as Michelle; one can see why the men in the film took a shine to her! The rest of the cast were pretty good too. The 'Alaskan' scenery looks good even if it is really California. One might think that having a prostitute as a main character would make this unsuitable for children but what she does isn't spelt so youngsters are likely to think that she is just a dancer, the action scenes are child friendly too with slapstick brawls and no fatalities despite there being a shootout. At two hours this is a little on the long side but not excessively so. Overall I'd say this is worth watching if you like John Wayne westerns and want a chuckle.

This was a great story and great movie. I saw this back when I was a kid and again the other night.I couldn't help but fall in love with Capucine, she's wonderful in this and she was a fabulous Actress. She appears in the Pink Panther Movie. Her beauty is second to none. John Wayne, Fabian, and Stuart Granger are also really great in this. Great Direction, it was also filmed so that you think the characters are really in Nome, and great cinematography. The Director Hathaway also did True Grit and Son's of Katy Elder. There is no relation to the actress Anne (Hathaway).Fabian is notably really funny, he turned out to be a pretty good actor in other movies as well.The script was reportedly turned down by another director but I thought the script was really well done for this action, romantic comedy.I really believed the chemistry between Capucine and John Wayne although with a beauty like that it's hard not to have any chemistry with everyone she would meet, including William Holden whom she reportedly had an affair with in the 80's. She committed suicide reportedly over health problems in 1990. Chemistry between the leads is so important in the believability of films.I give this movie 8 out of 10 stars.

...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.