Spotlight

Spotlight Date: 25-September-11
Spoiler Rating: Medium

North to Alaska (1960)

I recommend North to Alaska for when you're sick in bed or just bored on a rainy afternoon. This is one of those breezy movies in which history, adventure, and romance mingle with comedy and all the actors seem to be having a good time. John Wayne lets his hair down as Sam, a logger turned gold miner who strikes it rich outside Nome in 1900. Stewart Granger plays his partner George, who is thrilled by their good fortune because it means he can summon his longtime fiancée and fulfill his marital dreams. Although Sam regards love and marriage as insidious traps, he agrees to fetch the bride when he travels to Seattle for supplies. Upon arrival he discovers that the lady, a French maid, has not been as patiently faithful as George. So, with the clueless charity of the inveterate bachelor, he decides to bring back another French woman in her place.

Sam finds the lovely substitute, nicknamed "Angel" (Capucine), in an establishment called "The Hen House," so it's not surprising that she jumps at the chance to meet a rich prospector or that she has a chip on her shoulder about being regarded as trash. Her refined air and good humor help improve her social standing, however, and even begin to warm Sam's heart. In a charming scene, they attend a party thrown by Sam's logger friends where he makes her feel like an honored guest. She's in love with him by the time they board a steamer the next day, and despite the letdown of realizing that he picked her up for his friend, she decides to stick it out and see what happens.

The action and comedy pick up after they land in Nome. During Sam's absence George has built a honeymoon cabin while fending off encroachers on his and his neighbor's (highly picturesque) lands. A con man from Angel's past (Ernie Kovacs) has taken over the local hotel but still seeks to add to his holdings. And George's kid brother (Fabian) has failed to attain his dearest wish and lose his virginity, so he goes gaga when Angel appears at their homestead. George follows suit once he gets over the shock of having a stranger delivered to him instead of his intended. Poor lovelorn Angel endures various romantic schemes as Sam fights his feelings for her and engages in rollicking brawls and a shoot-out (this is, after all, a John Wayne movie). Not every prospector finds as much treasure as he does, but those seeking diversion would do well to stake their claim on North to Alaska.

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