Fun Western dramedy with Wayne, Granger, Capucine and Fabian
During the Nome Gold Rush in 1900, a prospector (Stewart Granger) sends his associate (Wayne) 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 visitor to their wilderness mining claim. Ernie Kovacs is on hand as a shifty businessman.
"North to Alaska" (1960) 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 2 hours, 2 minutes, and was shot in California (Inyo National Forest, Big Bear Lake, Mammoth Lakes, Point Mugu & Alabama Hills) and Yukon, Canada.
GRADE: A-