North West Mounted Police (1940)

Director:

Cecil B. DeMille

Writers:

Alan Le May (screenplay) &
Jesse Lasky Jr. (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

22 October 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | History | Western

Tagline:

The roaring magnificence of "Union Pacific" . . . the pulse-pounding action of "The Plainsman" . . . two surging love stories woven into an unforgettable drama of human emotions . . . told against the blazing beauty of the northern forests . . . filmed in SUPER TECHNICOLOR !

Plot:

Texas Ranger Dusty Rivers ("Isn't that a contradiction in terms?", another character asks him) travels...

Plot Keywords:

Sergeant | Police Officer | Corporal | Canada | Mounted Police Officer

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 nominations

Cast

Gary Cooper	...	Dusty Rivers
Madeleine Carroll	...	April Logan
Paulette Goddard	...	Louvette Corbeau
Preston Foster	...	Sgt. Jim Brett
Robert Preston	...	Ronnie Logan
George Bancroft	...	Jacques Corbeau
Lynne Overman	...	Tod McDuff
Akim Tamiroff	...	Dan Duroc
Walter Hampden	...	Big Bear
Lon Chaney Jr.	...	Shorty
Montagu Love	...	Insp. Cabot
Francis McDonald	...	Louis Riel
George E. Stone	...	Johnny Pelang
Willard Robertson	...	Supt. Harrington
Regis Toomey	...	Const. Jerry Moore

Also Known As:

Northwest Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted (USA) (working title)
The Scarlet Riders

Runtime:

126 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Norway:A | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #6261)

Filming Locations:

Big Bear Lake, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Gatling Guns really were used at Fish Creek, Cutknife Hill and Batoche during the rebellion on which this story is very loosely based. But the federal government were trying them out "on approval". One gun's operator was a Gatling company agent, and also a captain of the Connecticut National Guard.

Quotes:

Dusty Rivers: You know, I-I kinda gotta feelin' that I could make things easier for ya if you'd let me.
April Logan: You're a grand person, Dusty, but there ain't anything anyone can do for me.
Dusty Rivers: Sure there is. Come to Texas with me. You're the loveliest and gentlest lady I've ever known.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Golden Saddles, Silver Spurs (2000) (TV)

Soundtrack:

DOES THE MOON SHINE THROUGH THE LONESOME PINE?

Entertaining, with reservations

Not what you expect from DeMille (no train wrecks or Biblical spectacle,) but in a way, exactly what you'd expect (lots of busy scenes, interesting background, historical events bent to suit his needs, pithy dialogue, and marginal acting.)

Cooper seems to be extremely bored in the role, and is in his most annoying "aw shucks" period. Another actor who cared would have helped. The rest of the cast seems to -- or at least they are having a good time -- so it's not a bad viewing experience. Color photography is good, although the outdoors scenes shot on sound stages are painfully obvious.

Don't take it seriously and enjoy one of those "they don't make 'em like that anymore" movies.