"Listen...for a man, or a mole, or a bird - every day is life and death." 1952 was a good year for Stewart Granger. Riding high at the peak of his career, the British star made four films that year: the early heist film The Light Touch, with Pier Angeli and George Sanders; the wonderful swashbuckler Scaramouche (with its deservedly-famous, 7-minute long climactic fencing duel); the color remake of The Prisoner of Zenda (against baddie James Mason) and, last but certainly not least, the rugged outdoor adventure pic, The Wild North. The Wild North is essentially a western (technically, a northwestern), its action taking place in the remote regions of Canada (never stated, but likely somewhere in the Yukon). Granger stars as Jules Vincent, a French-Canadian trapper with a lust for life and devil-may-care philosophy. Vincent arrives in a tiny settlement with furs to sell and the intention of engaging in some drunken carousing. Instead he ends up adopting a couple of strays - a kitten with more backbone than size, and a beautiful Indian woman (played by stunning dancer Cyd Charisse), who's eking out an existence singing and being pawed at by drunken frontiersmen in a saloon. Jules brings the cat into the bar with him, and soon is chatting up the sad-eyed crooner. "Does it have a name?" she asks about the kitten. "Does it have to? Do you?" Jules replies. "Do I have to?" she answers back. "No." Before he knows it, Jules finds himself making a promise to bring the woman back to her people (she's part Chippewa), on the way up to his winter cabin in the north, but not before cheerfully trouncing an inebriated bear of a man named Brody (Howard Petrie) who presumes to lay hands on her. Sure enough, the next morning, the Indian maiden (who never does get named in the film) is waiting for Jules at his canoe. He doesn't remember his drunken promise, but he agrees to take her with him anyway (he's not stupid). A contrite Brody wants to accompany them and vows to be a useful hand with a paddle. Jules reluctantly takes him up on his offer. But it seems Brody has revenge on his mind when he forcibly steers their canoe into deadly rapids. When Brody refuses to turn the canoe towards the shore and safety, Jules is forced to kill him. He leaves the girl with her tribe, with a promise from the chief (John War Eagle) to take her under his protection. He then heads north, wanting to put some distance between himself and the police, who he doesn't trust to take him at his word about the killing being justified. Jules thinks no man will chance the brutal coming winter, but he hasn't counted on the tenacity of RNWM Police Constable Pedley (Wendell Corey). Pedley first heads to Jules' summer cabin in the settlement of McQuarrie, where he finds the Indian woman, who - clearly smitten with the larger-than-life Jules - has set up housekeeping. Pedley then tracks Jules down at his remote cabin, slaps handcuffs on him and together the two men head out into the frozen wilderness, Pedley determined to bring Jules in for a fair trial, Jules determined to stay free. A battle of wills begins, not only between themselves, but against the pitiless elements, including rapidly worsening weather, subzero temperatures, treacherous avalanches and ravenous wolves... The Wild North is an engrossing adventure story, made by the MGM machine at the top of its game. There were a number of talented technicians behind the camera, including screenwriter Frank Fenton (who wrote many fine films, including River of No Return, Garden of Evil, Escape From Fort Bravo, His Kind of Woman and Station West). Fenton's script hands most of the choice lines to the colorful, lusty Jules. The film features gorgeous cinematography by Robert Surtees, filmed (in "Ansco Color"!) at the MGM lot, with many of the exteriors done at Sun Valley in Idaho and some in the Grand Tetons in Wyoming. Bronislau Kaper delivers a suitably big, bold score, and Hungarian-born director Andrew Marton (who had worked with Granger a few years before when he took over the helm of King Solomon's Mines from ailing Compton Bennett) serves up the icy mountain action with practiced ease. Usually cast as a smooth, sophisticated type, Stewart Granger grabs the juicy part of Jules Vincent by the throat, and launches into the role with zest, complete with stock French accent ("Hey baybeee!" is his constant refrain). He makes for a fine mountain man, and enjoys great chemistry with both the winsome Charisse and gruff Corey. I've always enjoyed Granger when he's cast as the lead in costume dramas or (less frequently, but also effectively) westerns. The 50s as a whole show Granger at his best, perhaps an actor of no great depth but one of immense charm, physical dexterity and an easy confidence that makes him perfect for adventure films like this one. Wendell Corey might seem at first glance an unusual choice to play a hard-charging mountie, but he does a nice job here. Best known for playing Jimmy Stewart's wry police detective chum in Rear Window, or perhaps as the losing corner of the romantic triangle in the winning Christmas movie Holiday Affair (with Janet Leigh and Robert Mitchum), Corey was a busy and reliable character actor in film and television. I'm more used to seeing Corey in urban settings but he's convincing enough as the morally upright but tough policeman. Cyd Charisse's role as an Indian is yet another example of Hollywood casting for star power rather than authenticity, and will come as no surprise to western lovers accustomed to this very common practice (Debra Paget as James Stewart's doomed love interest in Broken Arrow, the Italian Elsa Martinelli opposite Kirk Douglas in The Indian Fighter, Andra Martin as blue-eyed Wahleeah in Yellowstone Kelly, to name but a few). Famed for her long, long legs and expert dance technique, Charisse was 31 at the time of filming and already had been working a decade in Hollywood, mostly in musicals. It's hard to see what attracted her to her role in The Wild North; it's a pretty untaxing part. Maybe she was assigned to the movie and had no choice but to accept it; maybe she was happy to do something different, a straight role that didn't involve dancing. In any case, she's fine as the subdued, deep-feeling love interest, and with her dark eyes and her lustrous black hair kept in braids for most of the film, is a better-than-average facsimile of an Indian by Hollywood standards. The rest of the cast are mostly unknown to me but add to the movie's believable tapestry of life on the remote frontier. J. M. Kerrigan makes an impression as the kindly owner of a mercantile store who is continuously caving in to the mute longings of a chocolate-loving, underpaying young boy. Sharp-eyed viewers will likely recognize a brief appearance by Ray Teal, best known to TV addicts for his long-running role as Sheriff Roy Coffee on Bonanza. The two leads play well off each other, for much of the picture each entrenched in their own moral corner. Corey's stern but righteous lawman finds himself liking the cheerful, roguish Jules but is nevertheless bound and determined to see the job through and trust the system to which he's pledged his spartan life to see justice done. Granger wisely plays Jules with a touch of ambiguity; for a long while, we're not sure whether he'll do the right thing or fully embrace the life of an outlaw.
Gradually, their perilous situation brings them closer together, and initial distrust gives way to grudging respect. I've always been partial to movies featuring mountain men; I find such folk's fatalistic embrace of their tough, isolated outdoor lifestyle intriguing. The Wild North is reminiscent of later films wherein a frontiersman heads north to escape the long arm of the law, such as Challenge to Be Free (1975) and Death Hunt (1981). Screenwriter Fenton throws in a late-reel plot development that I didn't see coming and which adds an interesting psychological wrinkle to this man vs. nature tale. The film delivers plenty of spectacle and excitement, including a fast-cut, nightmarish wolf attack and a final death-defying run down some extremely savage white water rapids. The end result is a very pleasing tale of survival, courage and man's triumph over nature, and acceptance of his own. DVD Note: The Wild North is available in Region 1 on a MOD disc from the Warner Archive program. The print used hasn't been remastered but looks much better than most TV airings of the film. Sometimes the image is terrifically clear, and other times more faded, with fluctuating color, the occasional speckling and even one instance of a hair in the gate. Generally speaking, though, the disc looks quite nice; Ansco Color reportedly has a tendency to fade to brownish earth tones, but mostly the colors here are rich and vibrant.
Jeff
4/3/2013 12:43:47 am
Thanks, Ruth! Yeah, I don't blame you not wanting to watch a snow-filled movie after a brutal mid-west winter (must be REALLY cold for someone from Malyasia! :)
Top stuff Jeff. You mentioned this film recently when we were talking about Cyd Charisse, and I pulled it off the shelf to check out the transfer - still haven't watched the film all the way though. I have the Spanish WB release, and the PQ is a good deal weaker than, what I presume are, the screencaps you've taken from the Archive disc. Even so, I need to sit down and watch this one all the way through.
Jeff
4/3/2013 12:47:37 am
Cheers, Colin! Sorry to hear that the PQ on the Spanish disc of this is not so hot; I was generally pleased with WA's transfer. 4/1/2013 08:52:13 pm
This is a classic example of a film I am certain I have seen but it was probably 30 years ago and dubbed in Italian! The casting of Cyd Charisse would be a bit of a hurdle nowadays, no question, but as you say, very common practice at the time. In my mind I always paired this with Marton's other Stewart Granger action movie, GREEN FIRE, but this one is clearly more interesting - a fine review mate, cheers.
Jeff
4/3/2013 12:51:29 am
Hey Sergio! Thanks for the comment. I find the casting of various white actresses as Indians in westerns amusing, really; like our discussion last time about Fu Manchu, etc., I don't really have any sort of problem with the practice. At least Cyd Charisse is a better fit for that sort of role than many others I can think of.
Wow, Jeff, you've done a terrific review of this film. I "discovered" Stewart Granger a couple years ago in my quest to see all of Grace Kelly's films. I had never heard of him before watching "Green Fire," but I quickly decided that I liked him and, thus, began seeking out some of his other films. This is one that I have not seen.
Jeff
4/3/2013 12:55:49 am
Hello again, Patti! I appreciate the kind words! It's nice to hear that you're a fan of Granger. Not surprising to see you're not so keen on westerns; you're comment about not liking scruffy men made me laugh. I can certainly see your point there, although I do hope you give the genre another chance in the future...there are some truly incredible films that happen to fall in the western category.
I forgot to mention that Granger is going to be my "man of the month" for May. It is his 100th birthday, so I decided to celebrate him by showcasing some of his movies.
Jeff
4/3/2013 06:57:50 pm
Glad to know that you make an exception in Audie's case, Patti! (It helps that he was almost always clean-shaven in his movies, I bet:) I'll be on the look-out for your reviews of some good Granger and A. Murphy flicks in the coming months.
Jeff
4/8/2013 07:46:59 am
Hey Ruth - thanks for checking in! I like Wendell Corey too in what movies I've seen him in. He does a good job here, but of course it's Granger's movie all the way. Hope you check it out some time.
Rod Croft
4/8/2013 10:56:01 am
Jeff,
Jeff
4/9/2013 07:20:58 pm
Nice to hear from you again, Rod! I agree that Granger doesn't get talked about all that much nowadays, but he definitely should be remembered for his numerous grand adventure films - especially SCARAMOUCHE. I haven't seen BHOWANI JUNCTION in many, many years and am eager to see it again. I have THE LAST HUNT and plan to give it a spin sometime soon, time permitting (exceedingly busy around these parts lately).
Sean
4/9/2013 02:17:53 am
THE WILD NORTH is a terrific survival/adventure yarn, and I'm happy to finally stumble across a new review of it (I love reading reviews for movies I consider "buried treasure".)
Sean
4/9/2013 01:37:49 pm
Sorry, just to clarify, I'm a happy owner of THE WILD NORTH (kudos to Warner Archives for releasing it.)
Jeff
4/9/2013 07:24:50 pm
Hey there, Sean - I appreciate you stopping by and taking the time to comment! Sounds like we have similar tastes in movies. I too am trying to add as many of these old-school "scenic outdoor" adventure films to my personal collection, hopefully in the best prints available. I only have a handful of Stewart Granger movies but am slowly adding some more good ones to the stack. Good to see another fan of DEATH HUNT as well.
Sean
4/10/2013 10:25:31 pm
Hey Jeff,
Jeff
4/12/2013 03:07:44 pm
That's a cool list, Sean! Many of those titles I've seen and enjoyed. Re: frozen north outdoor adventures, there's also John Wayne's ISLAND IN THE SKY. THE MOUNTAIN MEN with Charlton Heston and Brian Keith is pretty silly but has its moments. Much, much better is THE TRAP (1964) with Oliver Reed as a French-Canadian trapper, and Rita Tushingham as the mute girl he takes with him up into the remote north. Great movie.
Sean
4/12/2013 04:46:05 pm
Hey Jeff,
Jeff
4/13/2013 11:09:37 am
Thanks for the plug for INFERNO, Colin! I've been eye-balling the Region 2 release of that one for a while now.
Sean
4/14/2013 03:52:04 pm
Hey Jeff,
Jeff
4/14/2013 11:33:44 pm
Hey there, Sean! Thanks for bringing DELIVER US FROM EVIL to my attention (I've been to My. Hood a few times, so that makes it doubly interesting to me)...I love so many of those early 70s TV movies. Great stuff. Good to hear our discussion inspired you to give THE WILD NORTH another spin. A really strong film that I would never likely have known about if it wasn't for the Warner Archive.
Jeff
4/14/2013 11:35:45 pm
Oh, and I meant to say also that I'll check out some of your IMDB reviews forthwith, Sean!
Sean
4/15/2013 05:59:23 am
Jeff,
Sean
4/16/2013 12:03:05 am
After reviewing that list, it's in dire need of Hitchcock's LIFEBOAT and Herzog's AGUIRRE, THE WRATH OF GOD.
Jeff
4/17/2013 07:34:59 am
Sean,
What fantastic photos in this post! It's been a long time since I last saw this film, I need to revisit it.
Jeff
4/17/2013 07:26:36 am
Thank you, Laura! I appreciate you taking the time to comment, considering how busy you must be with the Noir City Film Festival! Thanks for the plug for GUN GLORY, that's one I haven't had a chance to see yet. I'll add it to my Warner Archives' wishlist.
Sean
4/18/2013 11:09:18 pm
Hey again Jeff,
Rod Croft
4/19/2013 12:29:34 am
Jeff,
Jeff
4/21/2013 08:11:36 am
Thanks for the further information on ABANDON SHIP, Colin and Rod! I neglected to mention the overseas title SEVEN WAVES AWAY. Sean, I hope you get a chance to check that one out, it's a good one and quite a bit tougher than (the admittedly wonderful) LIFEBOAT. I hope it gets a Region 1 release someday. I haven't seen FIVE CAME BACK or the Robert Ryan remake, but they sound like fun potboilers, at least.
Sean
4/24/2013 12:50:42 am
Have any of you blokes seen THE MOUNTAIN, with Spencer Tracy and Robert Wagner? It looks like reception is mixed.
Sean
4/27/2013 02:08:06 am
Jeff,
Jeff
5/1/2013 12:03:15 am
Hey there, Sean! Thanks for getting back to me re: THE TRAP. Very happy to hear that you enjoyed it. It truly is a special and unique film, and both Rita Tushingham and especially Oliver Reed are wonderful in it. Glad to hear the transfer on the DVD was a good one (was this the German DVD you got?) Look forward to reading your review of the film on IMDB sometime. Cheers!
Mary Cervantes
5/7/2013 01:52:58 am
I have been a fan of Stewart Granger for years and years, but I had never seen this film until May 6, 2013 (on TCM). Your review was spot on. In general, I like Granger's performances when he is older, as in The Secret Invasion and The Last Safari, but as you stated, he grabbed this role by the throat and ran with it. Bit of trivia about this film -- many outdoors scenes were done in 90+ degree heat. Due to the cold-weather gear he wore, Granger passed out from heat exhaustion. Always the trooper, he recoverd quickly and went right back at it -- furs and all.
Jeff
5/7/2013 07:55:19 am
Thank you, Mary, for your comment and for sharing that fun and interesting story about Granger filming THE WILD NORTH. Happy to hear you enjoyed the film, and good to know TCM is bringing it to the attention of new viewers...it's a recent discovery of mine also. I enjoy Granger's late-career performances too (he's extra supercilious and slimy in THE WILD GEESE, for example), but I must admit I prefer him in his more youthful swashbucklers. Comments are closed.
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