Maybe four stars is too much but re-watching this film - I've seen it several times - I was struck by how much I like it. So many of the pleasures you simply don't get any more - John Wayne in the lead, Charles Feldman's mistress Capucine knocking it out of the park as his co star, Fabian in support, a jaunty ballad-pop theme tune.
Apparently the movie was greatly rewritten as it went along by Henry Hathaway supervising. Someone knew writing though because it does hang together in part because there is decent central conflict - Wayne and Stewart Granger are partners in Alaska circa 1906 who've struck it rich, Wayne goes to Seattle to collect Granger's fiance, finds she's gotten married to someone else so he brings back a prostitute, Capucine. Capucine thinks Wayne wants her and by the time she finds out the truth she's fallen for her - but Wayne doesn't want to be tied down.
So you've got good central conflict and decent characters - a miner who won't be married, and a prostitute who wants him. That's a juicy central dramatic situation. They complicate it in decent ways - there are claim jumpers after Wayne's mine, Granger falls for Capucine, so does Granger's kid brother Fabian, a conman Ernic Kovacs is after the mine, drunken Mickey Shaugnessy used to own the minr. Stories dovetail neatly - for instance Capucine is an ex of Kovacs.
It goes for two hours and really could have been cut - the last half hour the conflict is contrived as they struggle to find ways to keep Wayne and Capucine apart. I also think the sequence where Granger and Capucine are trying to make Wayne jealous drags. They probably wanted to give Granger something to do - it's not much of a part. However, he is a believable miner and it's nice that this role was played by someone with charisma and presence, he gives it heft.
Kovacs is a strong antagonist - he's clever and sly. Wayne is in wonderful form - big, warm, charismatic, doing an amusing slow burn, jealous, charming It's one of his likeable performances.
It's also one of Fabian's best efforts. The role suits him like a glove - not too much pressure, but still with a little meat. It's not very convincing that he and Granger are brothers, and his haircut feels 1960 rather than 1906 but he gets to play a 17 year old and has a definite character - kid who wants to be an adult, who falls for Capucine and tries to seduce her (a long scene and he holds his own). He sings a song "If You Only Knew", which is a soft ballad - he wasn't bad at these eg "This Friendly World" from Hound Dog Man. He's very likeable.
The real surprise packet though is Capucine. A bit of a joke at the time because she was am oderl turned actress and mistress of Charles Feldman, she's a delight - perfectly cast (as a French prostitute), elegant, beautiful, lovely. She believably falls in love with Wayne, is very sweet - the first third of the film, their courtship in Seattle, is among the best bit of the movie. She's good at comedy - very funny being seduced by Fabian and later taking part in the brawl at the end. This is important too because the movie is her character's story as much as Wayne's - she drives the second half of the movie, pursuing Wayne.
The scenary is spectacular and the production design a delight - beaches, steamers, muddy roads, bordellos, lumberjack lunches, mines. I have a soft spot for "Northerns" set during the Alaskan gold rush and this film really goes for it.
It's a charming, sweet movie with a jaunty title track. I recognise I may be biased because I saw this film as a kid when highly formative.
(I could have done without the wacky sound effects during the fight scenes eg birds tweeting when someone gets punched.)
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