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North to Alaska | Year: 1960 Classification: Action/Adventure Directed: - Henry Hathaway Actors/Actresses: - John Wayne - Stewart Granger John Wayne, Stewart Granger & co. shine in Alaskan adventure The tremendously entertaining "North to Alaska" is easily John Wayne's most light hearted and fun filled movie and is wonderful viewing for all ages !! Henry Hathaway's lively film is loosely based on the play "Birthday Gift" by Ladislas Fodor and Hathaway shows a wonderful hand in the romantic, comic nature of this film. Confirmed bachelor Wayne and love lorn Grainger strike it rich in Nome, Alaska at the turn of the century and there begins all there problems. Wayne returns to Seattle to bring back Grainger's fiance, finds she has married another man, and ends up in a dance hall and brings back to Nome the glamorous Capucine (she was a knock out in her day !) for Grainger, but the big Duke falls for her womanly charms himself ! Songster Fabian is loads of fun as Grainger's overly amorous kid brother, Billy...and noted funnyman Ernie Kovacs is slick conman Frankie Cannon...eager to get his hands on anyone's fortune. And Johnny Horton's resonant voice sings the title track to the movie ! Henry Hathaway often got the best out of the Duke on screen, and if you never thought screen tough guy John Wayne could be funny...see this film...the honeymoon cabin sequence with cunning Grainger and reluctant Capucine stirring up trouble with an irate Wayne listening is simply priceless ! Watch closely during the all out brawl in the snow and the mud at the conclusion of the film where Wayne cops a hit on the jaw, falls backwards, and his toupee flies off ! Fun, action & romance..."North to Alaska" has got it all ! What are friends for? Partners (John Wayne, Stewart Granger, and Fabiano Anthony Forte) who share an interest in a gold mine near Nome Alaska must fend off all sorts of claim jumpers and worse. In the middle of the struggle we realize the definite lack of available women. Due to the riggers of protecting the mine Stewart Granger (George) asks John Wayne (Sam) to retrieve his intended from Seattle. <BR>John Wayne intends to fulfill the contract but finds a small hitch. The intended is already married. However everyone knows that one Frenchie is like another and if you can replace a departed pet then why not a departed ... well you get the idea. <BR>On his return things get a little more complicated. Who are the good people and who is the bad? So watch the movie and see who gets the mine and who if anyone gets the girl. Great Duke Movie, but would be better on DVD The great gold rush of the late 1890's brings out thoughts of the wonderful writings of Robert W. Service, and his poems about life during the gold rush. It's so easy to visualize the John Wayne we see in this movie as being part of Service's writings. Wayne, Stewart Granger, Fabian (???), Capucine and Ernie Kovacs all have major roles, and play them well. But the supporting cast is equally effective... I don't know the names of the actors, but the characters Mr. and Mrs. Lars Nordquist are terrific. And Mickey Shaughnessy is perfect as the inebriated miner who once worked the land near Sam McCord's (Wayne) claim. The film is a fun film, intermingled with some nice action. Some of the scenes seem as if they were copied from photos of the late 1890's. The scenery is terrific, but don't think that they really went to Alaska to film any of it... it's the best that California could come up with. The city of Nome is nicely done, right down to the muddy streets. As you can expect from any John Wayne movie, you'll have a couple of entertaining fights. For those who think of John Wayne as being anti-Indian... forget it. That is just the opposite of his character in all his films; and is just propoganda uttered by his political foes in an effort to make his feelings less acceptable. Forget it. As usual, the only folks Wayne picks on here are the ones who cause the trouble. The whole movie is a romantic fantasy and a very enjoyable one at that. John Wayne, Stewart Granger The tremendously entertaining "North to Alaska" is easily John Wayne's most light hearted and fun filled movie and is wonderful viewing for all ages !! Confirmed bachelor Wayne and love lorn Grainger strike it rich in Nome, Alaska at the turn of the century and there begins all there problems. Wayne returns to Seattle to bring back Grainger's fiance, finds she has married another man, and ends up in a dance hall and brings back to Nome the glamorous Capucine (she was a knock out in her day !) for Grainger, but the big Duke falls for her womanly charms himself ! Songster Fabian is loads of fun as Grainger's overly amorous kid brother, Billy...and noted funnyman Ernie Kovacs is slick conman Frankie Cannon...eager to get his hands on anyone's fortune. And Johnny Horton's resonant voice sings the title track to the movie ! Henry Hathaway often got the best out of the Duke on screen, and if you never thought screen tough guy John Wayne could be funny...see this film...the honeymoon cabin sequence with cunning Grainger and reluctant Capucine stirring up trouble with an irate Wayne listening is simply priceless ! Watch closely during the all out brawl in the snow and the mud at the conclusion of the film where Wayne cops a hit on the jaw, falls backwards, and his toupee flies off ! Fun, action Buy North To Alaska at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  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