North to Alaska (1960)

John Wayne is Sam McCord and Stewart Granger is George Pratt, and they’ve struck it rich with their gold mine in Alaska.

Finally, George has enough money to marry his old sweetheart Jennie, a girl he hasn’t seen in three years.

So Sam boards a ship and heads to Seattle to pick up the heavy equipment the partners need for their mine and to bring Jennie home.

Only when he finds Jennie … well, she isn’t exactly patiently waiting; she’s already married another man.

Next stop for Sam is the Hen House. While flirting with the loose ladies there, he meets a French woman named Michelle Bonet (Capucine).

Between her beauty and her accent, he figures she’ll be the perfect gal to help George forget Jennie.

He asks her to travel back to Alaska with him. She agrees, because she sorta likes the big galoot. Besides, he does own part of a gold mine.

Once is Alaska, Michelle finds herself with three male headaches. A 17-year-old named Billy (Fabian), who works for Sam and George, is immediately infatuated with her.

A few minutes with Michelle, and George indeed begins to forget about Jennie. Of course, Sam is the one Michelle wants. Sam has feelings for her, too, though he’s slow to admit it.

Meanwhile, there’s an awful lot of claim jumping and cross filing going on in the mines around Nome. In fact, someone has filed on the mine owned by Sam and George. They quickly suspect a local shyster named Frankie Canon is behind that.

John Wayne as Sam McCord, taking Michelle Bonet to a loggers’ festival in North to Alaska (1960)

Capucine as Michelle Bonet, aka Angel, wondering if Sam McCord’s mine will be her home sweet home in North to Alaska (1960)

Review:

Wayne starred in a pair of Westerns released in 1960 — this film and “The Alamo.” And they couldn’t possibly be more different in tone.

Oh, sure, there’s a bit of action in the film — a shootout at the mine, for instance. But the focus is on comedy as men vie for the affections of Michelle Bonet and she tries to decide what to do about it all, especially if she can’t succeed in winning over Sam McCord, the mans he really wants.

The film ends with a riotous brawl in the mud-filled streets of Nome.

This marked the only Western for Capucine, who was 32 at the time and had already enjoyed a successful modeling career. It was the third film for Fabian, who also gets to sing a song while trying to romance the older woman.

Stewart Granger as George Pratt, showing Sam McCord (John Wayne) a photo of the girl he’ll be bringing back in North to Alaska (1960)

Fabian as Billy Pratt, serenading Michelle Bonet in North to Alaska (1960)

Directed by:
Henry Hathaway

Cast:
John Wayne … Sam McCord
Stewart Granger … George Pratt
Ernie Kovacs … Frankie Canon
Fabian … Billy Pratt
Capucine … Michelle Bonet (aka Angel)
Mickey Shaughnessy … Peter Boggs
Karl Swenson … Lars Nordquist
Joe Sawyer … Land Commissioner
Kathleen Freeman … Lena Nordquist
Stanley Adams … Breezy
John Qualen … Logger Judge

Runtime: 122 min.

Title song:
“North to Alaska”
sung by Johnny Horton

“If You Knew,” performed by Fabian

Ernie Kovacs as Frankie Canon, the man who tries to swindle McCord and Pratt out of their mine in North To Alaska (1960)

Mickey Shauhnessy as Peter Boggs, the man who cross files on the McCord-Pratt mine in North to Alaska (1960)

Memorable lines:

Sam McCord: “Women. I never met one yet who was half as reliable as a horse.”

Sam McCord, on wives: “It’s my only politics. Any woman who devotes herself to making one man miserable instead of a lot of men happy don’t get my vote.”

Sam McCord, explaining his change of heart to Michelle: “Let’s put it this way. When there are two men and one girl on top of a mountain, it’s trouble. And I don’t think it’s smart to import it.”

Sam McCord: “Them shootin’ at him will take George’s mind off Jennie.”
Michelle: “Yes. A bullet through the head is always the best cure for love.”

John Wayne as Sam McCord, surprised to find a second French woman in Seattle in North to Alaska (1960)

Capucine as Michelle Bonet, aka Angel, bothered by Billy’s attention in North to Alaska (1960)

Stewart Granger as George Pratt, working with Michelle Bonet on a plan to make Sam McCloud jealous in North to Alaska (1960)

Capucine as Michelle Bonet with Karl Swenson as Lars Nordquist at the loggers’ picnic in North to Alaska (1960)

John Wayne as Sam McCord and Stewart Granger as George Pratt, partners who strike it rich in North to Alaska (1960)

John Wayne as Sam McCord and Capucine as Michelle Bonet, arriving in Alaska in North to Alaska (1960)