Woman of the North Country (1952)

Rod Cameron is Kyle Ramlo, a geologist who finds a rich ore vein in the Mesabi region of Minnesota.

He’d like to work with the Powell family to develop the mine.

But the Powells are used to controlling mining interests in the area, and the family has gotten filthy rich in the process.

Brother David (John Agar) has been pushed out of a leadership position because the family’s mine isn’t producing enough ore.

Lovely sister Christine (Ruth Hussey) and brother Steve (Jim Davis) envision even richer days ahead, if they can wrest the Mesabi lease from Ramlo.

First, Christine uses her feminine charms to find out where Ramlo is keeping his money. Then Steve and a gang or ruffians rob him.

But Ramlo isn’t a man easily defeated and manages to get the money back.

He even manages to develop his strike and become iron master of the region, pushing the Powell mine out of business.

But Christine isn’t through with him yet. She’ll just need to find another means to climb back to the top.

Rob Cameron as Kyle Ramlo, watching his new railroad bridge collapse in Woman of the North Country (1952)

Ruth Hussey as Catherine Powell, showing her true colors as a woman who has no intention of sharing her man’s struggles in Woman of the North Country (1952)

Review:

Set in the 1890s in a remote area of Minnesota and more melodrama than Western, this is different enough to hold a viewers’ interest.

It’s interesting to see Rod Cameron in a role where he’s outsmarted repeatedly by a lovely lady.

It’s just unfortunate that Ruth Hussey isn’t nearly as effective as the schemer at the heart of the film as Gale Storm is as the woman Cameron brushes aside.

In addition to Agar and Davis, lots of familiar Western faces are on hand, including J. Carrol Naish, Jay C. Flippen and Hank Worden.

Action highlights include Cameron creating a landslide that destroys the bad guy’s hideout and the destruction of a railroad bridge to hurt Cameron’s latest mining venture.

Gale Storm as Cathy Nordlund, wondering if another pretty gal might have caught Kyle Ramlo’s eye in Woman of the North Country (1952)

Jay C. Flippen as Cathy’s father and Kyle Ramlo’s mine boss in Woman of the North Country (1952)

Directed by:
Joseph Kane

Cast:
Rod Cameron … Kyle Ramlo
Ruth Hussey … Christine Powell
John Agar … David Powell
Gale Storm … Cathy Nordlund
J. Carrol Naish … John Mulholland
Jim Davis … Steve Powell
Jay C. Flippen … Axel Nordlund
Taylor Holmes … Andrew Dawson
Barry Kelly … O’Hara
Grant Withers … Henry S. Chapman
Stephen Bekassy … Andre Duclos
Howard Petrie … Rick Barton
Hank Worden … Tom Gordon
Virginia Brissac … Mrs. Dawson

Runtime: 90 min.

aka:
Minnesota
The Iron Master
Woman in the Wilderness

John Agar as David Powell, objecting to his sister replacing him as head of the family’s iron ore business in Woman of the North Country (1952)

JIm Davis as Steve Powell, wearing a head bandage from a scrape with Ramlo and his crew in Woman of the North Country (1952)

Memorable lines:

Andre Duclos, a suitor: “Your beauty will light the darkness of London and drive away the cold.”
Christine Powell: “Oh, changing the climate of England? That’s a lot to ask of any woman.”

Mrs. Dawson, sarcastically: “Doesn’t the sun need the Powell permission to rise and set in the state of Minnesota?”

Kyle Ramlo to Cathy Nordlund: “You adorable jackass! You’re jealous!”

Kyle Ramlo, realizing Catherine was in on the plot to rob him: “What kind of woman are you?”
Christine Powell: “The kind of woman you’ve always wanted, Mr. Ramlo.”

J. Carrol Naish as John Mulholland, a rich man so in love with Christine that he’ll do whatever she wants in Woman of the North Country (1952)

Howard Petrie (right) as Rick Barton, the man who helps carry out the Powell family’s dirty deeds in Woman of the North Country (1952)

Barry Kelly as O’Hara, the drunk who was fired by and plans to get even with Kyle Ramlo in Woman of the North Country (1952)

Hank Worden as Tom Gordon, the man who becomes Kyle Ramlo’s chief assistant in Woman of the North Country (1952)

Christine (Ruth Hussey) wrapping John Mulholland (J. Carrol Naish) around her finger again in Woman of the North Country (1952)

Rod Cameron as Kyle Ramlo, teaching Christine (Ruth Hussey) how to fire a rifle in Woman of the North Country (1952)