John Wayne was always a fighter, never a lover, so on the surface it seems strange to see him cast opposite ultrachic French supermodel Capucine (real name Germaine Lefevre) in this bawdy action comedy. In fact they had great chemistry: aside from the great Maureen O'Hara, the lovely Frenchwoman (who went on to star in such swinging sixties classics as the original "Pink Panther") was one of the few leading ladies to hold her own against the Duke. The plot bears an odd resemblance to "Pretty Woman": after his best friend George (a surprisingly funny Stewart Granger) is jilted by his fiancée, Alaska prospector Sam McCord (Wayne) seeks to cheer him up by hiring a high class call girl (Capucine) to take her place. Not surprisingly, Sam falls in love with her and, after about three dozen expertly choreographed fight scenes--all played strictly for laughs, with little real peril involved--Wayne gets the girl! Expertly directed by the legendary Henry Hathaway, who directed Wayne in his Oscar-winning vehicle "True Grit," "North to Alaska" has everything: action, laughter, romance, gun fights, barroom brawls, a classic knock-down drag-out in a muddy street, and even a song by Fabian (George's brother Billy!) As often in his career, Wayne plays a character with a streak of paranoia, though in this case it's halfway justified--a smarmy confidence trickster (a brilliant Ernie Kovacs) is out to jump his claims, and there are the usual shenanigans before right--and might--triumph. Oh, and there's an Old English Sheepdog named Clancey, who jumps into bed with Capucine. The whole cast is excellent, even Fabian's not too annoying, and there are amusing cameos by Keenan Wynn, Mickey Shaughnessy, Kathleen Freeman, and Richard Deacon. Country great Johnny Horton sings the theme song. An excellent choice.
Review of North to Alaska
