Northwest Stampede

For a movie made in 1948, this one is on par. Rowdy son of a rancher, returns after his father passes, with intentions on selling the ranch, but only after he captures the "white outlaw" a wild steed, he remembers from his youth.

Fireworks start immediatly, between him and the foreman, who happens to be a woman, who can rope, ride and shoot with the best of the men.

I was surprised to find this to be in color, and the scenery of the Canadian Rockies didn't dissappoint me.

The story line may have been a bit sappy, but not for the time it was made, and I have always been a sucker for a romantic western.

This could almost become a cult classic, sort of a Plan 9 From The Calgary Stampede. The plot is pleasant, however unbelievable. The scenery is quite nice and the color is lush. And then there are those moments like when Chris outruns the herd of horses escaping from the corral. Like the previous commentator, I was unsure of the period setting, until I saw Chris with an electric lamp on while telephoning. There are no cars as I recall, though, so it might be a mixed-time thing? Jack Oakie and Chill Wills are in good form.

Filmed in Alberta, "Northwest Stampede" has the full-color glory of the Canadian Rockies as a backdrop, and the gorgeous Joan Leslie in an unprecedented (for 1948) number of nice close-ups. Despite a below average story, the visual elements of the film make it worth viewing.

The story concerns a rodeo star named Dan Bennett (James Craig), who inherits his father's ranch but does not want to be tied down and distracted from his efforts on the rodeo circuit. The female ranch foreman Christine Johnson (Joan Leslie) wants him to continue his father's dream of building up the ranch. Dan is only hanging around the ranch because a horse he once owned has turned wild and he wants to capture and tame it. Much of the film is simply an excuse to exhibit footage shot at the 1947 Calgary Stampede, into which they cut close shots of Craig and Leslie whose characters are entered into the various competitions.

Jack Oakie and a remarkably thin Chill Wills play supporting parts and provide most of the comic relief. The Wills character is named "Mileaway" James because when there is work to do he is always a mile away. There is some comedy in the Dan-Christine dynamic; a bit like the Rock Hudson - Paula Prentiss stuff in "Man's Favorite Sport".

Dan and Christine eventually fall in love. Like the wild stallion, Dan cannot be forcibly domesticated but when the horse voluntary enters the corral to be with a mare you know that Dan likewise will choose to stay on the ranch with Christine.

Christine Johnson (called Chris) is a pivotal character in film history and "Northwest Stampede" is a significant film for this reason. She not only runs the ranch efficiently, she rides, ropes, and breaks horses as well as any of the men. She comes within an equipment malfunction of beating Dan for the total points prize at the rodeo. Yet she maintains her feminine identity. Dan learns to respect her professionally long before falling in love with her.

This character could only have appeared in a post World War Two Hollywood movie. The extensive mobilization required to win the war had let the genie out of the bottle of women's occupational choices. Women had served in the military, become military and civilian pilots, and replaced men in most factory jobs. When the men returned home they reclaimed most of their jobs but the myth of a woman's inability to work productively outside the home had been exploded. "Northwest Stampede" put a very positive spin on these developments, showing that a modern couple with mutual respect could have as good (maybe even better) romantic relationship than had been possible in the pre-war years.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

Completely meritless Western concerning a top rodeo rider who takes over a ranch. The foreman of the ranch is a woman, who just happens to be a top female rodeo rider. The two have an immediate dislike for each other, but this animosity hides mutual respect which blossoms into romance.

This is one of those films which really is terrible and dull to watch. The story and script are contrived and laboured, with nothing ever really happening. The film meanders painfully along for its short running time, scratching around for scenes to pad everything out.

Film is in colour, which is surprising for a Western released in 1948, although there is some really bad back projection and stock rodeo footage. I also remember some dire animal effects in a scene where some wild horses are attacked by wolves

I was unsure as to the period setting of this turkey - it seemed to be the West of around the 1880's, but later had more of a mid- 20th Century feel about it. This may have been due to my lack of concentration but 'Northwest Stampede' is incredibly tiresome with nothing for the eye or mind to lock on to for more than a couple of minutes.

As a low-budget Western of the 1940's with no names of any note, the film never promised much - despite these low expectations the film fails in every department and has no entertainment value whatsoever. Westerns with rodeo themes are always rubbish - you need cowboys, indians, the cavalry, the drunken sheriff, the saloon gal, the baddie in the black hat etc. - this was more like a Lassie film.

I first saw this film over 60 years ago on our old black and white TV set on the Million Dollar Movie on WOR Channel 9 in New York. It made it to television early as apparently after Eagle-Lion Pictures went out of business its film library was sold to RKO and WOR was an RKO station. What I missed seeing of course was the spectacular technicolor cinematography of this film shot in the rugged Canadian northwest.

James Craig is the son of a ranch owner and he's gone off to compete in the rodeos. He gets word that his dad has passed away and he goes off to settle the estate.

He finds two things when he arrives, a bossy female foreman played by Joan Leslie who is every bit as skilled in the western ways as he is. He also finds that a white stallion that he raised as a kid gone off and now is the leader of the wild horses in the area. As a kid Craig named the horse Blizzard.

If this had been done at Republic this film would have been perfect for Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. We might have gotten a song or three in the film as well. But Craig and Leslie pair off well against each other and two well schooled scene stealers in Jack Oakie and Chill Wills as a pair of western characters appropriate every scene they're in.

Northwest Stampede was a vivid childhood memory and I'm certainly glad through the good graces of YouTube that I got to see it again. It's nice family entertainment and I recommend it highly.