User reviews

Cecil B. DeMille's fame as a leading movie director is still secure because of his innovative nature. He certainly developed spectacle movies, and even today he is remembered as the pioneer. But that does not blind us to his flaws. His characters are not three dimensional usually but black or white in personality. His dialog is for the birds. He does fall into stereotypes too often. It is understandable that the Medveds included "Northwest Mounted Police" among the 50 worst movies ever made.

Yet one can't easily dismiss it. It was DeMille's first color movie. It was the second of four films with Gary Cooper, one of four made Goddard and one of three made with Robert Preston. Preston made good action films in this period but was always in support. In the early 1950s he returned to the stage and the fame that eluded him in Hollywood. Came "The Music Man", "The Lion In Winter", and "Mack and Mabel" and the recognition of Preston the adept entertainer. Came the call back to Hollywood for his filmed performances as Harold Hill and Toddy (in "Victor/Victoria"). Preston was that rarity: an actor who proved his star qualities in middle-age. DeMille would never have been his kind of director: he had no light touch for comedy, and he did not do musicals. Still, for some good straight performances as doomed weaklings, Preston did well in this film,"Union Pacific", and "Reap the Wild Wind".

The film's historic content is interesting. DeMille's earlier historic films ("Cleopatra", "Sign of the Cross", "The Crusades") dealt with old world history. But after the last DeMille concentrated on American history with "The Plainsman", "The Buccaneer", "Union Pacific", "Reap The Wild Wind", and "The Unconquered". Even the modern "The Story of Dr. Wassell" was based on a true tale connected with the current war in the Pacific.

Because of his American History period "Northwest Mounted Police" is an odd film. Cooper's character is the only link in it to American history in the 1880s, as a Texas Ranger after George Bancroft (Le Corbeau) for murder. The film is set firmly in Canada which was the scene of two revolts of the Metis people under Louis Riel in 1870 and 1885. As such this becomes somewhat unique among the historic films of Hollywood.

Canada does poorly regarding it's history in Hollywood. This movie actually covers one of the most troubling moments of modern Canadian history: the fate of Louis Riel. We don't know about it down here. Riel was a lawyer and teacher with some mental problems. Riel helped found the provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, thus making him one of Canadian history's founding fathers. But he was also aware that French Canadians and his Metis people got a suspiciously short deal from the British Canadians in Canada. Canada was firmly controlled by the Tory party led by Sir John MacDonald. MacDonald was corrupt but made one of the great comebacks in political history in 1879. Riel had led a revolt in 1870 which was crushed. He fled to the U.S., and spent some time in asylums here. He was released, taught school in Montana, and then returned to Canada (illegally) in 1884. He organized a second Metis revolt, which nearly succeeded in winning an independent state. A British army crushed it in 1885, captured Riel, and he was tried for treason.

Lives had been lost, and property destroyed. MacDonald's son had been sent to Manitoba to run the province, and he had been humiliated by the revolt. Riel, however, had some legitimate gripes about the treatment of French Canadians, and the Metis. The treason trial came, and he was found guilty. MacDonald apparently never had a moment's hesitation about what to do. He refused to stop Riel's execution. The Tory Party in Canada has never recovered from this mistake. The backbone of Liberal Party strength (to the current day) is French Canadien Quebec - they have never forgiven the Tories for not acting humanely to Louis (and putting him in a Canadian asylum for life).

DeMille is not totally anti-Riel. Riel is not unlike the American John Brown (inthe contemporary film "Santa Fe Trail"), who is murderous and possibly insane but fighting for certain principles that actually get the audience's sympathy. In this film, Riel is committed to a Metis revolt and state and he will stop at nothing to prevent it's success. But he also is shown as a kindly man to young children (he was a school teacher, remember).He is trying to save a way of life that a juggernaut threatens. And he is resigned to his fate at the end, realizing that in dying he may still win (which happened). We need a subsidiary villain like Van Heflin in "Sante Fe Trail" who is villainous for money. Here it is Bancroft, a murderer and criminal who is Riel's assistant. His villainy is passed down through his genes to his daughter (Goddard) who tempts and betrays Preston. One wonders, had Riel formed a successful government and state, how long before Le Corbeau would have arranged an "accident" or "assassination" (by a "Tory" agent, of course) of Riel, in order to cement his control over the Metis nation. So when he gets his just deserts at the end, unlike poor Louis, we are cheered by it. One has to congratulate DeMille in trying to be fair to Louis, when he could have just made his a super villain.

When Cecil B. DeMille started filming Northwest Mounted Police, Joel McCrea was Texas Ranger Dusty Rivers (a cowboy name if there ever was one), but after a few scenes McCrea dropped out and Gary Cooper got to do his second of four DeMille features.

It was both DeMille and Cooper's first film in technicolor and when DeMille went in for technicolor we mean bright hues of every part of the rainbow. But back then color itself was a novelty so people liked seeing it. Northwest Mounted Police also won an Oscar for best editing. Taking home the prize was Anne Bauchens who edited every single DeMille film from back into the middle silent era. DeMille had it written into his contract at Paramount that he would not do a film unless Ms. Bauchens was available to be editor. He had many of the same folks on his various films, but only Ms. Bauchens rated that kind of treatment.

Michael Medved has Northwest Mounted Police listed among the fifty worst films of all time. It's not great, but it ain't as bad as all that. The Victorian DeMille type dialog is the main reason, but it is no more present here than in any of his other sound films.

Northwest Mounted Police takes place in the mid 1880s and concerns the famous 2nd Louis Riel Rebellion and the Duck Lake massacre of Royal Canadian Mounted Police in that conflict. Grafted on to that is the story of a Texas Ranger played by Gary Cooper who comes up to Canada with a warrant for one of Riel's confederates who killed a man in his state.

Of course Cooper gets himself mixed up in the politics of the area and also considerably mixed up with Maddeleine Carroll, much to the displeasure of her sweetheart Preston Foster, as stalwart a Mountie as you'll ever find this side of Nelson Eddy. That's a standard DeMille plot device, two men in heat over the heroine.

In some considerable heat himself is Robert Preston who is Carroll's brother also a Mountie. He's got it bad for Paulette Goddard a Meti who's got it real bad for Preston. In fact her little scheme concerning Preston is what drives the action of the film in the second half.

DeMille was never an actor's director or a writer's director. But he knew how to fill the screen and keep the action going. That he does in Northwest Mounted Police.

The master of spectacle doesn't let us down in that regard with his first movie shot in Technicolor.The action sequences are as exciting as in other De Mille spectacles but the hammy acting,the ridiculous dialog and slow pacing makes this a below par movie for De Mille. Gary Cooper and Madeleine Carroll look embarrassed throughout speaking those silly lines.Preston Foster as the third party of the love triangle has one of his more substantial parts in his career.But it is fun to watch Paulette Goddard's hilarious overacting.As her villainous father George Bancroft isn't far behind in that department.The best acting are provided by the two veterans Akim Tamiroff and Lynne Overman who provide some comic relief.The movie is beautiful to look at in bright colors and passes the afternoon quite painlessly.

One of several idiosyncratic inclusions in that silly book, 'The Fifty Worst Movies of All Time', DeMille's first film in full Technicolor is actually good fun; and adroitly exploits his new toy by filling the screen with Mounties' red uniforms (one of them worn by a fleetingly glimpsed young Robert Ryan).

Starring Gary Cooper as the delightfully named Dusty Rivers, the ladies comprise a rare appearance in colour by the blonde Madeleine Carroll (who describes Coop as "an angel in leather"), visually contrasted with dusky half-Indian wildcat Paulette Goddard (of whom Robert Preston snarls "If your neck wasn't so lovely I'd break it!!).

As usual in a late DeMille all the spectacular outdoor scenes are left in the hands of second-unit director Arthur Rossen; while veteran editor Anne Bauchen's ability to lick this all into coherent shape was acknowledged by the Academy with an Oscar.

I happened to see this last Sunday afternoon on the T.V. At first the film looked dated but the costumes and general appearance of the people in it convincingly portrayed people of that era (something that doesn't happen as often as it should in "Westerns"); it soon became apparent that things were being done rather well and by the time the credits came along and I saw the name of Cecil B DeMille I knew why.

This is an entertaining, undemanding film. There is a great deal to enjoy if one puts aside ones modern sophistication. I particularly enjoyed the way the mounties were portrayed as a dedicated and disciplined police force, loyal to the Crown and doing a worthwhile job in very difficult circumstances. Gary Cooper's Texas Ranger helped to highlight the qualities of the Mounties and provided interest and excitement.

Crowd scenes and action scenes are well done. The stunt towards the end involving Gary Cooper's character tumbling from his falling horse is breathtaking and the quick cut to a back projection immediately after is very effective; it is a scene that can match anything in today's films. Characters have interesting scenes and the humour is dealt with a sure touch. The film has all the signs of a good director.

I didn't expect to enjoy this film, but I did and I look forward to finding more from the same period.

... but the director is Cecil B. DeMille, and given that DeMille helped build Paramount, it's not like the studio is going to deny even his worst impulses.

It's 1885, and the Metis (half-breed) people of western Canada are planning a rebellion, led by bad guys Corbeau (George Bancroft), Riel (Francis McDonald), and Duroc (Akim Tamiroff). Out to stop them are the stalwart men of the North West Mounted Police, led by the straight-backed Sgt. Jim Brett (Preston Foster). He bristles when he's forced to accept help from Texas Ranger Dusty Rivers (Gary Cooper), who has come north in search of a fugitive murderer. Both Brett and Rivers chase after angelic nurse April Logan (Madeleine Carroll). Meanwhile, young Mountie rake Ronnie Logan (Robert Preston) is conducting an illicit affair with half-breed wildcat Louvette (Paulette Goddard).

This is a big, loud mix of the dumb and the entertaining. It's bad but never boring, with outrageous characters sporting silly names ("Dusty Rivers"? Really?!?), tonally awkward scenes of slapstick comedy followed by people being shot in the head, and laughably misplaced romance. The gorgeous "Canadian" scenery was achieved primarily on LA soundstages, and the filmmakers never did make it to Canada, although there's some legitimate outdoor scenes shot in California state parks. However silly it all is, DeMille knew his formula well, as this ended up being Paramount's biggest hit of the year, as well as earning Oscar nominations for Best Score, Best Sound, Best Color Art Direction, and Best Color Cinematography, as well as winning for Best Editing.

Would it have gotten these accolades had the director NOT been De Mille? I doubt it.

1940's "North West Mounted Police" may have been Paramount's biggest box office success that year, but considering it as the first color film for director Cecil B. De Mille it must rank as one of his few failures. The Duck Lake massacre of 1885 led by Louis Riel (Francis McDonald) provides a solid backdrop for an abundance of poorly sketched characters unable to overcome the sluggish pace. The chief villain is Jacques Corbeau (George Bancroft), whose wildcat half breed daughter (Paulette Goddard) is in love with Mountie Ronnie Logan (Robert Preston). Gary Cooper toplines as the Texas Ranger sent north to bring Corbeau to justice, sparring with dedicated Sergeant Jim Brett (Preston Foster) over the lovely April Logan (Madeleine Carroll), sister of Ronnie. This makes it sound like a real snoozefest, and while it's not quite that bad it certainly isn't very captivating. Supporting players like George E. Stone are on and off in a flash, while poor Lon Chaney (previously seen in a silent role in De Mille's "Union Pacific") doesn't fare much better as Shorty, one of the trappers involved with Riel, who at least has a chance to exult in becoming a father. We last see him with his pretty young wife, properly scolding him before he meekly replies, "yes mama."

You first have to understand that DeMille has taken considerable poetic licence, while using the story of the return of Louis Riel to Canada, and the subsequent Duck Lake massacre of a large unit of Mounties. Even the pronunciation by DeMille of the word "Metis" at the introduction to the movie is quite incorrect.

Fun to watch the fictional introduction of Gary Cooper as a Texas marshal travelling into Canada in pursuit of a Metis criminal.

Some good aspects of the film include the historical accuracy of the uniforms at that time... no wide brimmed hats... and the correctness of the name of the Mounties at that time. The only item of historical inaccuracy is the fur hats that DeMille has the Mounties wear. During the warmer weather they wore either a pill box hat or a white helmet. They did wear fur hats during the winter with their Buffalo hide coats, but DeMille did not like the design of any of the head wear that was part of the actual uniform, so he had this design made for the picture.

The two key bad guys are historical fact, although whether they acted as they are shown in the movie is another question. Whether there was a gatling gun at the Duck Lake massacre is another question the historians will have to answer.

Generally, a good romp... a great movie to sit back and watch with popcorn and a soft drink.

"North West Mounted Police" is the 48th film that I have watched that was featured in Harry Medved's brilliant book "The Fifty Worst Movies of All Time"--and I just recently bought the last two, so I soon will have reviews for all of them. While I must admit that his list of 50 is flawed (a small number actually are not that bad), considering he wrote this book when he was 17 and it came out BEFORE he age of VCRs it is amazing--and an exceptionally good read--one of the best non-fiction books I have ever read. While it's out of print, you can get used copies reasonably priced on the internet any bad movie buff worth their salt MUST have a copy.

So is this movie THAT bad? No...but it is bad and I think the respectable score of 6.5 and the generally positive reviews are a bit inexplicable. It seems that, in general, Cecil B. De Mille's films are thought of rather highly. After all, they often have HUGE scope, sets, lovely Technicolor (when most films of the day are black & white) and it's obvious his budgets were astronomical. However, I also think that a movie really doesn't need any of these things to be a good film. What is most important is what De Mille's films usually lacked--good dialog, realistic characters and good acting. It seems to me that this director really had no knack for human interactions on film unless they were BIGGER than life! And that is why I cannot recommend the film. Sure, it gets a few points for the sets and lovely look of the film but the rest....yuck! If I had to put my finger on what is worst about this particular film, I'd bluntly say Paulette Goddard. While several others chew the scenery a bit (such as Akim Tamiroff), she is absolutely laughably bad as 'the fiery half-breed'!!! While she was SUPPOSED to be part European and part Native-American, she sounded like some 4 year-old trying to imitate Chico Marx or Charro....on drugs! Her accent was ludicrous and her acting hammy and awful. Now some blame can clearly be placed on Goddard (who probably can attribute most of her roles to the fact she was married to Charlie Chaplin), but isn't it the director's job to notice this and coach the actor if they are missing the role this completely?! And the writing they gave her (and the others to a lesser extent) was just dumb and almost comic book-like (not a GOOD comic book but a bad one, by the way).

It's also odd how with a magnetic personality like Gary Cooper that he's practically lost in the film. Yes, he's there but he has no charisma and little chance to act. He's frankly too good for this material--as are Robert Preston and Preston Foster. Again, I blame De Mille for this.

The bottom line is that although Harry Medved was mistaken, in my opinion, for including the film, I could see exactly why he did and don't think his selection was that far off-base. And, I know this will ruffle a few feathers, but I also don't think this is De Mille's worst film. For dialog alone, his 1950s version of "The Ten Commandments" is god-awful and could lead many to convert to atheism--even though it's considered a classic and has a HUGE budget as well. I can hear Anne Baxter from this film now uttering the hilariously overdone line "...oooh, Moses.....Moooooses!!!!!" (like a cow in heat) or Edward G. Robinson bellowing "...he took us into the desert to die like dogs!!!!" for the 48th time in the film! Why is De Mille so adored? His dialog, acting and stories are often terrible--and VERY sacrilegious. Try watching "Sign of the Cross" and then try to convince me I am wrong about the sacrilegious comment, as it included scenes of bestiality, lesbianism and the like in a Biblical epic! Or how about the Claudette Colbert version of "Cleopatra" where you get to see Ms. Colbert's breasts--not exactly stuff to show your Sunday school class (and yes, I know "Cleopatra" is not a Biblical epic).

Watch at your own risk....Oh, and De Mille DID do a few very good films...and many bad ones.

Cecil B. DeMille, once again, brings a Technicolor epic to the screen. This time it concerns the Royal Canadian Mounties (Red Coats) a Texas Ranger, in search of a criminal dealing with the Indians in frontier Canada, during the eighteen-eighties, by selling them guns, and the half-breeds that are being controlled by the Mounties.

Along the way the Texas Ranger(Gary Cooper)falls for a pretty Army nurse (Madelaine Carroll) who is also courted by a Mountie Officer (Preston Foster). The nurse's brother, also a Mountie (Robert Preston) is under the spell of a beautiful half-breed (Paulette Goddard) who's father is the criminal (George Bancroft) that is being sought.

As in DeMille plots, the hero saves the day, but not without a sacrifice of some of the supporting players. Won't tell you who. See the picture.

Coop and Carroll do a wonderful job, taking some pretty silly lines, even for the forties, and making them work. Both look their best at the peaks of their careers. Preston and Foster (Robert and Preston, that is) do admirable jobs. Robert Preston looking very young with a full head of blonde curly hair. Playing the tempestuous half-breed, Paulette Goddard got a big break in her career with this role. It is said she wanted the part so bad, she donned herself in dark skin make-up, put on an Indian get-up with feathers and walked into DeMille's office saying, "You teenk you wan beeg director, hah? Me, Louvette, show you!" She got the part and played it to the hilt with her dark skin and beautiful blue eyes, beating out Marlene Dietrich and Rita Hayworth also up for the role. Goddard went on to play in two more DeMille pictures, REAP THE WILD WIND and UNCONQUERED, this time performing leading roles.

There is an excellent supporting cast of character actors, namely; Lynne Overman, Akim Tamiroff, Walter Hampden, Lon Chaney, Jr, Robert Ryan and Rod Cameron who went on to star in Republic Pictures westerns.

POLICE is not yet on video, although most other DeMille films are, but it can be seen once in a while on AMC Classic Movies on TV.

Great DeMille entertainment.

NWMP has just had a rare outing on British TV and it's a Gary Cooper film I hadn't seen before. It wasn't bad by 1940s' standards for a Western. The scenic shots at the beginning were a bit garish but then the colour seemed to settle down.

It's worth a look for:

1. Gary Cooper, who's never looked better facially; 2. Paulette Goddard, who looked fantastic; 3. the unusual historical setting; 4. early, albeit minor, appearances of Robert Ryan and Rod Cameron.

The police head-gear apart, some effort had been made to make the uniforms and civilian clothes look authentic.

The tragi-comic "duel" that the Scotsman involved himself did jar a little.

I'm not perceptive enough to read much "sub-text" in films, but I did wonder about the date of issue (1940) and the gallant, laid-back US coming to the aid of the stuffy but devoted-to-duty Brits.

Not for the first time, I had a slight difficulty in distinguishing at first between the two Prestons on the small screen.

I would be happy to watch NWMP again, recording it if necessary, if it's screened again in a year or so.

Had waited for some years to catch up with this oater. Never would have believed it could be so poor. Such a huge waste of money and talent. Wowful dialog with even worse dialects! Hard to believe any Director would put his name on this insufferable work (let alone De Mille) But then, he was a Hollywood consumer product (a bit like Hitchcock became)

This director put 'Action' ahead of Story, People, or Animals. Horses, their stunt riders, Chickens, all sacrificed to get 'that shot'

Terrible studio bound sets badly cut into shots of grand outdoor footage. A case of money over matter, in the end, nothing matters at all. Not even the usually great music man Victor Young provided anything above mediocre. It looked (and sounded) like he saw how bad the content was, took the money and ran. The undiscerning viewer may enjoy it, others should beware.....

"Oh Dusty, you're an angel in leather!" "I love you so terrible bad I feel good!" "You're the sweetest poison that ever got into a man's blood!"

Campy and implausible enough to be written up in "The Fifty Worst Films of All Time", yet too slow to be as amusing as "The Conqueror". Set in 19th century Quebec, the characters mill around a wilderness fort, chase each other and a gattling gun, lust after each other, and spout ridiculous dialogue. It takes forever and drags a lot, but it looks nice for something shot on a soundstage, and there are some decent actors like Gary Cooper and Madeline Carroll in it, even if they look kind of embarrassed.

What keeps this from being other boring costume melodramas like "Unconquered" is the usually wooden Paulette Goddard as a half-breed temptress. (You just know you're in for something bad when you see those words) We're talking high camp, over-the-top ludicrous, with her silly accent and sillier makeup, and supreme overconfidence in her ability to handle a role like this. It's worth tuning it to see her sashay around in her leather-and-feather costumes, chewing the scenery while doing stuff like public spankings and tormenting a bound Robert Preston.

If you do not generally like old Hollywood films then of course there is a lot to disparage here. I see those faults and yet this is one of my favorite films. Does DeMille go way over the top? Of course he does, that is who he was. And as always he provides top drawer entertainment. Not to start an argument but which of our contemporary film makers could do as well even with today's technological advances? Glorious Technicolor at its very best, seemingly invented just to showcase the incredible beauty of Miss Carroll. And a cast of old favorites being themselves in ways that cannot be matched today. Always an enjoyable experience re-watching NWMP and to those who claimed that Cooper had little to do - check it out again please!

De Mille just simply knew how to make films. Period. It's totally amazing that he is still the champ of all time.

A lot of all star casts flounder with weaker directors and scripts, but de Mille is epic.

This is story telling. The story here is based around Riel and the Mounted Police of Canada. We even begin with Riel, but soon the wing of the film takes the turn towards the big name stars.

The scenes with the two minor love interest characters are the most stunning. You know there will be a tragic end, but you aren't sure what the tragedy will be. Always the expert, de Mille knew that had he staged these scenes with the leading love triangle, we would not have the suspense. We would know they would turn out okay. Masterfully, he arrays them in a position of caring about the wild young beautiful couple, and their beauty is cinematic greatness, perfectly filmed and choreographed. Paulette Goddard, from her very entrance, is breath taking, and her beauty is perfectly enveloped with de Mille's cameras. Incredible, astounding, and unsurpassed to this day.

The spectacle of de Mille has never been surpassed, and neither has his directing of characters. As in UNION PACIFIC, it is the minor characters such as Overman and Tamiroff who take this up to the top notch. The comic relief here is one that we also see leading up to a Shakespearean style duel.

The characters and the story keep you riveted. This is a long movie, but it seems like it takes only a few minutes. The mixture of spectacle, action, comic relief, characters, suspense, romance, adventure, and perfect cinematography is the sought after recipe that wise directors will copy and jealous directors will foolishly ignore.

And the moron who put this on the 50 worst films of all time list, we have to wonder what hallucinogens he was on. This is one of the 50 best films of all time. THIS is a clinic. THIS is how to make a film.

Where can i obtain a copy of this Movie(North West Mounted Police) with Gary Coopr in it or at least Rent it?? Preferably on DVD, although i would accept a VHS rendition as well, I have looked a long time for this Movie. I first saw it when i was 12 years old an it made a lasting impression on me and I have always wanted to own it. I have many of "Coops" movies but till now this one has avoided me. I have always thought Garry Cooper as one of the BEST leading Men and all time best actors,it will be,in my Mind, a long time before the Movies will see his equal, I believe that Grapes of Wrath runs a close second to North Weast Mounted Police.

A great novel written by R. C. Featherstonhaugh is the basis for this rousing, well directed movie by Cecil B. DeMille and is called " North West Mounted Police ". It tells the story of a courageous and determined Texas Ranger named Dusty Rivers (Gary Cooper) who's task is to ride to Canada and bring back Jacques Corbeau (George Bancroft) a murderous outlaw to stand trial for murder in Texas, U.S.A. Complications arise when he arrives in Canada he learns, the Mounted Police also want the outlaw to stand trial there. In addition, among the friends Rivers' makes is Sergeant Jim Brett (Preston Foster), Ronnie Logan (Robert Preston) and Constable Dumont (Robert Ryan). Further complications involve are the women he meets while there. Although he tries to stay clear of the Canadian police, it's nearly impossible and he becomes personally embroiled in their rebellious uprising and Indian war. The film is colorful, interesting, well structured, and sure to entertain audiences. Although not the director's first choice, Cooper holds his own and with the other exciting cast members like Madeleine Carroll, Paulette Goddard, Akim Tamiroff, Lon Chaney Jr, and Regis Toomey, allows the movie to become a major Classic on it's own. Well done. ****

this first demille color epic was a sensation in 1940, deep in the era of fitzpatrick traveltalks ("so as the sun sinks slowly behind the rugged rockies we bid a reluctant adieu to the friendly metis people of canada.") it surely has many fine moments. but the plot is somewhat convoluted and the hero keeps picking up different horses along the way. "the horse he rode in on" was 1500 miles from home (texas). we see a somewhat distorted map of canada at the opening. the pivotal town of batoche is situated too close to the US border, about where regina should be. regina isn't shown, despite continual reference to it throughout. demille isn't the best director for gary cooper, who was allowed to brandish his bizarre mannerisms in a duel to the finish with paulette goddard. the cool blonde madeleine carroll and stout fella preston foster were pleasant to see, but best acting was done by george bancroft as the heartless whiskey runner, jacques corbeau. best lines include one by montagu love as the mortally wounded inspector cabot: some fool at headquarters wants to change the uniform to green. stand up for the redcoats! it's a good color. and another colonialism from foster as sgt. brett to an indian chief: will big bear kneel to the queen and be chief of his people again? it was a valiant two hour fight, but the scenery won. bonus quote by lynne overman as scottish-indian todd macduff: do they have fast horses in texas, mr. rivers? i'm bettin' they can nae keep up wi' the men.

Whenever director Cecil B. DeMille's name appeared on theater marquees, long lines snaked out the doors. His newest film, a Technicolor extravaganza, October 1940 "North West Mounted Police," was no exception. With Gary Cooper, Paulette Goddard and Madeleine Carroll, the Canadian setting enticed enough viewers to make it one of Paramount Pictures' top movies in 1940.

"North West Mounted Police's" premier in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, drew rave reviews, including Variety gushing the "scripters weave a story which has its exciting moments, a reasonable and convincing romance." Adapted from R. C. Fetherstonhaugh's 1938 'The Royal Canadian Mountain Police,' this sprawling blockbuster was the first complete Technicolor picture for DeMille as well as for actor Gary Cooper. Technicolor's vivid crisp look, especially the red uniforms of the Canadian Mountain Police, gave the director a new dimension to work with.

"North West Mounted Police" takes place during Canada's North-West Rebellion in 1885, involving 200 indigenous people from the Metis Indian tribe, led by discontented Louis Riel. The protest culminated in a military confrontation between Canadian police and the natives. Amidst the battle scenes in DeMille's picture was romance galore, with Mountie Ronnie Logan's (Robert Preston) affair with mixed Indian Louvette Corbeau (Paulette Goddard). Meanwhile, Texas Ranger Dusty Rivers (Cooper) is caught in the middle of the rebellion while chasing wanted criminal Jacques Corbeau (George Bancroft), who happens to be the rebel leader North West Mounted Police Sergeant Jim Brett (Preston Foster) wants to apprehend. Both Jim and Dusty find themselves vying for the attention of nurse April Logan (Madeleine Carroll).

"North West Mounted Police" was the second straight Western Cooper appeared, but was his last until after World War Two. Joel McCrae, the original choice to play Dusty, traded places with Cooper, who didn't want to be in Alfred Hitchcock's 1940 "Foreign Correspondent," a decision he later regretted. Paulette Goddard was an unlikely choice to play Corbeau's flighty half-Indian daughter since DeMille was seriously considering Marlene Dietrich and Vivien Leigh among others. Goddard stepped into DeMille's office dressed in Indian garb and spoke pidgin English, impressing the director so much she received the part with the caveat she wear high heels.

There were critics of the film, including Leonard Maltin, saying "North West Mountain Police," is a "superficial tale of Texas Ranger searching for fugitive in Canada. Much of the outdoor action filmed was on obviously indoor sets." Harry Medved's 1978 book 'The Fifty Worst Films of All Time' lists the DeMille epic in his book, although a number of film scholars discount the author's work as not worth reading.

"North West Mountain Police" was nominated for five Academy Awards, for Color Art Direction, Color Cinematography, Original Musical Score (Victor Young) and Best Sound Recording, winning Best Editing (Anne Bauchens).

If they allowed one-word reviews on this thing, that's all I'd need: hokey. Right from the beginning I found myself positively spellbound by the unabashed hokiness of the plot, characters and dialogue, not to mention the embarrassingly dated costume and production design. Every scene startled me - they'd come out with so many stupid lines, maudlin heroics and old-fashioned cliches (often of a racist, sexist or jingoistic nature, even down to my first genuine encounter with a stern, monosyllabic Indian chief) that I couldn't stop watching it. Of course, it doesn't have any real entertainment value; the story and the characters are impossible to care about, and most of the scenes are dragged out beyond all reason. But it might be worth your while to check it out anyway, if just to be thoroughly appalled.

Gary Cooper (white), George Bancroft (black), and Akim Tamiroff (brown) characters are id'd as good, bad, and well-intentioned by the colors of the hats they wear.

Paulette Goddard's scene hiring the Indian Hit Man is straight from the silents.

Lynne Overman's burr is the lineal ancestor of James Doohan's.

People still revere De Mille?