Saskatchewan

Who ever wrote this scipt apparenly was never in The Canadian West. I live in Manitoba and have traveled many times to the West Coast I have never yet seen a mountain in Saskatchewan. We never had any sort of trouble with the Sioux when they came into Canada and certanly no N.W.W.P. constable would allow a Canadian never mind an American shoot an indian in the back. And the Costumes terrible, the Mounties wore Pill Box Hats I think untill about 1919 when they became the R.C.M.P.And th music is the march past of the royal 22 regement Vive la Canadienne and certanly would not have been known out west.All in all a lousey movie about the Canadian west, very little truth.

I was there on location for this film and it was filmed mostly in Alberta in the vicinity of Lake Louise and Banff. It rained a lot during the filming and a lot had to be redone at the studio. I was an extra and mostly rode horses and was a dead man in several scenes. As a kid it was a great experience.

Alan Ladd was wonderful as was Carrol, Shelly and Raoul. They fed us well and we stayed in small out buildings, like motel buildings, near the Banff Springs Hotel.

I had to leave early to do a film with Jeff Chandler and I had a commitment at the Pasadena Playhouse at that time also. My last theatre work was in 1960 when I had to give up show business for health reasons --- I needed to eat!

Hope this clears up the question of where it was filmed.

Don Alan (Droesch)

This movie was filmed in Banff National Park not far from the headwaters of the Saskatchewan River. Locations such as Bow Lake and Peyto Lake are on the Icefield Parkway Hwy 93 North of Lake Louise. The movie showed the Sioux a little farther west and north of where they retreated after the Custer Massacre as they only (most of them) only made it to the Cypress Hills in Southeast Alberta. Actual number of "mounties" involved in bringing them back to the border?? Three!! The Canadian and American governments had agreed no harm would come to the Sioux or Sitting Bull but of course this promise was not kept and Superintendant Walsh of the R. C. M. P. (Then Northwest Mounted Police orN.W.M.P) resigned over the betrayal of the Sioux.

No, I've never been to the province. But a quick look at a relief map will show that all but the very southwest corner of Saskatchewan is prairie. Nevertheless mountains loom in the background in every shot of this film which is supposed to take place in the central part of the then-territory. The film is not alone in this; there are no mountains in western Oklahoma either, contrary to "True Grit." Alan Ladd plays O'Rourke, a RCMP officer with a progressive bent who must battle his mutton-headed commander as well as the Indians. Shelley Winters, here in her brief Marilyn Monroe-competitor period, is an American fugitive in a low cut dress. Unless you don't see many movies, you can probably surmise complications arising between the two. Jay Silverheels, later of "Lone Ranger" fame, is O'Rourke's Cree companion who angrily leaves him when the RCMP insist on confiscating the tribe's rifles and who must later confront his former friend.

A previous post noted that the RCMPs are wearing "Smokey Bear", not the correct "sepoy" hats. More noticeable to me was the dress of the Indians, who always look to be gussied up for a powwow. Photographs of the time show that by the late 1800's Indians usually dressed in manufactured (i.e. white) clothes with a some Native touches. Common sense also makes me doubt leaders wore the heavy, conspicuous headresses into battle, although again this film is not alone in this.

The plot involves the entry of the Sioux into Canada in the aftermath of Little Big Horn. In reality, the fragmented Sioux could hardly attempt a takeover of Western Canada, but merely hoped to find refuge from the vengeful U.S. Army. But here the setup is for a spectacular mass battle at the end, showing Indians charging en masse into white firepower the way they almost never did in actual history. Noticeably missing from depiction, by the way, are the Sioux women and children who trekked into Canada along with the warriors.

Because of the spectacular backdrops in Technicolor, this is not too terrible an oater if only to see the conventions of the period.

It is set in Western Canada , in the wonderful Saskatchewan region with its lush forests and wild rivers . A Mountie constable of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police called Thomas O'Rourke : Alan Ladd and his Indian partner , Jay Silverheels , encounter a fired wagon train , at the same time they meet a wounded woman and sole survivor named Grace : Shelley Winters . Meanwhile, Sioux commanded by chiefs Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse have vanquished George Armstrong Custer's 7th cavalry in 1876 , and they go across the border . Sioux are attempting to force the Cree in being allies to their battles the US army . Later on , Mountie Thomas revolts against his stiff-upper-lip commander : Robert Douglas and trying to persuade the Cree to help them . Thomas must aid Creek Indians and also Grace , who is accused for killing and being pursued by deputy Smith : Hugh O'Brian . Along the way the group of Mounties escapes from the Sioux by the wild river .

Spectacular and enough budget western with thrills , adventures , battles , go riding , emotion and being mostly shot on location in Saskatchewan . This is an impressive saga of the conquest of the Saskatchewan territory where the Royal Northwest Mounted Police stood alone against the fury of the Custer-massacring Sioux and the savage Cree nation . Thinly written for the screen by Gil Doud , author of the original story based on facts , including some disapponting moments ; nevertheless , it was ably made by the great director Raoul Walsh . On the plus side are reasonable good acting from a nice cast and support cast . As main cast is pretty good , it stars the estimable Alan Ladd , a fine actor who performed some classic Noir Films and a lot of Westerns , such as The Badlanders , Proud rebel , Drum beat , Branded and the classic Shane . Support cast is frankly fine , Robert Douglas is very authentic and striking looking as the inept and vengeful commandant . The female lead is taken by pretty Shelley Winters as a captive , but she has little to do and isn't in it very much . Other secondaries appearing are Hugh O'Brian , Richard Long , J. Carrol Naish , George J. Lewis , Lewis Gilmore and as narrator : Rex Reason. And some actors playing Indians as Antonio Moreno : Chief Dark Cloud , Anthony Caruso : Spotted Eagle and Indian Cajou played by Jay Silverheels , the famous Tonto from Lone Ranger series.

This colorful movie belongs to Canadian Mountie sub-genre including important titles as the classy Unconquered by Cecil B DeMille with Gary Cooper , Pony Soldier 1952 by Joseph M. Newman with Tyrone Power and The Canadians by Burt Kennedy with Robert Ryan . This Saskatchewan packs a glimmer and rousing cinematography by John F. Seitz , showing splendorous landscapes. The motion picture was well directed by Raoul Walsh . He was a prolific filmmaker , writer , actor and producer . He directed all kinds of genres with penchant for Western , Noir Film and Gangster movies. Raoul directed westerns for Warner Bros as They died with their boots on 1942 , Sílver river 1948 with Errol Flynn , Colorado territory 1949 with Joel McCrea , Cheyenne with Dennis Morgan and Along the Great Divide with Kirk Douglas . In Universal Pictures Walsh directed : The lawless breed , Gun fury with Rock Hudson , and Saskatchewan . His two best considered westerns were The Big TraIl and Dark Command. And his last westerns were The tall men 1955 , The King and 4 queens 1956 with Clark Gable and The sheriff of Fractured Jaw with Kenneth Moore .

Saskatchewan is no earth shattering watching experience at all , but with its saving graces as the attractive , appealing outdoors , and the presence of its charming stars , it is just about worth a look . Rating 6/10.