Movie Mirrors Index

North West Mounted Police

(1940 c 125')

En: 6 Ed: 5

Set in the historical Riel rebellion, a Texas Ranger helps the Mounties so he can capture a murderer; but the Mountie gets the woman.

In 1885 Dan Duroc (Akim Tamiroff) and Jacques Corbeau (George Bancroft) urge schoolteacher Louis Riell (Francis McDonald) to lead another revolt. Mounties Sergeant Jim Brett (Preston Foster) and Ronnie Logan (Robert Preston) arrive in town, and Duroc gives Jim their demands on paper. Alice Logan (Madeleine Carroll) saves Jim from a crowd, and he kisses her. Tod McDuff (Lynne Overman) tells Duroc he won't fight against the Queen. At the stockade Texas Ranger Dusty Rivers (Gary Cooper) tells Inspector Cabot (Montagu Love) he is tracking Corbeau. Ronnie gives Louvette Corbeau (Paulette Goddard) a ring, and she says her father came back. Corbeau shoots two Mounties, though Riell objects. Tod spanks Louvette, but Jim stops it and warns Ronnie about her. April brings in the wounded Mountie, who says they had a Gatling gun. Dusty helps April hitch her horses and goes with her against Jim's orders, taking Tod along. Dusty asks the government of Riell to help him arrest Corbeau for murder. Duroc and Tod threaten to shoot each other. At the camp of Chief Big Bear (Walter Hampden) Jim debates Corbeau. Dusty and Tod are brought in captured. Jim keeps Corbeau from killing Dusty and takes a medallion from Big Bear. Dusty gets released to fight a gun duel with Corbeau, who shows off the Gatling gun instead.

Jim posts Mounties Ronnie and Jerry (Regis Toomey) as lookouts. A squaw warns April, who tells Louvette to save Ronnie. Louvette goes to him and says they must marry. Ronnie goes with her, and Jerry is shot with arrows. Louvette lets Indians capture Ronnie so he won't be killed. Mounties are ambushed with the Gatling gun. Dusty and Jim fight too. Inspector Cabot is shot. April treats the wounded, and Ronnie is blamed. Cabot puts Jim in charge and dies. Jim says he will get Ronnie and leads a patrol to Big Bear's camp as the fort burns. Dusty helps April transport the wounded in canoes until relief troops arrive. Dusty asks her to go to Texas. Corbeau shows Big Bear the red coats and asks him to go to war; but Jim and six Mounties arrive. Corbeau wants to kill them, but Big Bear stops him. Jim arrests Corbeau and gives Big Bear his medallion back. Dusty releases the canoes and wrecks the Gatling gun. He finds Louvette with Ronnie and gets him to go back on his horse; but Louvette got an Indian to shoot the man on the horse. Dusty brings Ronnie back dead and says Ronnie got the Gatling gun. April embraces Dusty. A knife from Dusty helps Corbeau escape, and Dusty takes him. Jim and April join them; but she says she is staying with Jim.

De Mille's extravaganza adds a fictional Texas Ranger to provide an American hero to help the British empire, reflecting its current need for American military assistance.

Copyright © 2002 by Sanderson Beck

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