JohnHowardReid
Executive producer: Sol Lesser. Copyright 11 September 1936 by Principal Productions, Inc. Released through 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. New York opening at the Globe: 28 September 1936. U.S. release: 11 September 1936. Australian release: 9 December 1936. 61 minutes. Re-issued by Films, Inc. under the title: ROMANCE OF THE ROYAL MOUNTED.NOTES: Re-made in 1940 as a Republic serial under the same original title. A feature cut-down entitled "Yukon Patrol" was released in 1941, whilst a sequel serial, "King of the Mounties", made its appearance in 1942.COMMENT: Filmed against grand locations in California's Sierra Mountains, this is a thrilling and fascinating version of the Grey story, well-produced, ingratiatingly acted and directed with surprising stylishness by the normally barely competent Howard Bretherton. The script provides some interesting characterizations for all the players, replete with realistic dialogue. Of the three principals, it's hard to pick who provides the most winning performance. The girl is charming, the hero most agreeably mock serious with a nice line in banter yet plenty of macho integrity when derring-do is called for. The villain is our favorite seedy suave guy, Alan Dinehart. The support cast, led by Frank McGlynn as a reformed miner, Arthur Loft as Dinehart's thuggish henchman and Grady Sutton as a desk-bound Mountie with a mission for action, is likewise solid. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking. California's Sierra Mountains prove a splendid substitute for the Canadian location in which Grey's story is supposedly set. So much so, it's a pity the movie was not photographed in color. Nonetheless, the action climax — spectacularly staged in appropriately rugged terrain — is most certainly our ideal blend of scenery, chase and retribution.This movie was suppressed by King Features Syndicate in order to accommodate the sale to Republic for the serial re-make. The present video, of otherwise excellent quality, has some unfortunate jump cuts at the climax where the one surviving print has been damaged — doubtless by continuous threading and re- threading for appreciative audiences who wanted to see it again and again.
leecozad
Gorgeous scenery, and breath-taking views. Probably filmed in or around the Sierras - possibly Lake Tahoe. Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl in the end. Sound familar? Well, this is still better than most of the Mountie films of the period.
