Belle of the Yukon

There weren't many Technicolor movies made during World War II because of military needs, but Hollywood generated a few. A 1944 RKO Radio Picture with a title like BELLE of the YUKON led me to expect a hootin' tootin' shootin' western yarn with an up-north setting. Wrong, McGee! This one is 75% musical comedy and 25% western, with big Broadway style production numbers rigged-up on the saloon stage. What you get is songs by Dinah Shore and Gypsy Rose Lee, quite a few running-gags, and a minor plot about a bank robbery. Almost no gunfire, no horseback chases, no real action.

The 3-strip Technicolor of 1944 yielded stunning photography, but do not look for it here. Hollywood studios were poor caretakers of their old movies and this one is badly faded. Call this Exhibit A about Hollywood's snow job to the public concerning the quality of sound and image on DVD's. What they did was a careful clean-up job on a very few old films (such as To Have and Have Not) in order to sell the concept. But that's done with. Now they give us DVD's with C- to D+ quality, no better and often worse than VHS.

Set in the days of the great Canadian Gold Rush, this rousing musical stars Randolph Scott as a "reformed" con artist-turned-dance hall owner whose girlfriend, singer Gypsy Rose Lee, tries to keep him on the straight and narrow. I really like this type of film, as it reminds me of French movies where it's more about the characters and their environment. It also reminds me of some of those sombre Chinese films that were popular back in the 1990. From an artistic standpoint, it holds its own. From an artistic standpoint, there were some plot elements and character developments I didn't think were totally needed. They do however drive the story, which seemed to be their purpose. 7 outta 10.

This is a weird Randolph Scott film, as it's not exactly a western (it's set in the Yukon, not the American west) and practically nothing really happens in the film! Seriously, it's a nice assemblage of characters and they act and interact but there really is very little tension and not much of a consistent plot. Odd, but still likable enough.

Aside from Scott, the film has a good collection of character actors. Guinn Williams plays a typical affable idiot (like he played in almost all his films), though where his character goes at the end of the film was VERY unlike his other roles. Dinah Shore is on hand to sing a few songs. Charles Winninger plays the usual Winninger type character. Robert Armstrong is kind of a villain....sort of. Now here's the odd one--Gypsy Rose Lee (the famous stripper) is Scott's love interest, though in this film she keeps her clothes on and shows no signs of her former career.

The plot, for what it is, is about all the characters. Scott, in an odd move, isn't even the main focus of the film--he's just there. While I could try to explain them and what they did, it seemed like the film makers just told everyone to wing it! There is some sort of plot near the very end about stolen gold, but it occupies very little of the film.

Overall, watchable and not a bad film...just not a really good one either.

Colorful minor musical is of interest mostly as a chance to get a glimpse of Gypsy Rose Lee in one of her few movie appearances. She offers a pleasant performance, nothing special but full of personality. It also has some eye popping costumes in vivid Technicolor and Gypsy's hair is done up in some truly gravity defying styles throughout. Dinah Shore doesn't make much of an impression, her high sweet thin voice is put to service on some forgettable songs but in the acting department she is woeful. Fortunately the supporting cast of old pros is there to prop up the shaky leads with Florence Bates, usually cast as stuffy matrons, fun as Gypsy's flashy traveling companion.

Seriously, the costuming in this film is over-the-top but inspired. It helps that it's in brilliant Technicolor.

But this film is plagued by a story that is uneven. And by overacting.

The story takes place in the Yukon and features Randolph Scott as a conman gone straight. Gypsy Rose Lee is the new featured performer in his saloon. Dinah Shore comes up short (acting and singing) as the featured songstress. She may be the only one who underacts.

You might be able to figure out who double-crosses who, but I'm guessing you will eventually give up because you don't care. Better to sit back and enjoy the fashion.