Kirby Grant and Chinook in the Royal Mounted Police Movies

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Kirby Grant starred in a series of Mountie films with "Chinook," a white German shepherd. Each film featured a mixture of adventure and mystery plots set in the wild Northwest territory of Canada. Grant played Corporal Roy Webb, a very personable officer of the Royal Mounted Police who traveled nowhere without his heroic companion Chinook. All of the stories featured Webb being assigned to a district to investigate a murder, robbery, or other crime. Usually when he arrives, he dons the garbs of the local folk and tries to weedle information from the suspects while incognito. 

The 10 films, released by Monogram Pictures, are all less than 70-minutes each and are very entertaining... even though they follow the same formula and tend to be forgotten within a week after watching. This formula included having the crime take place within the first three minutes of the film, Corporal Webb being assigned to the case, another murder to follow shortly after, Webb or Chinook being attacked and later recovering, a chase through the woods and over lots of large boulders, and finally, Webb catching his man... as all good Mounties are told to do. 

All of the Chinook films were based on novels written by James Oliver Curwood who, oddly enough, was not a former Mountie but rather a reporter who was hired by the Canadian government to tour Canada and write about the land to encourage tourism. Whether his stories helped to increase tourism is unknown, but they certainly made Curwood famous! He became one of the most popular adventure writers in the world and the highest paid writer of his era. 

The action in these pictures is better than most B-films and the stories keep you guessing. Sometimes the criminal is obvious and other times it is someone surprising like the kindly shopkeeper, the man who called the police in the first place (a clever way to divert suspicion), or even the sweet young woman whom Corporal Webb was beginning to fall in love with. The action scenes don't hold back on the grisly attacks either.... sometimes Webb gets shot, Chinook gets roughed up by a lone wolf or a mean hunter, or even the hero of the story might get killed suddenly. 

Kirby Grant does a wonderful job of playing the heroic Mountie and Chinook is good in the role, too, although he doesn't have the acting chops of Lassie. The series provided some B-actors with jobs and occasionally featured players who went on to more fame, such as Martha Hyer. 

Here are some short plot summaries to each of the films:

Trail of the Yukon (1949) 

In retaliation for jumping their mining claim, Matt Blaine and his son rob Dawson's Bank. While escaping, the men they hired to help them double-cross them and kill Matt. Corporal McDonald (he later became Webb) is then sent on the case to recover the bank's money and solve the murder. 

The Wolf Hunters (1949)

Four fur trappers have been slain and their furs stolen from them, so Corporal Webb investigates and saves the life of a fifth trapper enroute. Chinook has the only clue to the killer, a torn piece of cloth from the man's coat. Edward Norris and Helen Parrish star. 

Snow Dog (1950)

A fur-trapper and his sister help Corporal Webb track down a killer wolf while searching for their late uncle's treasure which is supposedly hidden in the woods. Elena Verdugo and Milburn Stone star.

Call of the Klondike (1950) 

Men are disappearing near an abandoned gold mine and Colonel Webb is sent to investigate. He finds a disgruntled foreigner causing trouble and the bodies of two of the men who went missing. Tom Neal and Anne Gwynne star. 

Yukon Manhunt (1951)

Payrolls from a mining camp are being stolen enroute to the men, so Corporal Webb is called in to help discover who could be robbing the payroll deliveries. Gail Davis, Margaret Field and Rand Brooks star.

Northwest Territory (1951)

Corporal Webb escorts recently orphaned Billy to his grandfather Pop Kellogg who lives in the woods of the Northwest Territory but finds Pop murdered and his "worthless" stake in land being scouted by a number of suspicious characters. Warren Douglas and Gloria Saunders star. 

Yukon Gold (1952)

The owner of a gambling saloon in the Klondike is tied in with a recent murder and Webb is sent to investigate. Martha Hyer and Frances Charles star. 

Fangs of the Arctic (1953)

A trapper is killed in Blackfoot Crossing territory and illegal beaver pelts are being smuggled out. Webb disguises himself as a trapper and investigates as more bodies pile up...including his new deputy. Warren Douglas and Lorna Hansen star. 

Northern Patrol (1953)

Corporal Webb hunts for the killer of a man who supposedly committed suicide in his cabin and gets tied up in a love triangle in the process. William Phipps, Marian Carr star. 

Yukon Vengeance (1954)

Corporal Webb travels to the wilds of Bear Creek to investigate the murders of three mail carriers, all of whom were mauled by a bear. Webb goes undercover as a mail carrier to see if the "bear" is of the two-footed variety. Monte Hale and Mary Ellen Kay star. 

All of the Kirby Grant and Chinook films have been beautifully restored and released by Warner Archives on DVD in three volumes.

Film Albums: The Victors and Other Themes by the Frank Chacksfield Orchestra

Frank Chacksfield has long been one of my favorite conductors. His name on an album pretty much guarantees that you are in for a good listening experience. Mr. Chacksfield was a British conductor/composer/organist who was very popular in the 1960s and he had numerous albums, most of which featured the latest film and television themes. 

One of my all-time favorites is "The Music from King of Kings and Other Film Spectaculars" but this one, "The Victors and Other Themes," is running a close second. The reason? The variety of the music for one thing. This album features romantic dance music (The Victors), slow violin music (The V.I.P.S/Days of Wine and Roses/David and Lisa), upbeat catchy melodies (8 1/2), gentle bossa novas (A New Kind of Love) and sweeping love songs (The Cardinal). Secondly, those gorgeous string sections! Frank Chacksfield had a large orchestra and he liked to put the string sections to good use, so if you like light orchestral string music, you'll love this album. 

Click here to listen to the full album on Youtube. 

Track Listing

The Victors - My Special Dream 

Cabinet of Caligary - Sounds of the Night

Divorce Italian Style - Theme 

The VIP's - The Willow

Days of Wine and Roses - Theme 

8 ½' - Theme

From Russia with Love

A New Kind of Love- Theme

Mondo Cane - More 

Toys in the Attic - Theme

David and Lisa - Love Song

The Cardinal - Main Theme

Top Picks: The Victors, Cabinet of Caligary, A New Kind of Love, Mondo Cane, David and Lisa

The Impossibly Difficult Name that Movie Game

We have a real easy screenshot to share for this month's Impossibly Difficult Name that Movie Game.... that is, if you have seen the film. If not, then it will be difficult for you! 

As always, if you are not familiar with the rules to the Impossibly Difficult Name that Movie game or the prize, click here!

From the Archives: Rome Adventure (1962)

In this original publicity photo for Rome Adventure (1962), Rossano Brazzi and Suzanne Pleshette are engrossed in "Lovers Must Learn," the novel that Rome Adventure was based on. 

From the Archives is our latest series of posts where we share photos from the Silverbanks Pictures collection. Some of these may have been sold in the past, and others may still be available for purchase at our eBay store: http://stores.ebay.com/Silverbanks-Pictures

Gidget Goes to Rome (1963)

"Gidget Goes to Rome....and it was never like home!"

After riding the waves in Malibu and basking in the Hawaiian sun, our favorite Southern California beach girl, Gidget, traded in her surfboard for a passport and embarked on her most exciting journey yet—a trip to Rome!  In Gidget Goes to Rome (1963), Francesca "Gidget" Lawrence (now played by Cindy Carol) explores the Eternal City with her ever-doting boyfriend Moondoggie (James Darren) and the "gang" from back home. 

Rome proves to be the perfect playground for Gidget's romantic and cultural escapades. She gets to marvel at the Colosseum, daydream in the Roman Forum, toss coins into the Trevi Fountain, and also find time to go over the deep end for a sophisticated Italian magazine writer, Paolo (Cesare Danova), who claims to be writing an article about an American girl's impressions of Rome. He is really keeping an eye on her as a favor to her father, an old war buddy, but poor Gidge doesn't realize this. 

Jeff aka "Moondoggie" takes Gidget's romantic fling in stride because he has fallen in love himself - with Daniela (Danielle DeMetz), the group's curvaceous tour guide.  

"Everyone falls in love in Rome, Jeff. It is our national pastime - like your baseball."

While Gidget and Moondoggie adjust to their new pairings, she also gets involved in a series of comedic mishaps, all set against the stunning backdrop of a postcard-perfect Italy. The film captures a breezy, early-1960s ideal of international travel—where every piazza is picturesque and romance is always just around the corner. This was a dream trip that every college student at the time wanted to take. 

Gidget Goes to Rome plays like a Technicolor travelogue, making full use of its on-location shooting in Italy. Director Paul Wendkos, who helmed all three Gidget films, gives audiences a delightful tour of Rome’s most iconic landmarks, from the Spanish Steps to St. Peter’s Basilica.

The sights aren't the only dazzling part of the film—the wardrobe is just as eye-catching. The girls get to wear gorgeous Fontana fashions, and a highlight of the film is the elegant fashion show sequence at the legendary Fontana studio where Gidget accidentally stumbles onto the runway. 

Cindy Carol, who steps into the shoes of Sandra Dee and Deborah Walley, plays Gidget with a sprightly flair all her own. Gidget Goes to Rome was the first Gidget film that I watched as a young girl and the movie - as well as Cindy Carol's performance in it - still remain my favorite in the series. Who can resist the catchy title song by James Darren, too? 

Joby Baker returns as Jeff's pal Judge, while Peter Brooks, Noreen Corcoran, and Trudi Ames round out the cast as Gidget's travelling companions. Of course, no Gidget movie would be complete without parental intervention, and this time it’s in the form of the not-so-watchful chaperone Aunt Albertina played by the wig-swapping Jessie Royce Landis.

Gidget Goes to Rome is a typical light-hearted romance adventure that was perfectly in step with the beach-party films and globetrotting romances of the era. It’s a breezy farewell to the Gidget film series and well worth a watch. Just don’t expect too many waves—this time, the only surfing Gidget does is through the winding streets of Rome.

Mary, Mary (1963)

Mary, Mary is one of those titles that I have heard about for years but never watched for the simple reason that I could not find a decent version to view. It never played on television, never had a VHS release, and never was put on DVD.... that is, until Warner Archives issued it several years ago. That wonderful Warner Archives series - that sadly was put to rest. 

Anyway, after years of hearing the name of this movie but never watching it, I can say that when I did finally see it, it did not disappoint. In fact, it is quite a charming comedy and I'll probably watch it again this week. 

Barry Nelson and Debbie Reynolds star as Bob and Mary, a recently divorced couple who are brought together again for one afternoon by their lawyer Oscar (Hiram Sherman) who - for tax purposes - wants them to itemize their expenses from the previous few years. Bob, a publisher, is about to wed Tiffany, a wealthy heiress ten years his junior. He is aghast at the thought of seeing Mary again since he only recently began to quench his anger towards her. 

Mary on the other hand, is pleased to be reunited with Bob, if only for a brief moment. She arrives looking fresh and well-dressed after having a makeover ("You look like a million bucks, Mary" Oscar declares) and quickly catches the eye of Hollywood actor Dirk Winston (Michael Rennie) who stops by Bob's apartment to discuss his new manuscript. This is when Bob begins to feel pangs of jealousy and realizes how much he misses Mary. Naturally, by this time the audience can guess that the story is leading to a reconciliation of Bob and Mary. 

Mary, Mary was based on a stage play of the same name by Jean Kerr (Please Don't Eat the Daisies) which was surprisingly long-running. It premiered in 1961 and ran until 1964 (1,572 performances) making it the most long-running non-musical play of the 1960s. This is surprising because it is a long script which made for an equally long film - 126 minutes. Director Mervyn LeRoy enjoyed the play in New York and thought it would make a great film. He wanted to retain the entire Broadway cast which included Barry Nelson, Barbara Bel Geddes, Michael Rennie and Hiram Sherman for the film adaptation. Jack Warner of Warner Brothers quickly gave him the greenlight for go but also slapped him with two conditions - that Debbie Reynolds get the lead and Diane McBain, the studio's newly groomed ingenue, play Bob's fiancée Tiffany. Both proved to be excellent casting choices. 

"I married Mary because she was so direct and straightforward and said exactly what she meant" - Bob

"Why did you divorce her?" - Oscar

"Because she was so direct and straightforward and said exactly what she meant!"

It would have been nice if the film adaptation was less stage bound then it turned out to be but most of the script was set in Bob's apartment so that is where the majority of the movie takes place. This apartment set - and the few other sets - was designed by John Beckman.

If you are not a fan of talkative New York comedies, stay clear of this one - it's a mouthful - but if you enjoy a witty wordy comedy then you'll find Mary, Mary to be a treat. Jean Kerr's script is highly amusing and an excellent character study of two distinctly different personalities. 

Through the course of one day, as Bob and Mary's discuss each other's faults, they come to realize their own. They also see their weaknesses and strengths. Bob is irritatingly sensible in everything he does, and Mary is a storehouse of wisecracks and flippant remarks. During their five-year marriage, each thought that their partner had a low opinion of each other. Mary thought that Bob considered her plain and uninteresting, yet he never expressed his feelings for her because he thought she would respond with a snide remark.... something she thought Bob expected of her, "You decided right at the beginning that I was the airy type impervious to wind and weather and small disappointments."

It is the presence of Bob's neighbor, actor Dirk Winston, that turns these characters thoughts to introspection. Dirk reveals to Mary how insecure she is and also reveals to Bob that he is the cause of it. All of these simmering emotions come to a boil when Dirk asks Mary to join him on a flight to New Orleans for a publicity tour. Then we witness a classic gather-all-the-cast-in-one-room finale reminiscent of the 1930s screwball films. 

Mary, Mary is little-known and rarely shown these days in spite of Debbie Reynolds name on the credits. This is most likely due to its 2-hour plus runtime (it could have easily been shaved by 25 minutes). If it does air on television however, it is worth watching. Barry Nelson gives a tour-de-force performance of Bob, a character he undoubtedly became after playing it for so long on stage. I wish he had appeared in more comedy films of the 1960s, he is so entertaining to watch. 

Debbie Reynolds was making her Hollywood return after her scandalous breakup with Eddie Fisher. She had her doubts that she could tackle a comedic role like this but, with the aid of MGM's resident drama coach Lillian Burns Sydney, she did an excellent job. Debbie would plunge into another comedy the following year - Goodbye, Charlie - with Tony Curtis. 

Mary, Mary is currently available on Warner Archives DVD. 

The Impossibly Difficult Name that Movie Game

Shooting at air balloons.... it won't ever become a popular hobby, but oddly enough you will see men doing it in several films. Can you guess which film this gentleman with the yellow balloon appeared in?

As always, if you are not familiar with the rules to the Impossibly Difficult Name that Movie game or the prize, click here!