In 1939 following the success at cinema box offices of films featuring the the British Empire such as 'The Four Feathers' and 'Gunga Din,' Paramount Pictures decided to cash in on the current historical trend with an epic tale of the Northwest Mounted Police.

Directed by Cecil B. De Mille and based on R.C. Fetherston-Haugh's book 'Royal Canadian Mounted Police' the studio created a Technicolour epic by combining two themes which were bound to be a sure fire hit with the cinema going public.

At right, set sketch design by Dan Sayre Groesbeck.

By making the hero of the film a Texas Ranger who co-operates with Queen Victoria's red coated constabulary to arrest a gun runner, the script writers produced a film combining the imperial might of the British Empire with the adventure and romance of the Wild West.

'Northwest Mounted Police' was based on the Reil Rebellion of 1285 when discontent was simmering among the Sakatchewan Plains Indians due to the rapid disappearance of the buffalo. The Metis, an independent people of mixed Indian and French-Canadian blood had settled in the province and the half breeds along with the Crees felt threatened by the flood of settlers pouring west. Led by Louis Reil a forty year old half breed who had returned from exile in the U.S.A. the Metis and the Indians fearing that the Canadian government would drive them from their lands formed an alliance with the intention of mounting a rebellion against the Crown.

The Northwest Mounted Police were garrisoned in small detachments at forts and posts across the prairies. The revolt began when the Metis seized the trading post at Duck Lake and demanded the surrender of the garrison at Fort Carlton. Fifty six Mounties and forty three Prince Albert Volunteers with a seven pound cannon under the command of Superintendent Crozier marched out to arrest the dissidents and rode into the middle of a Metis ambush. The Fort Carlton contingent was outnumbered three to one and although they fought bravely against the rebels, when the skrmish came to an end, a quarter of the force had been killed or wounded.

The Movie

Cecil B. DeMille based his film on the ambush at Duck Lake. A basic script was outlined by the director under the title of 'The Royal Canadian Mounted' and was later changed to 'Scarlet Riders' when it was handed over to a team of writers including Alan Le May, Jesse Lasky Jr. and C. Gardner Sullivan to be licked into shape.

The Canadian authorities and the RCMP approved of the project and the director's associate producer Bill Pine spent most of the year scouting out location sites in Canada. The Mounties provided Major G.F.Griffith of the RCIP and police veteran George Pringle of the NWMP to act as technical advisors on the film.

Just as Cecil B. De Mille was about to start shooting, the director was informed by Paramount's executives that their accountants had decided against filming on location as they reckoned that the cos to the studio's first Technicolour film would exceed its budget. By filming in Hollywood using sets to resemble the backwoods of Saskatchewan, the company would save $62,000.

The director, forced to recreate the wilds of Canada in Califomia, hired Dan Sayre Roebuck to design the stage sets and began transporting more than 300 pine trees three feet in diameter to the studios by truck which were replanted on a three acre backlot. Two dozen loudspeakers were also concealed in the set designer's woods to make it easier for Cecil B. De Mille to give his cast directions while a ranger was employed to patrol the newly planted forest to prevent fires and keep inquisitive seagulls from roosting among the pines while the cameras were rolling.

Additional scenes were shot around Eugene in Oregon and edited in by Anne Bauchens who had worked with the director for over thirty years to give cinema audiences the illusion that the story was taking place in the great outdoors.

Joel McCrea, who had just completed 'Union Pacilc' for the director, had originally been earmarked for the part of Texas Ranger Dusty Rivers, but the star had other commitments. Gary Cooper was signed up along with co-star Madeleine Carroll who had been contracted to play Anglican nurse April Logan.

The director' s main problem was to find an actress who could play the part of the Jacques Corbeau's wild untamed daughter Louvette. Marlene Dietrich and Rita Hayworth were considered, but the part of the volatile half breed finally went to Paulette Goddard who had been determined to play the role since the project had been announced by the studio.

Approaching the head of make up at Paramount's studios, Wally Westmore, the actress persuaded him to dye her hair black and tint her body brown while the costume department provided her with greasy buckskins. Marching in to Cecil B. De Mille's office the actress planted a moccasined foot firmly on his desk while casually flicking a bullwhip. The director was so impressed by her bold initative and untamed appearance that he immediately signed her up for the role of Louvette Corbeau. Accompanied by Victor Young's music score, the 'Northwest Mounted Police' opening credits were designed to appear over the RMCP bison's head badge mounted on a scarlet background followed by Cecil B. De Mille's narration setting the scene for the story which is about to unfold.

Plot

The rising of the Metis is about to flare up when Texas Ranger Dusky Rivers rides over the border into Canada in search of Jacques Corbeau who is wanted for murder in the LoneStar State. Inspector Cabot of the NWMP informs Dusty that Corbeau is also wanted in Canada and suggests that the police and the U.S. authorities co operate in apprehending the gun runner. The Texas Ranger decides to think it over and moves into the fort's barracks.

Sergeant Brett of the NWMP is in love with Anglican nurse Ppril Logan whose young brother Ronnie is also a Mountie and is infatuated with Jacques Corbeau's half breed daughter Louvette.

The rebellion begins and Jacques Corbeau plans to ambush the Mountie column using a Gatling gun. The renegade shows the machine gun to the Metis leader Louis Reil who after examining the lethal weapon states "Blood will run like water." Corbeau sadistically replies "Blood? You won't notice it much. The Mounted Police wear red coats."

Before the attack on the Mountie column, Constables Ronnie Logan and Jerry More are ordered to ride out to a cabin in the woods to keep watch for the rebels. The constables have been ordered to report back to the fort immediately should they see the Metis approaching but Constable Logan leaves his post to visit Louvette who ties hlm up to save the young policeman from being massacred along with the red coated column.

Constable More is shot full of arrows and the Mountie fort is attacked but Ranger Rivers saves April Logan by paddling the nurse away from danger in a birchbark canoe.

The Texas Ranger lassos the rebels Gatling and drags the machine gun down a steep slope so that it careens over a cliff and sinks like a stone to the bottom of the lake, saving the Mountie force from being completely wiped out.

Sergeant im Brett trails Jacques Corbeau to the camp of the Crees where he confronts the ruthless gun runner. The renegade urges the Indians to kill the n.c.o. but the sergeant overpowers Corbeau and handcuffs him. The Mountie offers a medal to Chief Big Bear on behalf of Queen Victoria asking the Indian if he considers himself worthy of the honour of wearing the Great White Mother's decoration. Impressed by the pony soldier's coolness and courage in the camp of his enemies the chief goes down on his knees and says 'The Crees are brothers to the brave'. Jacues Corbeau is turned over to Ranger Rivers so that he can be taken back to Texas and tried for murder.

The U.S. lawman who is in love with April makes his report to the inspector and in order to save her brother's reputation tells the police officer that it was Constable Logan who disposed of the Gatling gun.

Cast

The star-studded cast included George Bancroft as the rascally gun runner Jacques Corbeau, while Francis Mc Donald competently played the part of Louis Reil the courageous leader of the Metis.

Montagu Love, the sapper colonel in 'Gunga Din' appeared in the film as Inspector Cabot and Preston Foster played the stalwart Sergeant Brett. Robert Preston and Regis Toomey played Corporals Ronnie Logan and erry More while Robert Ryan who was to star as Inspector Gannon in 'The Canadians' twenty one years later appeared briefly in the role of Constable Dumont.

Blue-eyed Walter Hampden had to be fitted with $500 contact lenses to play the Cree chief Big Bear while a real Indian Tom Hightree whose war cries made such a blood curling sound during the ambush scene that the director halted the cameras. Requesting the enthusastic warrior to tone them down, Cecil B. De Mille pointed out to the Navajo that although he was re-enacting a massacre, it would be wise to modify his war whoops to prevent the picture going public from being frightened out of their cinema seats.

Akim Tamiroff and Lynn Overman the duo who had been a hit with audiences in 'Union Pacific' were reunited in 'Northwest Mounted Police' to provide the film's comic relief. The pair appeared in the roles of French-Canadian Dan Duroc and Scotsman Tod McDuff complete with hand knitted Tam O'Shanter and ginger side whiskers. The two character actors played the parts of backwoodsmen who worked for the NWMP as interpreters and scouts.

Premier

When it was premiered in November 1940, the full colour posters advertised the film as 'The Mightiest Adventure-Romance Ever!' The sub-heading beneath the advertising department's main eye-catching slogan proclaimed '1000 unforgettable thrills.'

On it's release the film did not please the cinema critics who thought the sets were claustrophobic and the story poorly scripted but 'Northwest Mounted Police' was regarded as value for money by the public who flocked to see it. The rich Technicolour film turned out to be be one of the top six box office hits of the year and coined in a fortune for Paramount winning five Academy Award nominations in the process.

Cecil B.DeMille had created a cinematic tribute to the red coated Mounties of the 1830's who enforced their motto 'Maintain the Right' as they policed the Canadian plains for seventy f1ve cents a day. Paramount Pictures Technicolour epic 'Northwest Mounted Police' had brought a little known episode of Canadian history to audiences all over the world and increased the reputation of the already legendary RCMP.

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