Highly Overrated But Still Good

From my favorite movies..

Fantastic!

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

The Opening Scene of a Submarine Crashing through the Frozen Surface, and later, an Avalanche, are the Only Highlights in this Dull, Badly Acted, Poorly Written Propaganda Picture. One Guesses it was a Nod to America's Neighbors to the North for Their War Effort. A Handshake and a Friendly Slap on the Back.But this Errol Flynn and War Bond Vehicle, Directed by His Friend Raoul Walsh, who was more Tolerant of Flynn's Drinking and other Non Professionalisms than most, is a Goofy Adventure that is Snowbound as well as Studio Bound but was Bound to make Money for the War Bonds.Unintentionally Humorous at times and some of the Intended Humor is Embarrassing (the stereotypical miser McBain ). The Story is so Far Fetched Interest Wanes. It's a Stiff Looking Film that despite its Wide Open Wilderness Setting, comes off as a Claustrophobic, Constrained Clunker that was Forgotten Immediately and remains in the Periphery when Propaganda, War, or Errol Flynn Movies are Considered.

As anticipated, Errol Flynn typically brought down the house with his last line: "What am I saying?", while glancing at the audience, after cheerfully agreeing that his new bride Laura(Julie Bishop) is the only girl he ever loved. This was part of a running gag, as Laura's notoriously frugal Scottish father (Alec Craig) had just done this line, after agreeing to pay for the expensive wedding reception.How very ironic that Helmut Dantine: former leader of the anti-Nazi activists of Hitler's former hometown: Vienna, should be fated to play evil Nazi leaders in several war propaganda -slanted Hollywood films released during WWII.Presumably, the take home message for contemporary audiences was that North Americans had better be wary of Axis spies and sabotage attempts, even in the heartland, which was directly reachable by Nazi U boats, via Hudson's Bay. Also, Americans and Canadians of rather recent German immigrants should be kept under surveillance as potential spies and saboteurs. In fact, there was a Nazi-worshipping organization in the USA, although it deemphasized its support of Germany after Hitler declared war on the US. Fortunately, history proved such fears unfounded. In fact, it seems remarkable that Nazi and Japanese attempts at sabotage in North America, either by residents there or by outsiders, were virtually non-existent. In this respect, the message of this film seems very dated, as of no real relevance to the war. The far-fetched details of the screen-play also don't help a possible recommendation of this film.The screenplay begins with a Nazi submarine surfacing near an ice-choked western shore of Hudson's Bay, offloading a number of airmen, who somehow walk across the treacherous floating chunks of ice, to the shore, with skis, for a 5 day trip over snow to an abandoned mine shaft in northern Saskatchewan, where pieces of a bomber have been stored in crates since before WWII began.(Never mind that Hitler never expected to have to fight the British Commonwealth and France, in his goal to conquer the USSR!). Just how these crates were transported to this mine, hidden among mining equipment, is not apparent, as this area is now accessible overland in winter only by foot.The fliers are soon met by a local contact, who brings them instructions from an agent from the US(Gene Lockhart, as Ernst Willis), as well as Native American guides, who are promptly dispatched when they refuse to guide the party over a dangerous pass in the Canadian Rockies(which have been magically transposed to near the shore of Hudson's Bay!). The Germans are served poetic justice when all except their leader and pilot, Dantine, soon die in an(unrealistically -staged) avalanche, as the NAs had feared. Dantine skis on until near death from exhaustion and cold, burying his instruction packet in the snow. Mounties Wagner(Flynn) and Jim, inexplicably wandering around in this wilderness, find Dantine and transport him to their cabin. Wearing a German flier's uniform, they arrest him as a prisoner of war. However, discovering that Wagner is of recent German decent, Dantine tries to recruit him as an accomplice. Wagner comes under suspicion at headquarters as he dallies in bringing Dantine in. Wagner quits the Mounties, since they are suspicious of his loyalty, and is arrested after flattening several Mounties and damning Canada. Meanwhile, Dantine is sent to an internment camp, from which he soon escapes with a fresh set of German fliers. Willis bails Wagner out of jail, then asks him to help guide him to the mine, first by train, which they jump off, then by foot. Later, it's clear that Willis and Dantine suspect Wagner is still a RCMP agent, pretending to cooperate with them(even though the regional RCMP don't seem to know anything about this!). Wagner's girlfriend unexpectedly shows up(arranged by Willis for his own purpose). Dantine eventually kills Willis and Jim, who is lurking near the camp. They move on to the mine and put the bomber together(mere child's play!). Wagner now starts stealthily killing the Germans, one by one, then masquerades as one of the crew(very unlikely!), killing the crew as they fly toward their bombing target, causing the plane to spin out of control. A wounded Wagner parachutes to 'safety', somewhere in the wilderness.(How he survives a walk back to an outpost of civilization is left unexplored!). The film ends with a celebration of Wagner's accomplishment and marriage to Laura.It's difficult to give an overall assessment of this film. Obviously the screenplay has many gaping plausibility problems. If you're willing to overlook these, it's a cleverly assembled cat and mouse drama with a message. Although never specified, the clues given suggest the bombing target was the Soo Locks between Lakes Superior and Huron, far to the southeast of the mine. This was a complicated and very unlikely way to achieve that goal. A much simpler way would have been to load a ship with explosives and detonate them while in the lock(True, suicidal for the crew).The light bomber shown was a Lockheed Hudson, many of which were shipped in parts to the RAF in crates and assembled there, mainly used for anti-submarine operations, training, and surveillance. One was previously featured in "Desperate Journey", also starring Flynn.

I won't bother giving a synopsis of the story, as everyone else posting here has already done so. This is a very watchable and somewhat typical WWII anti-Nazi Hollywood propaganda film. Errol Flynn is almost always fun to watch, and the film moves along in a fairly brisk manner. The main problem I have with it, is when you find out in the last 20 minutes or so what the goal of the Nazi's is. As an avid film buff, I understand that you have to often go along with a film, suspending disbelief at various plot devices, but this was, to quote the title of a more recent war film, "A Bridge Too Far" (sorry, I couldn't resist). The idea that the Germans, years before the start of WWII would ship bomber parts to Canada to be stashed away for use later, that a small handful of German POWs could be rounded up that know how to put it together (including hydraulics, electronics, etc.), well, you get the picture. If the big plot revelation at the end had been more believable, I'd have given it a higher rating, as it's well made and enjoyable, with Flynn giving yet another of his cheeky performances.

I can understand the purpose of propaganda movies during WWII. It would be good if they were at least accurately presented! Errol Flynn portrays an undercover RCMP Corporal in pursuit of a Nazi pilot ultimately intent on bombing the St. Lawrence Seaway.This movie is set in "the frozen north" of Canada. We find out, eventually, that the setting is near The Pas, Manitoba in August of 1943 (a prisoner release document reveals this fact). If we are to buy into the story to start with, maybe we should deal with the credibility of the setting! The Pas is in the upper plains of Manitoba near the Saskatchewan border. So why do we see mushing huskies traversing mountainous terrain? There are no mountains within a thousand miles of The Pas and in August, the climate would be very summer-like. I'm sure Canadians who viewed the movie originally would have been quite amused! Throw in a paper thin plot, a laughable romantic red herring and you have a pretty awful movie. If the idea was to induce movie-goers to buy war bonds, I doubt if a nickle was collected based on this bummer!