Western Wednesdays: North of Hudson Bay (1923)

I haven't posted in forever as I've been super busy with my new job. Christmas break has allowed me some much appreciated free time so. . .

     North of Hudson Bay was released by the Fox Film Corporation on November 18th, 1923. Directed by John Ford, it stars Tom Mix as Michael Dane, a Canadian man who sets out to join his brother when he strikes gold in the Hudson Bay. It is one of two Tom Mix films directed by Ford (the only one to survive).

      North of Hudson Bay is a partially lost film, with 40 of the 50 minutes surviving (that we know of). What remains is watchable, but the ending is rather abrupt. Dane's brother Peter is murdered, and his partner Angus (Will Walling) is framed for this by the real murderer, Cameron McDonald (Frank Campeau). MacDonald runs the local trading post and wants to cheat Peter and Angus out of their gold. His daughter Estelle meets Michael on the way to meet her father and both encounter Angus who has been sentenced to the "Death Trail" where he must wander through the frozen wastes until he dies.

     Micheal tries to protect Angus until he discovers that it's his brother he's accused of having murdered. As he has inherited his brother claim, McDonald tries to swindle and murder Micheal as well, using the same (overly complicated) device he used to murder Angus. Micheal discovers this duplicity and McDonald he is killed in a struggle, but Micheal is accused of his murder. A confused Estelle watches as he and Angus are set off on the Death Trail, now united in their plight. 

      Estelle, who had fallen for Micheal, discovers his innocence and sets off to save him but ends up needing saving herself when McDonald partners try to spirit her away. The climax is, sadly, truncated. It is unclear how Estelle initially escapes her captors and Micheal's rescue of her (as her canoe careens toward a waterfall) is hard to follow. The (extant) ending shows her being saved but cuts out the denouement where they (presumably) make it back to the trading post and embrace.

     John Ford's direction is strong. There is a real sense of atmosphere and occasionally, his usual dose of sentimentally, particularly the opening seen where Micheal bids farewell to his weeping mother. It's a little light on action for a Tom Mix vehicle (Tony isn't featured at all!) but the action there is is fairly well done. Tom fends off a pack of ravenous wolves who have cornered him and Angus in a cavern and his rescue of Estelle (though truncated) looks to have been exciting stuff in the original, completed version of the film. 

     Hopefully this film will be recovered  in its entirety some day but for now lets be grateful we have at least most of it available for public viewing.

Score: 6/10