Northwest Trail
Encyclopedia
Northwest Trail is a 1945 American contemporary Northwestern film directed by Derwin Abrahams shot in Cinecolor
at Lake Hemet
, California. It stars Bob Steele
, Joan Woodbury
and Madge Bellamy
making a comeback appearance in her final film.
(RCMP) Trooper O'Brien assists Kate Owens when her car breaks down. Upon arrival at headquarters, his Inspector-in-charge assigns him to escort Kate to visit her Uncle in Morgan's Post located in the backwoods. As there are no roads to the area the two must travel by horse. O'Brien has two other tasks when he arrives; to discover why RCMP Sergeant Means has not filed a report in months and to investigate the complaint of Poodles Hanneford who alleges that the river going through his property has been blocked off and he has been fired upon when investigating.
What begins as a screwball comedy film
between the witty Kate and straight laced Mountie takes many unexpected turns when a rider steals Kate's suitcase that contains $20,000 but the rider is found shot to death with the money missing. Upon arrival in Morgan's Post Sgt Means chastises O'Brien for his incompetence and orders him back to headquarters.
Cinecolor
Cinecolor was an early subtractive color-model two color film process, based upon the Prizma system of the 1910s and 1920s and the Multicolor system of the late 1920s and 1930s. It was developed by William T. Crispinel and Alan M...
at Lake Hemet
Lake Hemet
Lake Hemet is a water storage reservoir located in the San Jacinto Mountains in Riverside County, California, with a capacity of of water. It was created in 1895 with the construction of the Hemet Dam, and is owned and operated by the Lake Hemet Municipal Water District .- Facts and statistics...
, California. It stars Bob Steele
Bob Steele (actor)
Bob Steele was an American actor. He was born Robert Adrian Bradbury in Portland, Oregon, into a vaudeville family. After years of touring, the family settled down in Hollywood in the late 1910s, where his father, Robert N...
, Joan Woodbury
Joan Woodbury
Joan Woodbury was an American actress beginning in the 1930s and continuing well into the 1960s.-Early life, entrance into acting:...
and Madge Bellamy
Madge Bellamy
Madge Bellamy was an American film actress who was a popular leading lady in the 1920s and early 1930s. Her career declined in the sound era, and ended following a romantic scandal in the 1940s.-Early life:...
making a comeback appearance in her final film.
Plot
Royal Canadian Mounted PoliceRoyal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
(RCMP) Trooper O'Brien assists Kate Owens when her car breaks down. Upon arrival at headquarters, his Inspector-in-charge assigns him to escort Kate to visit her Uncle in Morgan's Post located in the backwoods. As there are no roads to the area the two must travel by horse. O'Brien has two other tasks when he arrives; to discover why RCMP Sergeant Means has not filed a report in months and to investigate the complaint of Poodles Hanneford who alleges that the river going through his property has been blocked off and he has been fired upon when investigating.
What begins as a screwball comedy film
Screwball comedy film
The screwball comedy is a principally American genre of comedy film that became popular during the Great Depression, originating in the early 1930s and thriving until the early 1940s. It is characterized by fast-paced repartee, farcical situations, escapist themes, and plot lines involving...
between the witty Kate and straight laced Mountie takes many unexpected turns when a rider steals Kate's suitcase that contains $20,000 but the rider is found shot to death with the money missing. Upon arrival in Morgan's Post Sgt Means chastises O'Brien for his incompetence and orders him back to headquarters.
Cast
- Bob SteeleBob Steele (actor)Bob Steele was an American actor. He was born Robert Adrian Bradbury in Portland, Oregon, into a vaudeville family. After years of touring, the family settled down in Hollywood in the late 1910s, where his father, Robert N...
as RCMP Matt O'Brien - Joan WoodburyJoan WoodburyJoan Woodbury was an American actress beginning in the 1930s and continuing well into the 1960s.-Early life, entrance into acting:...
as Kate Owens - John LitelJohn LitelJohn Litel was an American film actor. During World War I, Litel enlisted in the French Army and was twice decorated for bravery....
as Sergeant Means - Raymond HattonRaymond HattonRaymond William Hatton was an American movie actor who appeared in almost five hundred movies, including a stint of being paired in 1920s comedies with Wallace Beery....
as Morgan - Madge BellamyMadge BellamyMadge Bellamy was an American film actress who was a popular leading lady in the 1920s and early 1930s. Her career declined in the sound era, and ended following a romantic scandal in the 1940s.-Early life:...
as Mrs. Yeager - Ian KeithIan Keith-Life and career:Born Keith Ross in Boston, Massachusetts, Ian Keith was a veteran character actor of the legitimate theater, and appeared in a variety of colorful roles in silent features of the 1920s. His stage training made him a natural choice for the new "talking pictures"; he played John...
as Inspector McGrath - George MeekerGeorge MeekerGeorge Meeker was an American character movie and Broadway actor who became more of a legend off-camera than on. Meeker made several movies such as Crime Inc. , and Thief in the Dark and played an uncredited part in All Through the Night .Meeker has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.-External...
as Whitey Yeager - Charles B. MiddletonCharles B. MiddletonCharles B. Middleton was an American stage and film actor. During a film career that began at age 46 and lasted almost 30 years, Charles Middleton appeared in nearly two hundred films as well as numerous plays...
as Pierre - John HamiltonJohn Hamilton (actor)John Hamilton was an American actor, who appeared in many movies and television programs. He is probably best remembered for his role as the blustery newspaper editor Perry White on the 1950s television program Adventures of Superman.-Biography:Burly, stentorian-voiced John Hamilton was born John...
as John Owens - Poodles Hanneford as Poodles Hanneford
- Gracie Hanneford as Jill Hanneford