Belle of the Yukon

Although the plot of Belle of the Yukon is so tired that its not worth recounting (but isn't this true of most old musicals?), this gorgeously technicolored musical/western has some pleasing elements of interest for fans of 1940's nostalgia. The young, brunette Dinah Shore (with an eye-poppingly voluptuous figure) sings beautifully two lovely standards, "Like Someone in Love," and "Sleighride in July." What a warm, pleasing voice she had. One of the all-time great singers. Her blonde, blue-eyed love interest, William Marshall, is so ridiculously pretty that he looks like a vintage comic book hero come to life. Gypsy Rose Lee is relaxed and fun with her foot-high pompadours and Belle Epoque gowns by Don Loper, and a very handsome Randolph Scott is clearly enjoying himself.

Definitely it wasn't fit as a true western as supposed to be, a Musical maybe or a Comedy, certainly it was all them, mixing three genres at once, a colorful picture on the exact meaning of the word, set at Yukon on gold rush it's really enjoyable, not Randolph Scott's trademark who plays a honest Saloon's owner John Calhoun with big stage set to present dancing girls and fabulous brunette singer as Lettie Candless (Dinah Shore) when arrive his newest hired star Belle De Valle (Gypsy Rose Lee) an old acquaintance of Calhoun, the plot is bit silly, however works, there are several gorgeous girls, plenty humor in every single scene, although no action at all, but easy to see, the songs are outdated by now, nevertheless it doesn't hurt anyone, the power trio Charles Winninger as Pop, Guinn Williams as rough Sherriff and the newcomer Bob Burns as Sam Slade bringing together an outstanding performance and became the movie palatable for all tastes!!

Resume:

First watch: 2010 / How many: 2 / Source: DVD / Rating: 6.5

Seriously, the costuming in this film is over-the-top but inspired. It helps that it's in brilliant Technicolor.

But this film is plagued by a story that is uneven. And by overacting.

The story takes place in the Yukon and features Randolph Scott as a conman gone straight. Gypsy Rose Lee is the new featured performer in his saloon. Dinah Shore comes up short (acting and singing) as the featured songstress. She may be the only one who underacts.

You might be able to figure out who double-crosses who, but I'm guessing you will eventually give up because you don't care. Better to sit back and enjoy the fashion.

Colorful minor musical is of interest mostly as a chance to get a glimpse of Gypsy Rose Lee in one of her few movie appearances. She offers a pleasant performance, nothing special but full of personality. It also has some eye popping costumes in vivid Technicolor and Gypsy's hair is done up in some truly gravity defying styles throughout. Dinah Shore doesn't make much of an impression, her high sweet thin voice is put to service on some forgettable songs but in the acting department she is woeful. Fortunately the supporting cast of old pros is there to prop up the shaky leads with Florence Bates, usually cast as stuffy matrons, fun as Gypsy's flashy traveling companion.

There weren't many Technicolor movies made during World War II because of military needs, but Hollywood generated a few. A 1944 RKO Radio Picture with a title like BELLE of the YUKON led me to expect a hootin' tootin' shootin' western yarn with an up-north setting. Wrong, McGee! This one is 75% musical comedy and 25% western, with big Broadway style production numbers rigged-up on the saloon stage. What you get is songs by Dinah Shore and Gypsy Rose Lee, quite a few running-gags, and a minor plot about a bank robbery. Almost no gunfire, no horseback chases, no real action.

The 3-strip Technicolor of 1944 yielded stunning photography, but do not look for it here. Hollywood studios were poor caretakers of their old movies and this one is badly faded. Call this Exhibit A about Hollywood's snow job to the public concerning the quality of sound and image on DVD's. What they did was a careful clean-up job on a very few old films (such as To Have and Have Not) in order to sell the concept. But that's done with. Now they give us DVD's with C- to D+ quality, no better and often worse than VHS.