Back to God's Country

When Rock Hudson is critically injured it's his wife who fills in the leadership role in Back To God's Country with the help of a large Great Dane named Wapi. She has to because Hudson is critically injured with a broken leg as they make a dog sled run out of town.

They've got reason to want to get out of town. Hudson is a schooner captain who puts in at a river port in the Klondike and is afraid of getting iced in. But the local kingpin Steve Cochran who is a merchant among other things has taken a fancy to Hudson's wife Marcia Henderson who voyages with Hudson as part of the crew. Cochran creates a lot of subtle contrivances to keep them in his town that get less subtle as time goes on.

The MGM film All The Brothers Were Valiant was out at this time and I had a lot of trouble believing that Ann Blyth was on Robert Taylor's ship. The same here for Henderson though she's more equipped skill wise for ship duty.

The film descends into melodrama, but I did like the winter cinematography for Back To God's Country.

This film is set in the Canadian north. 'The Hollywood Reporter' described it as a somewhat placid yarn on the 22nd September 1953. 'Variety' deemed it okay on the 23rd September 1953, but its box office potential was doubtful. I agree.

I am sure that Joseph Pevney was a better director for this movie than it would have been by Douglas Sirk, who was at first supposed to direct. Sirk was a master for melodrama, as Alfred Hitchcock was for suspense and smooth terror. So for such a mostly outdoor adventure flick, Joseph Pevney was the best choice for Universal Studios; Nathan Juran or Jack Arnold could have perfectly made it too. It is a brilliant movie, with a shining Rock Hudson who was here in his rising period, straight to stardom. And Steve Cochran is so terrific in the villain role, a wonderful, juicy villain as we all like. Yes, a true excellent adventure film from Universal studios, even a remake of a silent film from 1919 that I saw a long time ago, and that I don't remember. And what a surprise to see here Rock Hudson - the good guy - fighting with his fists against the villain and LOSE THE FIGHT, lying on the carpet.... The same surprise as he showed in George Steven's GIANT where he was also involved in a fist fight and lost during the scene in the bar, against a strong man.

BACK TO GOD'S COUNTRY, based loosely on two silent films, leans on the strength of b-starlet Marcia Henderson, a personal favorite from curios like THE HYPNOTIC EYE and CANYON RIVER...

She saves both the picture and her ship captain husband, played by newly-famous heartthrob Rock Hudson, almost solely beaten-up by main menace Steve Cochran before unfairly teamed by Cochran and his more ambiguous partner-in-crime, a randomly crooning Hugh O'Brien...

A rather strange little adventure featuring a faithful killer dog and a confusing heist-plot involving a load of coveted cargo on Hudson's boat: one that must set sail before being frozen into dock, and much of the initial time's spent making up for the sheer loss of it: Rock and chubby partner Chubby Johnson go after two arrant sailors, who turn out being a red-herring distraction all along...

The second half has a severely injured, pill-popping Hudson being sledded around by his wife, yet it's never exactly clear why or where. Eventually, Cochran's on their trail... one sled after another.... but the best scenes had occurred back at the neat looking, matte-painted town during his dark-eyed attempt at seducing the assertive ingenue...

Henderson, far prettier without the caked-on, circus clown makeup, is a bland match for Hudson but has terrific anti-chemistry against Cochran, who outwardly looks the leading man but usually plays the heavy...

From cheating with Virginia Mayo first against Dana Andrews in THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES and then James Cagney in WHITE HEAT, he's always great at not being a good person, and is much better than Rock is the hero, headlining this particular ride while it's Marcia Henderson's vehicle throughout.

Rousing adventure set in north-western Canada, next to Alaska , in the 1870s with all the usual ingredients as thrills , emotion , including glowing colour and distinctive photography in Cinemascope . Spectacular adventure and romance in which American schooner captain Peter Keith (Rock Hudson) hopes to return to America with a cargo of furs before winter but two (Steve Cochran, Hugh O'Brian) ) determined local crooks scheme to rob Keith's cargo , boat and spouse (Marcia Henderson) . Set in the white jungle of the North in which our protagonist and his wife along with a Great Dane called Wapi , being all of them mercilessly pursued by nasty , rugged men who are after a boatload of precious hides . Then they flee in the heart of the wilderness . Both of whom will take on a death struggle , thundering terror of the avalanche , wildlife and anything else . Roaring out of the gale-lashed north .. The sage of a mighty conquest ...The sage of conquest and high adventure ¡

This shimmering picture is set in the North wildness , in the Canadian mountains, at a small village in the icy wilderness of Alaska , and specifically at the treacherous jungle of ice plenty of wild wolf attack , wild avalanche and a fight for life against fury of claws and fangs . This exciting film deals with a Wild Love Story in the Wild North and it contains adventures , thrills , an enjoyable romance and colorful outdoors well filmed by cameraman Maury Gertsman who photographs splendidly the snowbound scenarios . One of the colourful , moving and action features that Universal International Pictures trotted out with polish , professionality and much regularity in the 50s . It bears resemblance to another Universal film titled ¨The Wild North¨ by Andrew Marton with Stewart Granger , Wendell Corey and Cyd Charysse. Interesting though sometimes boring screenplay by Tom Reed based on a story by James Oliver Curwood . It's a quickie with last luster and medium-budget but it manages to be at least an enjoyable adventure movie because of it contains noisy action , sensational outdoors and outlandish as well as risked situations abound . There's some fascinating in watching the dangerous aventures of Rock Hudson and wife Marcia Henderson , being relentlessly chased , but using stocks originally shot since former films , especially on avalanche scenes . Plenty of a Hollywood all-star cast ; however ordinary script complications muddle the tale . This is a Rock Hudson adventure set in Alaska , he plays Peter Keith who along with his wife have to defend themselves against two especially mean villains . Rock starred a lot of adventure movies , such as : The Desert Hawk , Bengal Brigade , Spiral road , Battle Hymm , and Thunder of God . Rock was Douglas Sirk's fetish actor including essential titles as Taza , Magnificent obsession , Written in the wind , among others . He is well supported by Marcia Henderson who really was a pretty package and she is was worth the price of admission to see her . Support cast is very good such as : Steve Cochran , Hugh O'Brian , Chubby Johnson , Tudor Owen ,Charles Horvath, Arthur Space and Pat Hogan .

Colorful cinematography in brilliant Technicolor by Maury Gertsman , mostly shot in studios , Universal Studios City Plaza , Universal City , California . And usual exteriors filmed on location in Sun Valley, Idaho , Colorado and Universal studios , full of exciting color , and all grandeur of the wilderness captured in breathtaking images . Stirring , evocative and thrilling musical score by Frank Skinner . The motion picture produced by Howard Christie was professionally directed by Joseph Pevney , though with no originality and some moments result to be a little tiring ; as it has some flaws , gaps and failures . Pevney replaced Douglas Sirk -Hudson's regular filmmaker- who was originally set to direct the film , that's why he fell ill . Joseph Pevney was a good artisan , being well known as a very organized and precise filmmaker who was nonetheless relaxed on the set . He directed a lot of movies of all kinds of genres such as Wartime : Torpedo run , Away all boats , Air cadet . Adventures as Yankee Pasha , Tammy , Twilight for the God, Congo crossing ,Ring circus , Legion of desert . Western : Lady from Texas , The plunderers . Thriller : Undercover girl , Flesh and fury , Man of a thousand faces , Iron Man , Shakedown , The strange Door , 6 bridges to cross , Istanbul. Rating : 5.5/10 . Passable and decent adventure movie . The flick will appeal to Rock Hudson fans .