Die blutigen Geier von Alaska

The landscape doesn't even come close to alaska and the plot is as bad as a spaghetti western ... it made me laugh hard once when mc clure was cracking a whip over the sled dogs ... no respectable alaskan musher would treat trail dogs that way ... this film is more like a farce on how not to make a western

Hellhounds of Alaska is a film that is generally dismissed as belonging to the bottom of the barrel of Westerns made in Germany. I had seen it a while ago on a DVD of horrible quality and frankly I was left with a question mark about making a review.

But, surfing the internet I acquired a version that turned out to be much better than my old DVD because it kept the original wide format of the film. The image looked a bit faded but had no cuts and the language was English so I was happy to recognize the voice of Doug McClure, the protagonist and star who was invited for this experience of filming a western with an unusual setting.

The action is supposed to take place in the inhospitable Alaska but in reality exteriors in Austria and Croatia were used, interesting because they are not the usual settings of spaghetti westerns in those semi-arid regions of Spain.

Doug McClure earned every penny he was paid for his participation in this film. All of his hard-earned charisma on television and in mid-budget movies is put into his role as the rough, lonely fur trapper Don Rutland. Also Doug's fondness for outdoor activities was used and we look him horseback riding, dog sledding, doing everything possible to make fistfights and gunfights credible, since it seems that the stuntmen were not very numerous.

It all starts when he tries to do a favor to a gold-seeking friend and tries to take his son, who is suffering from a high fever, to the nearest town to see a doctor. He leaves the boy with a sheriff and his small contingent, who are transporting a shipment of gold from the local miners to be deposited in a bank. He returns to his friend, who has a wounded leg, and finds him in the hands of some aborigines who are slowly killing him. Don challenges the Indian chief to a single combat with knives and demands his friend's life as a reward if he wins. He manages to win the fight, but it is too late. His friend dies and previously asks him to take care of his son. But when Don enters the town where they were supposed to take care of the child, he learns that the gold had been stolen in transit and the sheriff and his party murdered. No one knows anything about the child. As you can see, it is a plot that quickly captures the interest and the film is filled to the brim with different characters: Mark Monti (Harald Leipnitz), the leader of the robbers, Betty (Angelica Ott) a bartender with a heart of gold, Rose Cotton (Kristina Nel), the energetic daughter of the murdered sheriff, Ham a Ham (Roberto Blanco) an African-American ex-boxer who does not want to cause more harm to another human being, Captain Brandy (Hanz Reincke), the owner of the tavern, a good-natured alcoholic, Buffins (Miha Baloh) the deputy sheriff and accomplice to the robbery, Billy Sanders (Ivan Stimac) the brave boy who finds himself a hostage among the murderers and even a dog that also plays a heroic part towards the end defending the life of this boy. All in all, it is a very decent action-adventure film, which did not in any way boost Doug McClure's career, but which showed him with the same enthusiasm as always to give his best for the project for which he had been hired. Finally, I am at peace with Hell hounds of Alaska.

Hell Hounds of Alaska is not as bad as some reviews make out and if you like a good old-fashioned adventure western,then I think you will enjoy this. The music is scored by Bruno Nicolai,who many people know conducted lots of Ennio Morricone scores. The main title,thus far unreleased is superb and reminds me of the style of Morricone's La Tenda Rossa/The Red Tent and Bruno Nicolai's own El Cristo Del Oceano/Christ of the Ocean. The other music in the film has been used before in Bruno Nicolai westerns.

HELLHOUNDS OF ALASKA is a German western shot in the Austrian alps, featuring a performance from likable American leading man Doug McClure. The best thing about it is its look, which is achieved thanks to the presence of Austrian director Harald Reinl, who directed tons of cult and classic German movies during the 1960s (including krimi, the famous Winnetou series, and the horror classic THE TORTURE CHAMBER OF DR. SADISM).

The story - written by Kurt Nachmann, who seemed to have plenty of experience writing sex comedies and dramas - is probably the worst thing about this. It tells an entirely predictable tale about some ruthless gold robbers who think nothing of committing murder and who occupy some prominent positions in the local town. When a fur trapped outsider (McClure) falls into the mix, he's naturally suspected of being the robber, so he must fight to clear his name.

HELLHOUNDS OF ALASKA sounds like a Jack London type adaptation but the only hound in it is an Alsatian, a loyal companion of our hero. I'm guessing the term "hellhounds" refers figuratively to the bad guys. McClure has never looked more rugged as the leading man, but the supporting cast is largely forgettable and the film is saddled with an annoying kid, which is a pity. Still, Reinl stages some good moments, such as a vicious encounter with an eagle and a lengthy, chase-focused climax.

German made adventure movie set in Alaska during the gold rush era. The late-great Doug McClure(who starred in a number of fantasy-adventure movies in the 70's) stars as Don Rutland, who, despite being an all around good guy, ends up being framed for the robbery of a towns gold shipment and the murder of the transporters. Lots of nice scenery, likable characters, plenty of action & a good score by Italian maestro Bruno Nicolai(who frequently collaborated with Ennio Morricone) makes for a very enjoyable flick. Although 'Hellhounds Of Alaska' has the feel of a family movie, it should be noted that there are a few brief scenes of brutal violence/torture.