Nomads of the North

Adapted for the screen for his own production company from his 1919 novel of the same name by James Oliver Kurwood, it comes as little surprise that Kurwood's book was later filmed by Disney (much changed) as 'Nikki, Wild Dog of the North' in 1961.

Chaney completists, take heed, his role is billed third, although he actually has more screen time than top-billed Lewis S. Stone (as he is indentified in the credits); the real stars being Walter L. Griffin's superb outdoor photography, the cute team of a bear called Neewa and his four-legged friend Brimstone, and leading lady Betty Blythe; in roughly that order.

The rather one-note positivity of Chaney's role has been the subject of complaints; but this was still early days and he hadn't yet become as closely associated with macabre melodrama as he soon would. I found it refreshing to see him looking so dashing and handsome and getting the girl at the end. (Usually when you see Chaney looking this bright-eyed and bushy-tailed it's at the start of a flashback and something TERRIBLE promptly happens to him; it's nice to see him get a break for once.)

Lon Chaney, the "Man of a Thousand Faces," has but one face in this tepidly plotted melodrama about Raoul Challoner away from the woman he is to marry as she is being cruelly coerced into marriage by the landlord's son - seeing her aging and deathly father has not paid anything for the last two years. Add to the mix Lewis Stone, a Canadian Mountie who loves Nanette but she loves Raoul. Such is the premise behind Nomads of the North, and while not a wholly unsatisfying story - it is a certainly incredible one. Too much is asked of the audience to believe. Nonetheless, the timing and pace of the film oozes energy. Some of the cutesy moments with the bear and dog were entertaining(though does grow old quickly). Chaney wildly overacts and gives none of his customary pathos to this earlier role. He is pretty one-dimensional to be quite frank. Stone fairs much better actually having some range, and the female lead Betty Blythe is credible. There are some terrific action scenes culminating with the raging(real) fire in the woods that did indeed give Chaney, Blythe, and Stone real burns and landing them in the hospital for weeks. Those were the days of film-making when lives were deemed cheaply in order to make a good film. Nomads of the North is certainly not a great film but definitely is an entertaining film. Most people tracking it down today are doing so to be Chaney completists(guilty as charged) and would/should find this one of his most lackluster, weak portrayals.

This is definitely not one of his better films.

He is cast as the "hero", and a rather bland hero at that. It simply did not offer the incredibly talented Mr. Chaney enough "to do", so he chews the scenery through most of his scenes.

Point to note in this film, the stars were nearly killed in the big fire scene when their escape route was cut off. All three wound up in the hospital.

If you are a Chaney fan you will watch this and enjoy it regardless, but it will not be anyone's favorite Chaney film.

This movie shouldn't be looked at for any redeeming social value or higher meaning. It's a rip-roaring melodrama that makes you cheer the good guys and boo the bad guys. Chaney overacts horribly (but deliciously) as Challoner and Stone is suitably stoic as the Mountie forced to track Chaney down. Macdonald is the man who tries to steal Blythe's virtue. It looks like they had a lot of fun making this one. They just don't make movies like this anymore: they either make the lampoon too obvious or take themselves too damned seriously.

If it weren't Lewis Stone week at Hot Toasty Rag, and if I didn't have my heart set on reviewing the oldest movie of his I could get my hands on, I would not have sat through Nomads of the North. Now I finally understand why people today don't like silent movies. It's nearly two hours, extremely boring, predictable, and very overacted.

Betty Blythe stars as the woman on the mountaintop that every man in the movie wants. She's also the only woman in the movie, so they don't appear to have much choice. Ranger Lewis Stone is in love with her and hikes miles out of his way just to call on her at home. The wealthy, and evil, log baron Francis McDonald is also in love with her, but Betty refuses his offer of marriage because she's waiting for her old boyfriend, Lon Chaney, to come back to her. Francis pays a stranger to tell Betty that he witnessed Lon's death, but Lon comes back to town just in time to object at their wedding ceremony. Betty and Lon are married, but when he accidentally kills a man, they go on the run in the wilderness.

Folks, you don't have to rent this movie. I watched it for you, so you can just pretend you've seen it. I've never seen a Lon Chaney movie, but it's clear I picked the wrong one to start with. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and not hold Nomads of the North against him during the next movie I see. He has a pet bear cub he cuddles and plays with as well as kisses, but that's not worth sitting through nearly two hours. This is one of those silent movies that give the others a bad reputation.