Northwest Trail (1945)

They say that every Mountie gets his man, well this one does that without ever parting with his hat. It stays firmly attached to his head regardless of the fisticuffs he is regularly embroiled in. Things are about to change for "Matt" (Bob Steele) as he is detailed to escort the fussy and rather abrupt "Katherine" (Joan Woodbury) - whose automobile he has just fixed - up country and also to investigate some issues with the water supply. He is pretty certain that it's an illicit mine that's causing the creek to dry up, and that there is probably some dodgy smuggling going on across the border in these United States, but inexplicably his boss "Mears" (John Litel) wants him to leave well alone. Determined to get to the bottom of things, he goes a bit rogue - or as rogue as a man in a bright red tunic can go - and get to the bottom of things. To further complicate matters, his rather irritating charge has her handbag stolen by a rider and when she alerts him to the fact that it has a mere $20,000 in it - well, the plot really starts to thicken and become distinctly perilous for the pair. This wouldn't have been a bad little adventure feature were it not for the shocking production. It's cue and cut style of editing makes the continuity flow like lumpy gravy and there is way too much dialogue cluttering up what might have been a fun, if entirely predictable, dynamic between Steele and Woodbury coupled with a little added peril thanks to George Meeker's "Whitey". Steele could never be accused of entering into the spirit of things half-heartedly, and here gives this all he's got - especially as spends much of this film at the gallop and there is some lovely scenery from where they can do their detective work. This is perfectly watchable, wartime, drive-in fayre - but you'll never remember it.