North of the Great Divide

Roy Rogers is an Indian agent sent with comic relief Gordon Jones to find out what's going on with Noble Johnson's tribe. They depend on salmon coming up the river to spawn for their livelihood, and two canneries downstream -- one Canadian, one American run by Roy Barcraft have strung nets across the river. No salmon are getting upstream. In addition, a Mountie has been killed, and Johnson is wanted for the crime. Meanwhile, Barcraft has a contract for $100,000, and is planning to burn down the Canadian cannery so he can fill it and get rich.

One of the notable aspects of the Roy Rogers movies is their tolerance, and willingness to spend a few minutes in the films explaining aspects of different cultures. Whether he's down further south dealing Mexicans or up in the Northwest dealing with indigenous culture, there's respect for other viewpoints, even if the on-screen representations skew towards stereotype rather than sociological accuracy. This one shows the Indians' dependence on the salmon, and their reverence for the chance to pursue their lives. What could be more American than that?

There are also some good songs, a couple of good stunt sequences, and second-billed Trigger, as well as Bullet the dog. Certainly, it's not a masterpiece that notably advances the art of film making, but under the direction of William Witney, and with long-time cameraman Jack Marta's practiced compositions, the willing audience gets what they hope for in an hour's entertainment. For an example of commercial art, that's good value.