John Chard
2/18/2017
What's the trouble at Healy's Crossing? Call of the Klondike is directed by Frank McDonald and adapted to screenplay by Charles Lang from a story by James Oliver Curwood. It stars Kirby Grant, Anne Gwynne, Lynne Roberts, Tom Neal, Russell Simpson and Marc Krah. Music is by Edward J. Kay and cinematography by William Sickner. Northwest Mountie Rob Webb (Grant) and his cunning pooch Chinook investigate a number of strange disappearances out in the sticks at Healy's Crossing. Joining them on the trail is Nancy Craig (Gwynne), whose father is one the men who have mysteriously vanished whilst searching for gold at the local mine. Out of Monogram Pictures, Call of the Klondike is the second of eight films that featured Northwest Mountie Rob Webb and his dog Chinook. Running at just over an hour in length, the premise is simple. Man and dog investigate dastardly doings, suspects file in, the baddies are not hard to figure out and it will lead to some fist-fights, detective work, a pretty dame and a hooray ending. Location work is out of Big Bear Valley/Big Bear Lake (San Bernardino National Forest) in California, which is a beautiful backdrop, while for this one the presence of a creepy mine adds a dash of dark intrigue to the narrative. The acting will not shake your boots and production value of course isn't high, but everyone knows what is needed to play out an honest murder mystery that entertains while it's on. 6.5/10
