Belle of the Yukon

Belle of the Yukon is a 1944 American comedy musical Western film produced and directed by William A. Seiter and starring Randolph Scott, Gypsy Rose Lee, Dinah Shore and Bob Burns.[2] Based on a story by Houston Branch and set in the days of the great Canadian Gold Rush, the film is about a "reformed" con artist-turned-dance hall owner whose girlfriend, played by Gypsy Rose Lee, tries to keep him on the straight and narrow.

Belle of the Yukon
Theatrical release poster
Directed byWilliam A. Seiter
Screenplay byJames Edward Grant
Story byHouston Branch
Produced byWilliam A. Seiter
StarringRandolph Scott
Gypsy Rose Lee
Dinah Shore
Bob Burns
CinematographyRay Rennahan
Edited byErnest J. Nims
Production
company
Distributed byRKO Radio Pictures
Release date
  • December 27, 1944 (1944-12-27)[1]
Running time
84 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Plot

In a Yukon town called Malemute, a saloon owned by "Honest" John Calhoun gets a new star performer, Belle De Valle, while he is away. A stranger in town, Sam Slade, offers to keep an eye on things until the boss returns, while saloon manager Pop Candless and crooked town marshal Maitland keep a suspicious eye on him.

As soon as Honest John gets back, Belle hits him with a vase. They knew each other in Seattle, where according to Belle, he was actually a con man known as Gentleman Jack who ditched her after becoming wanted by the law for his dishonest ways.

Pop's attractive daughter Lettie is attracted to Steve Atterbury, the piano player. Pop is leery and finds a letter indicating that Steve is already married with children. Steve is ambushed and put on a boat to Nome, giving the impression that he has coldly left Lettie behind.

Honest John is secretly plotting a gold theft. He gains the town's trust and is named bank president. Belle discovers the scheme and starts a run of the bank, making Honest John pay off customers with money he had planned to steal.

Everything turns out for the best, though, because Steve jumps ship and makes it back to Malemute to win Lettie back, helped by the arrival of his sister, Cherie, and their wealthy father, C.V. Atterbury, who vouches that Steve is unmarried and, as a gesture of good faith, places $100,000 in the bank. Honest John promises to actually be honest from now on.

Cast

Awards

In 1946, Belle of the Yukon received Academy Award nominations for Best Original Song and Best Music Scoring.[4][5]

Radio adaptation
Dinah Shore and Gail Patrick in the CBS Radio studio at a rehearsal for "The Belle of the Yukon" for The Screen Guild Theater (1945)

Belle of the Yukon was presented on Screen Guild Players February 12, 1945. The 30-minute adaptation starred Scott, Shore, Burns and Gail Patrick.[6]

See also

References
  1. "Belle of the Yukon: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  2. "Belle of the Yukon". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
  3. "Full cast and crew for Belle of the Yukon". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
  4. "Awards for Belle of the Yukon". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
  5. 1946 Academy Award nominations and winners for films released in 1945 at Oscar.org
  6. "Those Were The Days". Nostalgia Digest. 39 (2): 32–39. Spring 2013.
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