O'Rourke and his Cree half brother Cajou are returning from a northern Canadian trapping trip when they encoutner a burned wagon train and sole surivor Grace. Naive Mountie commander Benton believes it to be a Cree attack. The Sioux from across the border are trying to force the Cree into being allies in their struggle with the U.S. seventh cavalry. O'Rourke must mutiny to save the men. He must also aid Grace, in whom Marshal Smith has both official and unprovoked amorous interests.

viewer's comments:

- Nifty action western

This 1954 western benefits from beautiful scenery, a good cast topped by Alan Ladd, a director who knows how to keep the action moving at a brisk pace [Raoul Walsh] and an interesting story that features several rugged cavalry-Indian clashes. When the warlike Sioux head north to Canada after wiping out Custer and the Seventh Cavalry, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police decide to err on the side of caution and disarm the peaceful Cree tribe, confiscating their weapons and ammunition to discourage an alliance with Sitting Bull's fierce warriors. Sgt. O'Rourke's daring and mutinous bent is the film's raison detre and he has the solid backing of his men as he leads the column of Mounties through the southern Saskatchewan wilderness to avoid the Sioux who are hot on their trail. Jay Silverheels is once again a faithful Indian companion, this time as Cajou, a blood brother to O'Rourke, and J. Carrol Naish is colorful as Batouche, a French trader and scout who knows Indians. The romantic angle has a fugitive woman [Shirley Winters] chasing after O'Rourke while spurning the advances of a crooked lawman who has charged her with murder. There are fist fights, canoe chases, explosions and Indian attacks and O'Rourke's fearless leadership saves the day for the Mounties and Western Canada.



- Exciting, colorful Mountie-Indian western with tough Alan Ladd

Colorful, action western has warlike Sioux threatening peace in western Canada. Crossing the border into "the land of the Grandmother" after vanquishing Custer, the Sioux form an alliance with the Cree tribe after Mounties confiscate their guns and ammunition. The Red Coats are charged with transporting the confiscated weapons and supplies to a distant outpost and have clashes with the Indians along the way. Thomas O'Rourke (Alan Ladd) seizes control of the column from a superior officer and changes its route to Fort Walsh to avoid further conflict with Indians. O'Rourke is jailed for mutiny but escapes and saves a detachment of Red Coats from a Sioux massacre. Charges of mutiny are dropped and O'Rourke is vindicated.

Alan Ladd is good as O'Rourke who knows Indians and takes a tall chance to save his men. Shelley Winters is the romantic angle who has her eye on O'Rourke all the way. Hugh O'Brien is a fine heavy, Jay Silverheels solid as O'Rourke's half-brother Cajou, as is Robert Douglas as a martinet Red Coat inspector. The Saskatchewan filming locations are beautiful.



- excellent flick documenting some of the indian war troubles

Interesting movie showing the RCMP as they used to be - protectors of all peoples and unbiased towards our hosts the native american indians. Shows how the prevelent attitudes in America and Canada towards Indians have differed, and accurately portrays why the Indian Wars in the US west did not cross the border into Canada. However I do wish that the Canadian attitude showed here in the alberta sask. frontier were more prevalent in the more civilized MANITOBA area. May have avoided the METIS crisis



Goofs for
Saskatchewan (1954)
Errors in geography: There are no mountains in Saskatchewan.



Directed by
Raoul Walsh

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Gil Doud also story

Cast (in credits order) complete, awaiting verification
Alan Ladd .... O'Rourke
Shelley Winters .... Grace Markey
J. Carrol Naish .... Batouche
Hugh O'Brian .... Smith
Robert Douglas .... Benton
George J. Lewis .... Lawson (as George Lewis)
Richard Long .... Scanlon
Jay Silverheels .... Cajou
Antonio Moreno .... Chief Dark Cloud
Frank Chase .... Keller
Lowell Gilmore .... Banks
Anthony Caruso .... Spotted Eagle
John L. Cason .... The Cook (as John Cason)
Henry Wills .... Merrill
Bob Herron .... Brill (as Robert D. Herron)
rest of cast listed alphabetically
Jonas Applegarth
Rex Reason .... Narrator (uncredited)


Also Known As:
O'Rourke of the Royal Mounted (1954) (UK)
Runtime: 87 min
Country: USA
Language: English
Color: Color (Technicolor)
Sound Mix: Mono (Western Electric Sound System)