Fans of both star, Nelson Eddy, and director, Allan Dwan, are going to feel a bit disappointed with this Republic entry. True, it opens promisingly enough with lavish sets and costumes on display (even though they would have looked far more impressive in color), plus an impressive convict song with the camera stopping at each singer as it tracks down and they file past. But that scene, alas, is just about the limit of Mr. Dwan's inventiveness. True, later on there is a pleasing tracking shot back from a cell door with Schildkraut's profile seen behind the bars, but by that time we are pretty well past caring. True too, that 2nd unit director Yakima Canutt has overseen some attractive location photography, but that's about it on the plus side of the equation. The story is a trite compendium of clichés which director Dwan sluggishly moves forward through dull, extended dialogue scenes. For some odd reason, the stupid plot is emphasized at the expense of the movie's musical content, though these are so poorly recorded, it's not surprising that Eddy gave the movie game away after this effort (although he did surface in a made-for-TV version of "The Desert Song" in 1955).
Review of Northwest Outpost
