Saskatchewan (film)

Saskatchewan is a 1954 fictional American Northern/western Technicolor film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Alan Ladd and Shelley Winters. The title reffers to Fort Saskatchewan in modern Alberta. Shooting was in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada, not far from the headwaters of the Saskatchewan River. The film was titled O'Rourke of the Canadian Mounted in the UK.

Plot

North-West Mounted Police Sub-Inspector O'Rourke and his Cree half brother Cajou are returning from a trapping trip in northern Canada when they encounter a burned wagon train and sole survivor Grace. Despite the advice of the Metis scout Batouche the naive new Mountie commander Inspector Benton (recently arrived from England) believes it to be a Cree attack, however the Sioux from across the border are trying to force the Cree into being allies in their struggle with the U.S. 7th Cavalry .

O'Rourke goes against his commanding officer who have offended the Cree by disarming them; O'Rourke losing his friendship with Cajou when he personally has to take his rifle away. He later mutinies to save the Mounties who have to leave their Fort Saskatchewan for a rendezvous with a larger command at Fort Walsh. He must also aid Grace (with whom he falls in love), but she is not as helpless as she first seems as an American lawman (Hugh O'Brian) has papers for her extradition for murder.