Serial of the Month: King of the Royal Mounted
Looking at the films of the early forties, it seemed that everyone knew we would eventually go to war with Germany, especially in the serials. Though never mentioning Germany or Nazis there was little doubt who the actual villains were. But while Universal and Columbia played it safe by just having their villains be simply foreign spies in The Phantom Creeps (1939) and The Sky Raiders (1941), or Flying G-Men (1939) and Captain Midnight (1942), Republic wasn’t so vague.
Their serial villains, with their slightly Teutonic sounding accents and distinctive gray and black military outfits, and the saluted “For the Cause” greeting did little to disguise who the film makers we targeting in King of the Royal Mounted (1940) and King of the Texas Rangers (1941).
Which took some major cajones on Republic’s part considering that at the time Germany was on peaceful terms with the US and were also a major foreign market for Hollywood. Perhaps that’s why the studio’s first serial with disguised Nazis as the villain, King of the Royal Mounted, was set in the Great White North. After all, Americans aren’t the ones fighting Germanic spies here, it’s Canadians.
The serial starts out with a foreign Admiral (Lucien Prival) demonstrating a new discovery to members of his government. Compound X, a rare mineral that cures infantile paralysis, when mixed with other chemicals creates a highly magnetic powder. A sea mine or torpedo coated with this mixture will unerringly seek out large metal ships, making whoever controls this formula the master of the oceans.
Unfortunately Compound X is only found in certain areas of Canada, and the government keeps a strict watch on how much is mined and exported to various hospitals. One of the richest strikes is the Caribou Mine at Tombstone Landing. Wade Garrison (Harry Cording), their operative in the area has already blackmailed one of the mine’s owners Matt Crandall (Bryant Washburn) into sneaking them Compound X in small quantities or else have his past monetary indiscretions come to light. Top agent John Kettler (Robert Strange) is sent to Canada to oversee the smuggling of Compound X back to Europe.
Kettler is sneaked into Canada by sub, where he is picked up off the coast of Ottawa by Garrison. It is only bad luck that Sgt Dave King of the Royal Mounted (Allan Lane) is patrolling the coast and spots the pick up. He gives chase and exchanges gunfire with Garrison’s boat, wounding one of the men. The chase is ended when Garrison blows Dave’s boat out of the water with a grenade. By the time Dave swims to shore to send out an alarm, the spies are nowhere to be seen. After landing, Kettler goes to Ottawa where he is set up as a respectable shipper, and Garrison returns to Tombstone Landing to start smuggling Compound X to him.
Dave is sent to Tombstone Landing to track down Garrison, who is alos a known outlaw, and his gang, who are believed to be holed up in the Vally of Hunted Men. The Mountie Post is commanded by Inspector King (Herbert Rawlinson), Dave’s father. Also serving at the post is Crpl Tom Merritt, Jr. (Robert Kellard), who’s father Tom Merritt, Sr. (Stanley Andrews) is the other co-owner of the Caribou Mine.
After “How have you been”’s have been exchanged by everyone, grizzled old trapper, local character, and the only man outside of crooks to know where the Valley of Hunted Men is located, Vinegar Smith (Budd Buster) comes into the post with a message from the mine. A spot check has revealed Compound X has been stolen from the mine’s stores. Inspector King decides that this takes precedence over raiding the Valley of Hunted Men, and orders Dave and Tom to mount up and follow Vinegar out to the mine.
Meanwhile at the mine, Merritt has come upon Crandall meeting with Garrison. After hearing Garrison threaten Crandall to get more Compound X, Merritt confronts the two men, foolishly telling them he is going to turn them over to the Mounties when they get there. Garrison guns down the mine owner, snarls another threat at Crandall, then makes his escape.
Merritt’s daughter Linda (Lita Conway) sees Garrison as he leaves and after discovering her father’s body, realizes he is the murderer. When Dave, Tom and Vinegar arrive, Linda tearfully tells them of her and Tom’s father’s murder. Recognizing Linda’s description of Garrison, Dave immediately orders Tom to tell Inspector King to get the rest of the Mounties together and send them to the Valley of Hunted Men. He, Tom and Vinegar will meet them on the way.
After the trio leave, Crandall radios a warning to Garrison on the two way he has hidden in an alcove in his office. Though they are warned, Garrison’s gang of miscreants fail to get the drop on the raiding Mounties and a massive shootout ensues. Garrison makes a break for it to the nearby forest. Dave spots him and heads off in pursuit on foot.
Seeing the Mountie gaining on him, Garrison stops long enough to set several bushes on fire, then hightails it out of there. Coming up behind the villain, Dave runs smack into the middle of a forest fire that quickly spreads behind him and cuts off his means of escape. Suddenly a burning tree topples down toward him……..
This serial was an important one for Republic, and serials in general. It sparked a resurgence in Mountie serials in the genre, having been almost seven years since the last one was produced, Universal’s Clancy of the Mounted (1933), but after this all three companies would periodically revisit the concept of serials set in Canada. Republic would put out King of the Mounties (1942), Dangers of the Canadian Mounties (1948) and Canadian Mounties vs Atomic Invaders (1953). Columbia would make Perils of the Royal Mounted (1942), Gunfighters of the Northwest (1953) and Perils of the Wilderness (1955). Universal dipped it’s toe in the water only once with The Royal Mounted Rides Again (1945).
Another precident the serial would start is the patriotic sacrifice of a main character for the others that would become common during WWII in other serials like Spy Smasher (1942) and The Masked Marvel (1943). It also made the San Bernardino Mountains a popular place to film outdoor serials, Republic filming their Mounty serials there as well as King of the Forest Rangers (1946).
But most importantly this serial introduced Allan “Rocky” Lane to the movie going public. After almost ten years of playing supporting roles in B-movies, Lane would become a western star with this serial. He would follow this up with three more serials and eventually become popular as Red Ryder in movies and on TV. Lane was always an under-rated actor, accused of being wooden on screen, but watching him here he gives a nice subdued performance, appearing more like someone trying to keep their emotions in check during tense situations rather than unemotional. His tender holding of his dead father in Chapter Three is a delicately played scene that works much better than if he had done an over the top crying jag. Plus he does something that is extremely difficult for an actor. During scenes of investigation you can actually see him thinking as his character works things out.
Herbert Rawlison is the picture of dignity as Lane’s father. He and Lane share a nice scene together in Chapter One where they seem glad to see each other but can’t really express it as they are both on duty. Though they don’t get many scenes together they have a nice chemistry and come off as a real father and son. Plus Rawlinson get to show panic at Lane being in danger and sacrafices himself in Chapter Tree.
Robert Kellard as the youthful sidekick plays the part as an enthusiastic and headstrong “kid”. Not stupid, but he blunders into danger because he doesn’t stop to think. He truly shines in the final chapter when he gives a little speech about winning and losing. Lita Conway as his older sister is okay, but it is obvious that she is new to acting and hasn’t yet learned to project herself into a scene yet.
Budd Buster steals the serial as the crotchety and aptly named Vinegar. Though mostly there for comedy relief as his explanation of an old Indian trick for tracking in Chapter Two demonstrates, thunking a knife into a tree and then biting it with you teeth to sense the vibrations of horses. He is also a tough old bird getting into fights and shootouts as much as Lane, and bitching about the bad guys all through it.
The Bad guys are a nasty bunch . Bryant Washburn is his usual weasely coward. Always whining about the unfairness of being forced into helping the spies is countered with his sneaky attempts to kill the heroes, a real champion back shooter. Robert Strange is kept off screen for much of the serial, usually shown in an office getting updates from Cording via radio. After one too many failures, Strange heads into the field to take over operations in the last two chapters, and puts the gang to shame with his snarling, sneering delivery of orders. You believe this guy who doesn’t weigh 120 could take out this group of hulking lumberjacks without breaking a sweat from the effort.
Everyone that is but Harry Cording. Burly, brutal and arrogant, Cording is one of the great all time ramrod henchman. He had no compunction about offing one of his own men if needed much less one of the heroes, Cording cuts a wide swathe of destruction in this serial, blowing up buildings and setting forest fires at the drop of a hat. His size is used to good effect as he towers over Lane in fights, adding some genuine suspense as you aren’t sure the hero can come out ahead. Plus he sports a wicked looking scar across his left cheek from ear to chin that adds to his menacing look.
Cording also displays a wicked sense of humor, demonstrated in Chapter Two after capturing Rawlinson, he can’t help but taunt the Mountie using a fake British uppercrust accent that mimics Rawlinson’s line delivery in contrast to Cording’s ususal cockney accent. I also like the garish stripped suit he wears whenever he goes into the city to meet with Strange, he looks like a demented door to door salesman.
