Renfrew of the Royal Mounted Colection

Prior to television in the mid-1950s, Hollywood was populated with poverty row pictures, a slang that referred to a variety of independent (and mostly short-lived) movie studios. Although many of them were on (or near) today's Gower Street in Hollywood, the term did not necessarily refer to any specific physical location but was rather a figurative catch-all for low-budget films produced by the lower-tier studios. The films of poverty row were generally characterized by low budgets, casts made up of lower-ranked stars or unknowns, and overall production values that unintentionally betrayed the haste and economy with which they were made. Westerns, for example, looked as though they were produced in someone’s California backyard. Costumes were rarely needed since actors often wore their own clothing from home for modern day comedies and detective fare. Polish and perfection was never top tier with many scenes appearing as if they were one-take shots including dogs that looked off to the side of the camera, an attacking bull that stood still without appearing menacing, and women often wearing large hats to help with poor lighting.The first of the eight RENFREW OF THE MOUNTED movies was released in September 1937, something new and different in the “gallop and wallop” line, which dragged a little in some spots, but for the most part it was an excellent production — especially because the movie displayed scenic vistas of spectacular views that were not commonplace in poverty row productions. (Much of the film was shot on location at Big Bear Lake in California.)Hoping to cash in on the popularity of Rin-Tin-Tin, following in the footsteps of several imitations, the producers felt it necessary to incorporate a hero dog into the cast. Lightning was a German Shepherd from a line of canine silent film stars; the grandson of Strongheart, the famed dog of the silver screen. (Lightning made his screen debut in the 1934 Perry Mason classic, THE CASE OF THE HOWLING DOG.) The canine talent retired from the silver screen following his appearance in RENFREW OF THE MOUNTED, after three-and-a-half years of celluloid service. His appearance was incorporated into the plot but was not necessary other than to attract potential theater goers into purchasing a ticket. Replacing Lighting, the police dog, was another German Shepherd, Silver King, who had less screen credit than his predecessor, appearing in less than half a dozen movies during his career. But, hey, the actors only had to be concerned if the dog was getting top billing.Anyway, the studio went belly-up after the first two pictures and another studio bought into the contract, producing an additional six movies. The creator of the Canadian Mountie, upon learning that the initial contract was for four pictures, only discovered the studio's oversight in continued production but agreed that the checks for licensing outweighed any legal concerns. Anyway, these movies are fun and while they do not have the MGM polish of ROSE MARIE productions, they are just the right length for an evening's diversion. I also recommend the RENFREW OF THE MOUNTED book (also available on Amazon) that documents the history of the series (including the movie), which some of the info above was excerpted with permission.

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