A Universal Pictures Release
July 1928 - 8 Reels
Directed by Ernst Laemmle

FEATURED CAST
Francis X. Bushman
Neil Hamilton
June Marlowe (as Sheila O'Neil)
with
Burr McIntosh
and
Otis Harlan

Neil Hamilton, playing one of June's suitors.

Directed by Carl Laemmle's nephew, Grip Of The Yukon  was adapted from William MacLeod Raine's best selling novel The Yukon Trail, and had the working title The Eternal Silence. The story is a slam-bang westerner set in the Yukon Territory where June's character finds herself eluding the evil clutches of the local saloon keeper while deciding which of her two suitors she will ride off in the sunset with.

June's character, a new arrival in town, gets directions.
Unfortunately, they're right into the clutches of the villain!

In this film, June again gets to play opposite a silent screen legend. Francis X. Bushman, began his prolific career near the beginning of cinema and it lasted to his death in 1966.  He is perhaps best known for his role as Messala in the silent version of "Ben Hur." He was once declared "The handsomest man in the world," but co-star June had nothing to be ashamed of beauty-wise, once having been given the title "One of the twelve most beautiful women of the world."

June's character is almost into the evil clutches of the dastardly saloon keeper (Burr McIntosh)
(while giving a "Spanky McFarland" impersonation).

Our heroes save the day ... and June.

Although the film was heavily promoted, complete with a photoplay edition of the novel, reviews were lukewarm at best.  Most seemed to fault the plot as one that was way too familiar to keep their interests. Said plot being one where the two heroes accidentally kill the heroine's father, said heroine (a "virtuous maiden") later arriving in town and, not finding her father, is put up in the local saloon by the villain, who hopes to make her a "cabaret gal" (read "fallen angel").   Enter again our heroes to save the day, and the heroine.  They get exonerated by the sheriff, and one of them gets the girl (Neil Hamilton's character). Well, reviewers may not have liked the film, but next to The Foreign Legion, this one is on my "must see" list! (I'm a sucker for westerns).

And next for June -- a science fiction film!?

Thanks to Scott Johnson for additional research on this film.
Middle-center photograph is from the collection of Cole Johnson and used with permission.
First and last two photographs are from the collection of Don Spears.

Many times the release of a film would coincide with the release of a fashion designer's
line of clothing.  Such might have been the case here.

This film, once available through Universal's "Show At Home" rental program, is unavailable for viewing.