A gang of counterfeiters are transporting phony money over the Canadian border into America by hiding it in ice encased trout and labeling the trout as if it is being delivered to restaurants. America and Canada know that counterfeiting is going on but they don’t know who is behind it and how it is being smuggled. The United States Treasury is cooperating with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to investigate. RCMP Constable MacDonald (Donald Reed) is assigned to the task.
Out on patrol MacDonald sees a Native American, Pierre (Chief Thundercloud), paddling across a lake and acting suspiciously. When MacDonald tries to talk to him the man dumps something in the water and runs. MacDonald finds the frozen fish and the fake money inside it. From the trees Pierre throws a knife, killing MacDonald. Sergeant Renfrew (James Newill) picks up the mantle looking for the counterfeiters.
Meanwhile, the counterfeiters force ex-con, James Bronson (Herbert Corthell) to work for them engraving plates. His daughter Virginia (Carol Hughes) is supposed to meet him in Canada. The counterfeiters send her a bogus message to go to a place called Deer Lodge. Renfrew meets her but, at that time, doesn’t know that she is Bronson’s daughter.
Pierre is sent to bring Virginia to the Totem Pole Lodge to meet up with her father. Realizing something is up, Renfrew follows them. Pierre tries to shoot Renfrew and the canoe they are in tips over. Renfrew saves Virginia while Pierre escapes. Virginia finds out that Renfrew is looking for her father. During the night Virginia and Pierre slip away. Renfrew, once again, follows them knowing they will lead him to the counterfeiters.
“Renfrew of the Royal Mounted” was released in 1937 and was directed by Albert Herman. It is an American low budget poverty row western style thriller. There were 8 Renfrew films made based on the boy’s adventure stories by Laurie York Erskine.
Singing cowboy movies are not totally rare but, in the western genre in total, they are few and far between. Apparently, however, singing is part of the Canadian Mounties’ job description. There are four songs in the fifty-seven minute movie, "Tale of Love”, “Barbecue Bill Was a Mountie", "Little Son", and We're Mounted Men" The movie is a fanciful bit of fluff and typical of musical cowboyish movies of the thirties.
Of course, in the end the Mountie gets the girl. There’s nothing more romantic than a moonlight canoe ride and singing a song to your best girl, and your dog. The dog in the movie is a German Shepherd named Lightning. Lightning started in silent films and was in several movies. He was the grandson of another star named Strongheart. He plays himself.
It was a nice little surprise to see Dwight Frye as a desk clerk. Chief Thundercloud went on to play Tonto in a couple Republic Pictures serials in the thirties.