Northwest Passage (film)
- Spencer Tracy: Major Rogers
- Robert Young: Langdon Towne
- Walter Brennan: ' Hunk ' Marriner
- Ruth Hussey: Elizabeth Browne
- Nat Pendleton: ' Cap' Huff
- Louis Hector: Reverend Browne
- Robert Barrat: Humphrey Towne
- Lumsden Hare: Lord Amherst
- Lester Matthews: Sam Livermore
- Donald MacBride: Sgt McNott
- Isabel Jewell: Jennie Coit
- Douglas Walton: Lt. Avery
- Addison Richards: Lt. Crofton
- Hugh Sothern: Jesse Beacham
- Regis Toomey: Webster
- Montagu Love: Wiseman Clagett
- Truman Bradley: Capt. Ogden
Northwest Passage is an American feature film, the director King Vidor in 1939 staged for Metro -Goldwyn- Mayer. The elaborately in color produced adventure film that has a punitive expedition of the British colonial army against hostile Indians on the topic should be the first part of a double film about the search for the Northwest Passage, which should receive the overall title Rogers' Rangers, the second part after the economic failure the first was never produced. The film is based on the novel by Kenneth Roberts.
Action
Location of the plot are the British Crown Colony of New York and the adjacent Canada, the time is that of the French and Indian War ( 1754-1764 ).
Langdon Towne must leave Harvard because he has criticized the food there, and then, because he wants to be a painter, even thrown out of the family of his beloved. While he gets drunk at the village pub, he shares some irreverent things about the British and ends so nearly in prison. To avoid further problems, he summarizes the decision to join in Crown Point Major Rogers, a British officer who should lead a punitive expedition against a group of Indians who are in league with the enemy French. It manages the Indian massacre to the last man, but the long way back to the British colony turns out to be extremely hard. The expedition, which is cut off since the way out of the provisions supply is repeatedly attacked. Towne, who is brought up in the course of action from civilization spoiled sophisticate the Ranger suffers a wound and barely escapes the back being left in the wilderness. Thanks to the trust in God and the unshakable will of the charismatic Major Rogers, who drives his men successfully again and again to actually impossible powers reaching 50 survivors, however, the saving British fort to overcome previously a mountain ridge over which the men had their boats hauling, and a torrent, they can only wade through, forming a human chain.
The film ends with Major Rogers' posting to a renewed expedition. This times he should find the Northwest Passage. Towne remains with his bride, and will soon go to London, there to be a great painter.
Form
Northwest Passage has been shot in Technicolor in picture format 1.37:1.
Production and reception
Production history
The film, which is based on the first half of Kenneth Roberts novel Northwest Passage (1937 ), was produced in 1939 on location in the Cascade Range in Oregon and around McCall, Idaho. Vidor reported that this was limited to the first part of the book to not question the heroic image of Rogers must, breaks down in the other events in the second part of the novel. Phil Hardy cites another reason why no second part more followed that Tracy did not want to work with Vidor again.
Theatrical Release
The film was released in the U.S. on 23 February 1940 in the cinemas. In West Germany the theatrical release did not begin until 1955.
TV Series
Between 1958 and 1959, MGM produced the eponymous television series of the same name. In the television adaptation Keith Larsen took over the role of Spencer Tracy, Buddy Ebsen played the role of Walter Brennan and Don Burnett presented the role of Robert Young dar.
Reviews
" In robe exciting entertainment Vidor glorifies the " hard manhood "of the soldiers and justifies the massacre of the Indians. Formal not uninteresting. "
" As Samuel Fuller's Merrill 's Marauders, the film sweeps out the effort that characterizes the march and finally emaciated from the men makes Wilde, one of which even once succumb to cannibalism. "
Awards
The camera work by Sidney Wagner and William V. Skall was nominated for an Oscar in 1941, however this eventually went to George Barnes for his work in Rebecca.