North to Alaska (1960)

Director:

Henry Hathaway

Writers:

John Lee Mahin (screenplay) &
Martin Rackin (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

7 November 1960 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Western

Tagline:

In all the 50 states you won't find a fun-filled adventure like it!

Plot:

Sam and George strike gold in Alaska. George sends Sam to Seattle to bring George's fiancé back to Alaska...

Plot Keywords:

Alaska | Territory Name In Title | Beautiful Woman | 1900s | Tickling Women

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

John Wayne	...	Sam McCord
Stewart Granger	...	George Pratt
Ernie Kovacs	...	Frankie Canon
Fabian	...	Billy Pratt
Capucine	...	Michelle Bonnet 'Angel'
Mickey Shaughnessy	...	Peter Boggs 'Boggsy'
Karl Swenson	...	Lars Nordquist
Joe Sawyer	...	Land Commissioner
Kathleen Freeman	...	Lena Nordquist
John Qualen	...	Logger Judge
Stanley Adams	...	Breezy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mark Bailey	...	Norseman Logger (uncredited)
Rayford Barnes	...	Gold buyer (uncredited)
Oscar Beregi Jr.	...	Captain (uncredited)
Peter Bourne	...	Olaf (uncredited)
Alan Carney	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Lilyan Chauvin	...	Jenny Lamont (uncredited)
Richard Collier	...	Steambath - Skinny Sourdough (uncredited)
Stephen Courtleigh	...	Duggan (uncredited)
Esther Dale	...	Woman at picnic (uncredited)
Maurice Dallimore	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Richard Deacon	...	Angus, hotel desk clerk (uncredited)
Douglas Dick	...	Lieutenant (uncredited)
Tom Dillon	...	Barber (uncredited)
Joey Faye	...	Sourdough / Artist (uncredited)
Frank Faylen	...	Arnie (uncredited)
Fortune Gordien	...	Logger (uncredited)
Sol Gorss	...	Gunman at Arnie's Claim (uncredited)
James Griffith	...	Salvation Army leader (uncredited)
Arlene Harris	...	Queen Lil (uncredited)
Max Hellinger	...	Everett 'Bish' Bishop, the waiter (uncredited)
Marcel Hillaire	...	Jenny's husband ('butler') (uncredited)
Pat Hogan	...	Saloon Brawler (uncredited)
Roy Jenson	...	Ole, Logger punched by Sam (uncredited)
Johnny Lee	...	Coachman (uncredited)
Paul Maxey	...	Fat Sourdough (uncredited)
Kermit Maynard	...	Wagon Driver (uncredited)
Jerry O'Sullivan	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
Ollie O'Toole	...	Mack (uncredited)
Tudor Owen	...	Purser (uncredited)
Pamela Raymond	...	Pony Dancer (uncredited)
Charles Seel	...	Gold buyer (uncredited)
Milton Selzer	...	Salvation Army player (uncredited)
Harry Tenbrook	...	Bag Porter (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel	...	Saloon Brawler (uncredited)
Patty Wharton	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)

Directed by
Henry Hathaway

Writing credits
John Lee Mahin		(screenplay) &
Martin Rackin		(screenplay) and
Claude Binyon		(screenplay)
Ladislas Fodor		(play "Birthday Gift") (as Laszlo Fodor)
John H. Kafka		(idea) (as John Kafka)
Ben Hecht		uncredited and
Wendell Mayes		uncredited

Produced by
Henry Hathaway	....	producer
Charles K. Feldman	....	producer (uncredited)
John Lee Mahin	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Lionel Newman
Cyril J. Mockridge		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Leon Shamroy		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Dorothy Spencer

Art Direction by
Duncan Cramer
Jack Martin Smith

Set Decoration by
Stuart A. Reiss
Walter M. Scott

Costume Design by
Bill Thomas

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist
Helen Turpin	....	hair stylist
Web Overlander	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stanley Hough	....	assistant director
Richard Talmadge	....	second unit director

Art Department
Don B. Greenwood	....	property master (uncredited)

Sound Department
Alfred Bruzlin	....	sound
Warren B. Delaplain	....	sound

Special Effects by
L.B. Abbott	....	special photographic effects
Emil Kosa Jr.	....	special photographic effects
Barney Wolff	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
John Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Sol Gorss	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Graham	....	stunt double: John Wayne (uncredited)
Tom Hennesy	....	stunts (uncredited)
Loren Janes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Roy Jenson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Kermit Maynard	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Morgan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Boyd 'Red' Morgan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Harvey Parry	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Perkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Robotham	....	stunts (uncredited)
Richard Talmadge	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Clyde Taylor	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Music Department
Bernard Mayers	....	orchestrator
Urban Thielmann	....	orchestrator
Irving Gertz	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Edward B. Powell	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Josephine Earl	....	dance stager

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1960) (USA) (theatrical)
• Centfox (1960) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (1961) (France) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1965) (USA) (TV) (pan/scan)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Fox Video (1998) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)

Other Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation  CinemaScope is the registered trademark of

Also Known As:

Go North (USA) (working title)
The Alaskans (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:TV-PG (cable rating) | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:15 | UK:U | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Richard Fleischer was originally hired to direct the picture. He accepted, but when he asked to see the script he was informed that one hadn't been written yet. Also, after talking with Capucine, he thought she was all wrong for the role of the prostitute - he didn't think she was sexy or earthy enough to convince anyone that she was a hooker, and he informed producer Charles K. Feldman of his conclusion and asked that she be replaced. Unfortunately for Fleischer, Feldman and Capucine were living together at the time, and he had already promised her the role. So Capucine got the part and Fleischer got the boot. He was replaced by Henry Hathaway.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the major fight, Frankie Canon is knocked face-down into fairly deep mud. Seconds later he is shown "pre-fight clean" and then somewhat muddied shortly thereafter (but, even then, not as muddy as he should be).

Quotes:

Michelle: [Sam enters the cabin and picks up his revolver belt] Is he that mad?
Sam McCord: He's not even here! Over at another mine, fighting some claim-jumpers. One good thing about that, them shootin' at him will take George's mind off Jenny.
Michelle: Yes. A bullet through the head is always the best cure for love.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Disco Fever (1978/I)

Soundtrack:

When the Saints Go Marching In

All Kinds of Claim Jumping

Stewart Granger in his memoirs said he was very glad to receive the role of George Pratt when he did and was always grateful to John Wayne who got him cast in the part. He had just left MGM and offers were not piling up. Granger's career was in a transitional stage and he would soon take off for Europe and all kinds of spaghetti westerns. Right at that point he needed a paycheck.

Granger and Fabian play the brothers Pratt, George and Billy and John Wayne is their partner Sam McCord in a gold claim that's just hit it big. He's got to buy mining equipment in Seattle and Pratt's fiancé Jennie is there too. Wayne's to bring back both the equipment and Jennie.

But Jennie has off and got herself married. So Wayne in a moment of alcoholic brilliance spots another girl with a French accent in a pleasure palace called the Birdcage and decided to take her back to Alaska for Granger. She's played by Capucine. But things don't quite work out.

Of course there's another kind of claim jumping going on led by no-good cynical gambler Ernie Kovacs. All kinds of problems for the McCord-Pratt partnership.

If you like your comedy broad and unsophisticated North to Alaska is your kind of film. The Duke has some of his funniest screen moments in this film. There's a whole routine with Granger and Capucine trying to make Wayne jealous and with Fabian serving as a straight man to Wayne, it's a pretty funny bit of business. Wayne's facial expressions are alone worth seeing the movie.

John Wayne was always shrewd in marketing his films and he sought to woo a younger audience by having current teenage idols in his films around that time. He had Ricky Nelson in Rio Bravo and Frankie Avalon in The Alamo and now Fabian in North to Alaska.

I saw an interview with Fabian some years ago where he said Wayne was a formidable presence on the set of his film. He was great when you got to know him and he accepted you. But you did things his way or it was the highway, no questions asked.

Fabian has some moments too as a 17 year old whose hormones get going at the sight of Capucine. He sings a song in the film, If You Only Knew. But the real song hit is the title tune sung by Johnny Horton over the title. It was a big hit for Horton in his short and tragic career. Frankie Laine also sold a few platters with this song.

If your taste is sophisticated drawing room comedy, this ain't your film. But fans of the eternal Duke will love it.