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'Northwest Passage' (Book I -- Rogers' Rangers) (1940) 7.0
Langdon Towne and Hunk Marriner join Major Rogers' Rangers as they wipe out an Indian village. They set out for Fort Wentworth, but when they arrive they find no soldiers and none of the supplies they expected. Director:King Vidor |
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Title: 'Northwest Passage' (Book I -- Rogers' Rangers) (1940)
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Nominated for 1 Oscar.
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Spencer Tracy | ... |
Maj. Robert Rogers
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| Robert Young | ... |
Langdon Towne
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| Walter Brennan | ... | ||
| Ruth Hussey | ... |
Elizabeth Browne
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Nat Pendleton | ... |
'Cap' Huff
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Louis Hector | ... |
Rev. Browne
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Robert Barrat | ... |
Humphrey Towne
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Lumsden Hare | ... |
Lord Amherst
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Donald MacBride | ... |
Sgt. McNott
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| Isabel Jewell | ... |
Jennie Coit
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Douglas Walton | ... |
Lt. Avery
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Addison Richards | ... |
Lt. Crofton
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Hugh Sothern | ... |
Jesse Beacham
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| Regis Toomey | ... |
Webster
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Montagu Love | ... |
Wiseman Clagett
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
Based on the Kenneth Roberts novel of the same name, this film tells the story of two friends who join Rogers' Rangers, as the legendary elite force engages the enemy during the French and Indian War. The film focuses on their famous raid at Fort St. Francis and their marches before and after the battle. Written by Dale Roloff
Taglines:
MIGHTY DRAMA OF THE SAVAGE FRONTIER! (original print ad - all caps) See more »Parents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
23 February 1940 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Northwest Passage See more »Box Office
Budget:
$2,677,762 (estimated)Company Credits
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)Color:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
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Title Card: This is a story of our early America... of the century of conflict with the French and Indians... when necessity made simple men, unknown to history, into giants in daring and endurance. It begins in Portsmouth New Hampshire, in 1759...
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(uncredited)
Traditional
Heard as a theme at the start, and sung by the Rangers as they march off at the end.
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Did You Know?
Trivia
The Bible passage that Rogers quotes "The voice of him who crieth in the wilderness... " is from Isaiah 40:3. See more »Goofs
There's a lookout up a tree to spot Towne returning to Eagle Mountain; but for some reason the lookout didn't call out the arrival of either of the other groups of men who arrived just before Towne. See more »Quotes
[first lines]Title Card: This is a story of our early America... of the century of conflict with the French and Indians... when necessity made simple men, unknown to history, into giants in daring and endurance. It begins in Portsmouth New Hampshire, in 1759...
See more »
Soundtracks
"Over the Hills and Far Away"(uncredited)
Traditional
Heard as a theme at the start, and sung by the Rangers as they march off at the end.
See more »
Two months before his death in 1957, Kenneth Roberts received a special Pulitzer Prize for his historical novels. Of them, Northwest Passage was his most famous. It consisted of two distinct parts, and was the second best selling American book of 1937 (after first having been serialized in the Saturday Evening Post).
MGM's 1940 movie is based on the first, and in my opinion, better part of the book. It recounts Major Robert Rogers' 1759 raid on St. Francis, an Abenaki village, during the French and Indian War. As Rogers, Spencer Tracy gives a powerhouse performance, King Vidor delivers the directorial goods, and the storyline, itself, is very exciting. Indeed, I remember Northwest Passage fondly from my childhood, and consider it a classic. However, because of today's values, it probably appeals more to conservatives than liberals.
In 1945, Warner Brothers' Objective, Burma! (starring Errol Flynn) used the same plot without attribution--a Japanese transmission station replacing the Indian village. (Directed by Raoul Walsh, it too is very well done.) Then, in 1951's Distant Drums (starring Gary Cooper), director Walsh again used the same plot without attribution. This time the movie (which is not so well done) occurs during The Seminole Indian Wars (1835–1842), and the initial objective is an old Spanish fort, lying deep within the Everglades.
In conclusion, I'm not shocked that Hollywood recycled Roberts' plot without attribution. (You only have to remember Dorothy Parker's quip "The only 'ism' Hollywood believes in is plagiarism.") I am, however, somewhat shocked that Roberts did not sue. (His reputation was that of an acerbic curmudgeon.) But, then again, maybe he just didn't know.