Northern Pursuit (1943)

A Canadian Mountie of German descent feigns disaffection with his homeland in hopes of infiltrating and thwarting a Nazi sabotage plot.

Director:

Raoul Walsh

Writers:

Frank Gruber (screenplay), Alvah Bessie (screenplay),

Stars:

Errol Flynn, Julie Bishop, Helmut Dantine

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Errol Flynn	...	Cpl. Steve Wagner
Julie Bishop	...	Laura McBain
Helmut Dantine	...	Col. Hugo von Keller
John Ridgely	...	Jim Austin
Gene Lockhart	...	Ernst
Tom Tully	...	Inspector Barnett
Bernard Nedell	...	Tom Dagor
Warren Douglas	...	Sergeant (scenes deleted)
Monte Blue	...	Jean
Alec Craig	...	Angus McBain

Storyline

Canadian Mountie Steve Wagner captures a German Luftwaffe officer on a spy mission, who later escapes from the prison camp. To catch the spy ring, the Mounties employ a ruse so that the spies, believing Steve to be sympathetic, enlist him in their plans.

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Plot Keywords:

german | escape | spy | corporal | nazi | 

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Taglines:

A woman's lips set the frozen north aflame.

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Romance | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

13 November 1943 (USA)

Also Known As:

Du sang sur la neige

Filming Locations:

Sun Valley, Idaho, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros, Thomson Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Errol Flynn was criticized for playing heroes in World War II movies. Tony Thomas in his book "Errol Flynn: The Spy Who Never Was" states that Flynn had tried to enlist in every branch of any armed services he could but was rejected as unfit for service on the grounds of his health. Flynn had a heart condition, tuberculosis, malaria and a back problem. Flynn felt he could contribute to America's war effort by appearing in such films as Edge of Darkness, Northern Pursuit, Dive Bomber, Objective, Burma! and Uncertain Glory. Reportedly, Flynn was at his most professional and co-operative ever was while working on World War II movies. The studios apparently did not diffuse the criticism of the state of Flynn's health, as they wished to keep it quiet for fear that it would damage his box-office draw.

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Goofs

In the opening the narrator states that the film takes place in 1941, but the order for the prisoners Wagner gives the Mounties is dated August 13, 1943.

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Quotes

Ernst: You know you can trust me.
Colonel Hugo von Keller: I trust no one!

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Connections

Features The Sea Hawk (1940)

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Soundtracks

"The Bonnie Banks O' Loch Lomond"
(ca 1745) (uncredited)
Lyrics by Robert Burns
Played off-screen on piano at the hotel

User Reviews

The Plane, Errol, The Plane

In Northern Pursuit, the brothers Warner tried to adapt the earlier Humphrey Bogart film, Across the Pacific to a story about our neighbors to the north. What I think they were trying for was a repeat of the critical and popular success the British film, the 49th Parallel enjoyed. I'm sure Errol Flynn's name above the title sold a few tickets back in the day, but as for drama Northern Pursuit is one of the more laughable examples of wartime propaganda zeal.

Like in 49th Parallel a group of Nazis get over to Canada, but they're going to the great frozen north instead of away from it. And they nearly all get killed in an landslide, mistakenly called an avalanche in the script. All, but Helmut Dantine.

Errol Flynn finds him and he's a Mountie of German ancestry, a fact that Dantine tries to exploit. Later on when Dantine escapes to try and complete his original mission, Flynn joins him and this is where the plot of the film looks just like Across the Pacific. If you've seen that film, you know exactly what happens here.

If Flynn looks a little disinterested in the whole business, it's probably not just the story that's doing it. Errol was fresh from his acquittal in that rape trial so I'm sure he had other things on his mind.

Seen today, Northern Pursuit is unintentionally funny in many spots, it's one of the low points of Flynn's career at Warner Brothers.