North to Alaska (1960)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Henry Hathaway

Writers:

John H. Kafka (idea)
Ladislas Fodor (play)
(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 'Angel' Bonet
Mickey Shaughnessy	...	Peter Boggs
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 H. Kafka		(idea)
Ladislas Fodor		(play "Birthday Gift") (as Laszlo Fodor)
John Lee Mahin		(screenplay) and
Martin Rackin		(screenplay) and
Claude Binyon		(screenplay)
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

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

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

Other crew
Josephine Earl	....	dance stager

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (as Twentieth Century-Fox)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1960) (USA) (theatrical)
• Centfox (1960) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1965) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• 20th Century Fox (1961) (France) (theatrical)
• 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  registered trademark of CinemaScope

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:

Years after the production was first shown in public, the producers of the film admitted that, in the scene where Capucine is trying to laugh, she was actually tickled on her feet and that her laughs and pleas for mercy were entirely genuine.

Goofs:

Continuity: Inside the cabin, Sam hasn't quite finished buttoning Michelle's blouse when George enters. Later, the blouse appears completely buttoned.

Quotes:

Billy Pratt: Sam, do you think George is keeping her over there, you know, against her will?
Sam McCord: Oh, sure! You can hear her screamin' for help, can't ya?
Billy Pratt: Gosh, I just don't understand Michelle...
Sam McCord: There's one thing you gotta learn about women. They're all liars. And if they ain't liars, they're worse, laying for you with wedding music. Take that little dame from Oregon. All I was doing was tying her shoe laces and she starts beating me over the head with a preacher...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Disco Fever (1978/I)

Soundtrack:

NORTH TO ALASKA

Lumber jacks become gold miners in Nome, Alaska.

John Wayne plays Sam McCord, who teams up with George Pratt, played by Stewart Granger, striking it rich with a gold mine around the turn of the century in Alaska. Fabian plays George's younger brother, Billy. George sends Sam back to Seattle to bring back his bride to be; instead, Sam brings back a chorus girl played by Capucine.

Henry Hathaway directs this fist swinging comedy. Of course, Mr. Wayne is in charge of the fist fights and Fabian is the butt of and source of most of the comedy. Comic Ernie Kovacs plays a snide claim jumper. Fast paced frolic of a picture. An enjoyable lighter side of 'Duke' Wayne.