Along the way he enlists disgraced harvard man langdon towne young and his pugnacious sidekick hunk marriner brennan. Northwest passage, american adventure film, released in 1940, that deals with events of the french and indian war, a theme rarely explored in film. This film is set in 1759, when major robert rogers set out from the colonies to seek out a northwest passage to the pacific ocean. Together with dozens of loyal followers, rogers sets out and ends. With spencer tracy, robert young, walter brennan, ruth hussey. Northwest passage 1940 an epic western, about major robert rogers, the tough frontiersman who led a grueling expedition to canada in 1759 to punish a fearsome indian tribe and seek a northwest. The following information has been obtained from news items, production charts and the film s pressbook, unless otherwise noted. Based on kenneth roberts bestseller, tracy plays truelife explorer major robert rogers, the intrepid leader of the celebrated rogers rangers. Music is by herbert stothart and cinematography by william v. Northwest passage is a big budget technicolor historical epic from mgm. As directed by king vidor, northwest passage is an otherwise firstrate production, as the rangers also battle nature and starvation during their quest.
Spencer tracy and a stellar supporting cast grab muskets, gun powder and knives, and head out for adventure in northwest passage, a lavish technicolor retelling of french and indian war heroics. Langdon towne and hunk marriner join major rogers rangers as they wipe out an indian village. Told through the eyes of primary character langdon towne, much of the novel follows the exploits and character of robert rogers, the leader of rogers rangers, who were a colonial force fighting with the british during the french and indian war. Read more unfortunately, this title is unavailable in your region. Northwest passage, 1940 rogers rangers film showing in ti new. Northwest passage full title northwest passage book i. Another film released on friday, february 23, 1940 is dr.
Northwest passage is an historical novel by kenneth roberts, published in 1937. Northwest passage original theatrical trailer youtube. Northwest passage trailer 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. Northwest passage book irogers rangers is the 1940 adventure score by herbert stothart, mgms premier composer in the 1930s and 40s, presented in nearly complete form from the monaural optical film masters, with a few otherwise lost cues added from the film s musicandeffects track. Part of kenneth roberts novel was serialized in the saturday evening post, under the title rogers rangers 26 december 19366 february 1937. Friday, february 25, 1955 in germany and on saturday, may 05, 1951 in japan. This explains why the characters never actually make it to the northwest passage.
Langdon towne robert young, an aspiring artist, is kicked out of harvard law school for doing an offensive cartoon of the kings attorney, wiseman claggett. Spencer tracy and a stellar supporting cast grab muskets, gun powder and knives, and head out for adventure in northwest passage, a lavish. Northwest passage 1940 movie clip those red helions. 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. Northwest passage 1940 stream and watch online moviefone. It stars spencer tracy, robert young and walter brennan. Northwest passage recounts the adventures of rogers rangers, an 18thcentury expeditionary force charged with wiping out an indian tribe on the. It hit theaters early in 1940 but was filmed during that most magnificent of all movie years, 1939. Northwest bus sales mci 102d3 47 passenger motor coach with wheelchair lift c49661.
Northwest passage was initally released in the united states on friday, february 23, 1940. Adventure, history, western, drama, status of movie. They set out for fort wentworth, but when they arrive they find no soldiers and none of the supplies they expected. Screenplay by laurence stallings, talbot jennings, based on the novel by kenneth roberts. Based on the popular novel by kenneth roberts, passage follows the thrilling adventures of major robert rogers tracy, who leads 200 rangers across dangerous frenchindian territory on a raid to wipe out an enemy indian village in prerevolutionary america. The early technicolor gives the film the look of a childrens storybook. Northwest passage is an excellent and exciting film based upon the first part of the novel by the same name by kenneth roberts. Much of the focus of the story is on tracy, young, and brennan, but there are plenty of solid character performers in supporting parts, notably nat pendleton as a pub owner in the early scenes. In a perfect world, these three color records if they have survived in good condition would be scanned and recombined digitally, realigned. Northwest passage dvdr 1940 warner archive collection. Watch movie northwest passage high quality with duration 126 min and broadcast on 19400223 with mpaa rating is 1 movie title in your country. Northwest passage 1940 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more.
A film of this quality could never be made today and not maintain an unprejudiced view. It was based on the first part of kenneth robertss 1937 novel of the same name. Posted by charles silver, curator, department of film. The reliably excellent tracy leads a fine supporting cast in a film that is surprisingly gritty in its portrayal of his companys travails. Also featuring robert young, walter brennan and ruth hussey, northwest passage journeys far and wide to capture the great american pioneering spirit. The warner archive collection dvdr of northwest passage is a good transfer of this early technicolor epic, compromised somewhat by transfer elements with builtin flaws. The story follows langdon towne played by robert young, a young man. Spencer tracy northwest passage 01051940 ct1857 general view photograph.
Kenneth roberts factbased novel northwest passage would seem too raw and explicit a book to be considered for an mgm film adaptationmuch less one in technicolor. So, if northwest passage is on the grim and gruesome side, even its horrors are attractively painted. Spencer tracy, robert young, walter brennan, ruth hussey, nat pendleton writer. So for those who enjoy older films, this one will be sure to please. The ticonderoga historical society is set to open its 2019 free movie series with a showing of the classic spencer tracy film northwest. Northwest passage le grand passage 1940 condo for rent. Northwest passage online stream northwest passage gratis. Based on the bestselling 1936 novel by kenneth roberts, starring spencer tracy, robert young, walter brennan and ruth hussy, and directed by. Northwest passage is directed by king vidor and adapted to screenplay by laurence stallings and talbot jennings from the kenneth roberts novel of the same name. Most of the film was in garish two colours, similar to those cinecolor westerns of the late 1940s, with the three colour technicolour returning well into the latter half. It takes place during the french and indian war when major rogers and his rogers rangers attempt to wipe out a native town of. An educated mapmaker joins a group of rangers in a fight against the french and their indian allies as they head west. It has been released on friday, may 27, 1949 in france.
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