NORTH TO ALASKA
DIRECTED BY HENRY HATHAWAY
PRODUCED BY HENRY HATHAWAY/ CHARLES K. FELDMAN/ JOHN LEE MAHIN
MUSIC BY LEONARD NEWMAN
20th.CENTURY FOX
Photo with the courtesy of lasbugas
INFORMATION FROM IMDb
Plot Summary
Sam (John Wayne) and George (Stewart Granger) strike gold in Alaska.
George sends Sam to Seattle to bring George's fiance back to Alaska.
Sam finds she is already married,
and returns instead with Angel (Capucine).
Sam, after trying to get George and Angel together,
finally romances Angel, who, in the meantime, is busy
fighting off the advances of George's younger brother, Billy (Fabian).
Frankie (Ernie Kovacs) is a con man trying to steal the partner's gold claim.
Full Cast
John Wayne .... Sam McCord
Stewart Granger .... George Pratt
Ernie Kovacs .... Frankie Canon
Fabian .... Billy Pratt
Capucine .... Michelle ('Angel')
Mickey Shaughnessy .... Peter Boggs
Karl Swenson .... Lars Nordquist
Joe Sawyer .... Land Commissioner
Kathleen Freeman .... Lena Nordquist
John Qualen .... Logger
Stanley Adams .... Breezy
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 .... 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 (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)
Roy Jenson .... Ole, Logger punched by Sam (uncredited)
Johnny Lee .... Coachman (uncredited)
Paul Maxey .... Nome Townsman (uncredited)
Kermit Maynard .... Townfolk (uncredited)
Jerry O'Sullivan .... Sergeant (uncredited)
Ollie O'Toole .... Mack (uncredited)
Tudor Owen .... Purser (uncredited)
Pamela Raymond .... Dancer (uncredited)
Charles Seel .... Gold buyer (uncredited)
Patty Wharton .... Dancer (uncredited)
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
Original Music
Russell Faith (song "If You Knew")
Lionel Newman
Cinematography
Leon Shamroy (director of photography)
Stunts
Fred Graham .... stunt double: John Wayne (uncredited)
John Epper .... stunts (uncredited)
Sol Gorss .... stunts (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)
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.
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
* Revealing mistakes: Sam McCord's hair flies off with the first punch of his fight with Frankie Canon.
* Continuity: Inside the cabin, Sam hasn't quite finished buttoning Michelle's blouse when George enters. Later, the blouse appears completely buttoned.
* Continuity: When Billy Pratt and Angel are having dinner, Billy opens a bottle of champagne that sprays out and douses one of the candles on the table. In the very next shot, Billy has his hand over the mouth of the bottle to stop the spray and the candle is lit. The candle is then out again, then lit again, then out a third time in following shots.
* 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).
* Audio/visual unsynchronized: When the cavalry come to impound the mine and the Duke is about to ride off with his share of the gold, the trooper has the correct Trapdoor Springfield carbine, but the cocking noise is that of a lever action Winchester. The Springfield had a side hammer and makes a click-click noise, while the Winchester makes a shook-shook noise.
* Revealing mistakes: In the scene when Sam McCord (John Wayne) and George Pratt (Stewart Granger) are coming out of the Palace escorting Peter Boggs to the Land Commissioner, Frankie pulls up in a wagon to race into the Palace to get Peter Boggs. When the fight starts and Frankie hits John Wayne, Wayne stumbles back. As he stumbles, he loses his cowboy hat. When his hat comes off, so does his toupee. As he turns around and you can see the bald spots on the top and back of his head.
Filming Locations
Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA
Big Bear Lake, Big Bear Valley, San Bernardino National Forest, California, USA
Mammoth Lakes, California, USA
Point Mugu, California, USA
(beach and exterior town scenes)
Yukon Territory, Canada
Watch this Trailer
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