Emperor of the North Pole

UPC: 024543242147

Studio: 20th Century Fox

MPAA Rating: PG   Contains:[Violence, Questionable for Children]

Summary: In this gritty and violent period drama set in the depths of the Great Depression, Lee Marvin stars as "A No. 1", the acknowledged King of the Hoboes. A No. 1 is famous among his fellow tramps for his ability to catch a ride on any train, no matter how risky the hop or dangerous the guards. He acts as a sort of mentor for Cigaret (Keith Carradine), a young hobo who brags that some day he'll surpass A No. 1 in his accomplishments. But neither has had the courage to ride a train guarded by Shack (Ernest Borgnine), an unusually sadistic railroad cop who will brutally beat or even murder any man who tries to catch a ride on his train. A No. 1 is determined that no one, not even Cigaret, is going to deny him his title, so taking his life in his hands, he and Cigaret hop a ride on Shack's train, and they are soon bearing the full brunt of his violent nature. Emperor of the North features superb location photography by Joseph F. Biroc and a fine supporting cast, including Charles Tyner, Simon Oakland, Elisha Cook Jr., and Sid Haig. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Category: Action

Features: ccFeature commentary by noted film historian Dana Polan
TV spots & theatrical trailer

Emperor of the North Pole

Format: DVD

Release Date: 06/06/2006

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Theatre Wide-Screen

Audio: DD2 Dolby Digital Stereo, DD1 Dolby Digital Mono

Runtime: 120 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,French,Spanish

Subtitles: English,Spanish

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Disc #1 -- Emperor of the North Pole
1. Nomads of the Rails [:49]
2. A Man and a Train [2:31]
3. Not On My Train! [2:19]
4. Main Titles [2:50]
5. Boxed In [6:32]
6. A Sure Bet [7:53]
7. He Rode the 19! [2:25]
8. Marking Their Fame [4:36]
9. The Odds-On Favorite [1:05]
10. Hi-Ballin' The Yard [6:32]
11. Heading For a Head-On [1:46]
12. Hobo Fist Aid [5:38]
13. It's My Road Kid! [1:20]
14. Trolling For Hoboes [10:37]
15. Buckets of Grease [2:58]
16. Barking For a Turkey [1:17]
17. A Chance to Be a Good Bum [8:42]
18. Thou Shall Not Steal [6:50]
19. The End of Cracker [9:24]
20. He Who Would Be Emperor [3:45]
21. Running Out of Train [4:54]
22. I Promised You a Fight! [2:19]
23. A Bum Without Class [3:17]
24. End Titles [2:17]

Donald Guarisco

Often overlooked, this is an excellent period adventure and one of Robert Aldrich's best latter-day efforts. Emperor of the North benefits from a smart Christopher Knopf script; it is packed with vivid details that bring its train yard setting to life and plenty of salty, convincing tough-guy dialogue. Aldrich brings the tricky, train-bound narrative life with a true craftsman's skill, deftly orchestrating the many complex set pieces involving trains so they offer maximum excitement. It's also worth noting that Aldrich's work is aided immensely by Joseph Biroc's richly detailed cinematography and the razor-sharp precision of Michael Luciano's editing. Finally, the film boasts three magnificent performances that really bring the tale to life; Lee Marvin is effortlessly convincing as macho man of the earth A No. 1, Keith Carradine is amusingly snotty as his reluctant pupil, Cigaret, and Ernest Borgnine is terrifying as the sadistic, single-minded Shack. It all adds up to a magnificent "guy's movie" that is well worth the time for anyone interested in Aldrich's work (and connoisseurs of macho cinema in general). ~ Donald Guarisco, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Elisha Cook, Jr.  Actor 
Harry Hickox  Actor 
Vic Tayback  Actor 
Hal Baylor  Actor 
Liam Dunn  Actor 
Dave Willock  Actor 
Don Blackman  Actor 
Robert Foulk  Actor 
Ralph Montgomery  Actor 
Harry Caesar  Actor 
Raymond Guth  Actor 
John Steadman  Actor 
Jimmy Goodwin  Actor 
Jack Collins  Actor 
Sid Haig  Actor 
Forrest Wood  Actor 
Joe di Reda  Actor 
Karl Lukas  Actor 
Matt Clark  Actor 
Danny "Big" Black  Actor 
Diane Dye  Actor 
Ed McNally  Actor 
Wayne Sutherlin  Actor 
Robert Aldrich  Director 
Frank De Vol  Composer (Music Score) 
Christopher Knopf  Screenwriter 
Stan Hough  Producer 
Lee Marvin  Actor 
Ernest Borgnine  Actor 
Keith Carradine  Actor 
Charles Tyner  Actor 
Malcolm Atterbury  Actor 
Simon Oakland  Actor 

Country: USA