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| North to Alaska | |
|---|---|
| 1960 movie poster | |
| Directed by | Henry Hathaway |
| Produced by | Henry Hathaway John Lee Mahin (uncredited) Charles Feldman (uncredited) |
| Written by | John Lee Mahin Martin Rackin Claude Binyon Wendell Mayes (uncredited) Ben Hecht (uncredited) |
| Based on | Birthday Gift 1939 play by Ladislas Fodor from an idea by John Kafka |
| Starring | John Wayne Stewart Granger Capucine Ernie Kovacs Fabian |
| Music by | Lionel Newman |
| Cinematography | Leon Shamroy |
| Edited by | Dorothy Spencer |
| Production company | 20th Century Fox |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date | November 13, 1960 |
| Running time | 122 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $3.8 million |
| Box office | $5 million (US/ Canada rentals) 1,994,920 admissions (France) |
North to Alaska is a 1960 comedic Western/Northern film directed by Henry Hathaway and John Wayne (uncredited). The picture stars Wayne along with Stewart Granger, Ernie Kovacs, Fabian, and Capucine. The script is based on the 1939 play Birthday Gift by Ladislas Fodor and is set during the Nome gold rush.
The movie featured Johnny Horton‘s song “North to Alaska“, sung during the opening titles, setting up an introduction to the story.
Alaska was admitted to the Union as the 49th state in 1959 and was much in the news at the time. In early 1959 it was announced 20th Century Fox would make The Alaskans starring John Wayne and written by Martin Rackin and John Lee Mahin (the three men had just made The Horse Soldiers together). The film was the first in a three-movie contract for Wayne with 20th Century Fox.
The first choice for director by Wayne was Henry Hathaway. He had a commitment to direct Woman Obsessed, however, and was replaced by Richard Fleischer, who had a contract with 20th Century Fox and had just made the successful Compulsion (1959). Fleischer was enthusiastic about making a John Wayne film but did not like the story. He says a prime force behind the film was the agent Charles Feldman, who represented production head Buddy Adler, Wayne, Rackin and Mahin, and whose girlfriend Capucine was to play the female lead. Adler insisted Fleischer make the film as John Wayne had committed without reading a script and might pull out if the director pulled out. Fleischer says he got out of the film by saying he did not want to work with Capucine. Hathaway became available and his appointment was announced in March 1959.
Spyros Skouras wanted the budget of the film reduced; that Hathaway did by reducing location shots.
The movie spent a long time in pre-production (during which it was also known as Go North) and was delayed by the writers strike and Wayne’s involvement in making The Alamo (1960), a passion project of his that ended up costing the actor millions of his own money. Shooting on North to Alaska did not start until May 1960.
Gary Crosby was reportedly cast as Granger’s brother until replaced by Fabian, a pop singer who 20th Century Fox had just tried to turn into a film star with Hound Dog Man. The movie was not a success but the studio felt that Fabian might attract younger movie goers in support roles.
Shooting began in May 1960 under the title Go North. Most of the film was shot in Point Mugu, California. The Wayne and Granger “honeymoon” cabin scenes were filmed along steaming Hot Creek near volcanic Mammoth Mountain. Mt. Morrison appears in the background of many views.
Production started without a completed script and the movie wound up being heavily improvised. John Wayne said during the shoot:
I went to see Buddy (Buddy Adler, studio head at Fox) and Skouros (Spyros Skouros, president of Fox) and told them we didn’t even have a finished script. They’re supposed to have been preparing this thing for a year, but Adler tells me he’ll whip it into shape personally in a few days. Then he takes off for London and Skouras heads for New York. Henry is a fine director, but he shouldn’t have to be making up scenes … Of course Marty Rackin and John Mahin, who were supposed to produce and who worked on the script, left the picture to do television. Then the writers strike came along. I guess the studio thought the strike would be ended before we started the picture. All I know is, I’d go broke if I tried this in an independent production.
Ben Hecht who frequently worked with Hathaway was brought in as a script doctor.
“This is great”, Ernie Kovacs told a journalist as he lounged by a pool. “I’ve been here since 9 this morning and we’re behind schedule, so I haven’t even put on my costume. I didn’t do anything during the actors’ strike and now I’m back at work and I’m still not doing anything. It’s a great way to make a living.”
Fabian enjoyed working with John Wayne. “What you saw is what you got”, recalled the singer. “He was incredible. He was very nice to me.”
Capucine filmed a realistic no-foam bath while being serenaded by Fabian: this scene sneaking through nearly 3 years before Jayne Mansfield officially broke the mainstream nudity ban.
Stewart Granger’s marriage to Jean Simmons ended during filming. A divorce was granted in August 1960.
The head of studio Buddy Adler died midway through production. The movie finished filming by August 1960, was edited through September and released in November.
Theme song
The theme song’s lyrics during the opening titles provide a back story for the point where the film begins: Sam McCord left Seattle in 1892 with George and Billy Pratt, “crossed the Yukon river” and “found the bonanza gold below that old white mountain just a little southeast of Nome.” By “1901” Sam was known as “a mighty man”, and his partner George then tells him, “I’d trade all the gold that’s buried in this land for one small band of gold to place on sweet little Jenny’s hand.” George feels that Jenny is his “true love”, and he declares he will “build for my Jenny a honeymoon home” below the same mountain where gold was discovered. An instrumental of the song is also played at the saloon on a piano when Sam and Angel arrive in Nome.
Recorded by Johnny Horton, the song lyrics were written by Mike Phillips, and it was released on 22 August 1960 . It proved to be a success when it topped the Billboard country charts for five weeks in Jan./Feb. 1961 and crossed over to peak at #4 on the pop charts.
However, Horton didn’t live to see its success, as he died in a traffic collision 5 November 1960 (eight days before the film release), and his death may have contributed to the song’s success. Horton sang other tie-in songs, the most famous being the song for Sink the Bismarck!.
Horton had previously topped the country charts with his song “When It’s Springtime in Alaska” in 1959
and with his monster hit of the same year, The Battle of New Orleans.
Reception
Critical
The Los Angeles Times called it “old fashioned but enjoyable entertainment”.
Box office
The film was popular at the box office, earning $10 million and making Fox a comfortable profit.
Awards
Fabian’s performance won the “Uncrossed Heart” award for least Promising Actor of 1960 for him in Harvard Lampoon’s Annual Movie awards.
Watch the movie “North To Alaska”
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