The Northern or Northwestern is a genre in various arts that tell stories set primarily in the late 19th or early 20th century in the north of North America, primarily in

western Canada Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West or the Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a Canadian region that includes the four western provinces just north of the Canada� ...

but also in

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...

. It is similar to the

Western genre The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...

, but many elements are different, as appropriate to its setting. It is common for the central character to be a

Mountie The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal and national police service of Canada. As poli ...

instead of a cowboy or sheriff. Other common characters include fur trappers and traders, lumberjacks, prospectors,

First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: **First Natio ...

people, settlers, and townsfolk. International interest in the region and the genre was fuelled by the Klondike Gold Rush (1896–99) and subsequent works surrounding it, fiction and non-fiction. The genre was extremely popular in the interwar period of the 20th century. Northerns are still produced, but their popularity waned in the late 1950s.

Characteristics

Northerns are similar to

westerns The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...

but are set in the frozen north of North America; that is,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. Of the two, Canada was the more common setting, although many tropes could apply to both. Popular locations within Canada are the

Yukon Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...

, the Barren Grounds, and area around Hudson Bay. Generic names used for this general setting included the "Far North", the "Northlands", the "North Woods", and the "Great Woods". Common settings include

boreal forests Taiga (; rus, тайга́, p=tɐjˈɡa; relates to Mongolic and Turkic languages), generally referred to in North America as a boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, spruces, ...

, isolated cabins, and mining towns. Snow featured to such an extent that Northern films were sometimes termed "snow pictures". Animals were a common feature too. Dogs and dog sleds were popularized by ''The Call of the Wild'' and ''White Fang''. Scenes involving attacks by bears date back to ''The Klondyke Nugget''. The primary antagonist in a Northern can be the wilderness, the weather and other natural elements, which the protagonists must endure, overcome and survive. Northerns often explore the 'Matter of Canada' (the national mythos of Canada, after the Matter of Rome). Common elements of which are the Black Donnelly murders (February 1880), the North-West Rebellion (1885), the Klondike Gold Rush (1896–99), the pursuit of Albert Johnson (January 1932), the October Crisis (October 1970), and persistent national anxiety about potential annexation by the United States. The Western idea of lawlessness set in American towns was not a part of the Canadian Northern, though individual lawbreakers or uprisings by Canadians feature in works such as ''

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

'' (1951), '' Riel'' (1979), and ''

Northwest Mounted Police The North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) was a Canadian para-military police force, established in 1873, to maintain order in the new Canadian North-West Territories (NWT) following the 1870 transfer of Rupert’s Land and North-Western Territory ...

'' (1940). In Northerns and wider crime fiction, the general Canadian preference is for law enforcement to be performed by the state rather than vigilantes or private investigators. Likewise, Northerns rarely feature the heroic outlaws often found in Westerns. On the subject, David Skene-Melvin writes "Canada never had a Wild West because the Mounties got there first," while Margaret Atwood writes "No outlaws or lawless men for Canada; if one appears, the Mounties always get their man." Law and order in Northerns set in Canada is most often represented by the Mounties, either the North-West Mounted Police or Royal Canadian Mounted Police depending on era. Like snow, Mounties are a common enough feature to become a synonym for the genre, with Northern films sometimes called "Mountie films". Their popularity was not confined to film; by 1930, 75 volumes of written Mountie fiction had been published, not including juvenile fiction and material published in magazines. Where a protagonist in a Western is often part of both civilization and the wild (whether native or criminal), Mounties in Northerns are entirely a part of civilization. The nature of fictional Mounties can vary depending on the nationality of the author. Mounties as written by British authors are often younger members of upper class British families serving the British Empire in the colonies. American-authored Mounties are often little different from US Marshalls and project the values of Westerns in that they place their individual sense of justice and conscience above their duty to the law. Canadian-authored Mounties represent, and are self-abnegating champions of, the Canadian establishment and its laws. Further, their authority does not come from either their social class or physical abilities; such a Mountie "upholds the law by moral rather than physical force". A common story outline for Northerns involving Mounties is a pursuit, confrontation and capture: the Mountie's pursuit of a fugitive takes place across the Canadian wilderness and may be resolved non-violently. According to Pierre Berton "the French-Canadian was to the northerns what the Mexican was to the westerns — an exotic primitive, adaptable as a chameleon to play a hero or a heavy." French-Canadians were a ubiquitous element of the genre. As characters, French-Canadians are typically depicted as rustic and uneducated. These characters were usually divided into two broad types: the heroic, happy-go-lucky bon-vivant and the villainous, lecherous killer. Some later examples merged the two stereotypes into a charming, roguish anti-villain. Common visual elements were a

tuque A knit cap is a piece of knitted headwear designed to provide warmth in cold weather. It usually has a simple tapered shape, although more elaborate variants exist. Historically made of wool, it is now often made of synthetic fibers. Found ...

, a sash and a pipe. All were present in the first appearance in film, in '' A Woman's Way'' (1908). Female French-Canadian characters also followed the "tempestuous" stereotype of female Mexican characters. Mexican actress

Lupe Vélez María Guadalupe Villalobos Vélez (July 18, 1908 – December 13, 1944), known professionally as Lupe Vélez, was a Mexican actress, singer and dancer during the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema. Vélez began her career as a performer in Mexican ...

, in line with her identity as "The Mexican Spitfire", played the title character in '' Tiger Rose'' (1929) in this mode; as did

Renée Adorée Renée Adorée (born Jeanne de la Fonte; 30 September 1898 – 5 October 1933) was a French stage and film actress who appeared in Hollywood silent movies during the 1920s. She is best known for portraying the role of Melisande, the love interes ...

in '' The Eternal Struggle'' (1923) and Nikki Duval in ''

'' (1951). A common anachronism in Northerns was the tyranny and absolute power of the

Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business di ...

and its officers, even into the modern period. This was repeated not just in fiction but by reviewers and critics too. The concept of ''La Longue Traverse'', or the Journey of Death, comes from '' The Call of the North'' (1914) and was popular in later films. In this, the Hudson's Bay Company executes convicts by forcing them into the wilderness without equipment or supplies. In 1921, the Hudson's Bay Company successfully sued the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation for the villainous portrayal of their Company in the latters' remake '' The Call of the North''. Alaska Natives or Métis are featured in some depictions. Besides being set in

Canadian Prairies The Canadian Prairies (usually referred to as simply the Prairies in Canada) is a region in Western Canada. It includes the Canadian portion of the Great Plains and the Prairie Provinces, namely Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. These provin ...

, the stories often contrast the American frontier with the Canadian frontier in several ways. In films such as '' Pony Soldier'' and '' Saskatchewan'' the North-West Mounted Police display reason, compassion and a sense of fair play in their dealings with

Aboriginal people Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

(

) as opposed to hotheaded American visitors (often criminals), lawmen or the American Army who seem to prefer extermination with violence.

History

David Skene-Melvin classes the "second period" of Canadian crime literature (1880–1920), as "the heyday of the 'Northern' and the literary exploration of Canada's remote and romantic frontiers." He refers to Joseph Edmund Collins as an important figure in this period because, despite his work being of low quality, he was the first Canadian author to address some aspects of the 'Matter of Canada' in his novels, such as ''The Story of Louis Riel: The Rebel Chief'' (1885) and ''Annette, the Métis Spy'' (1886). Northerns continued to be written after 1920 but Canadian authors largely moved to other genres after World War I as they moved away from a frontier and colonial ethos. The Klondike Gold Rush during the 1890s in Canada and Alaska brought a lot of wider, international attention to the far north of North America. Adventure novels from veterans of the gold rush—such as Jack London's ''

The Call of the Wild ''The Call of the Wild'' is a short adventure novel by Jack London, published in 1903 and set in Yukon, Canada, during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush, when strong sled dogs were in high demand. The central character of the novel is a dog named ...

'' (1903), Rex Beach's '' The Spoilers'' (1906) and

Robert W. Service Robert William Service (January 16, 1874 – September 11, 1958) was a British-Canadian poet and writer, often called "the Bard of the Yukon". The middle name 'William' was in honour of a rich uncle. When that uncle neglected to provide for hi ...

's ''

The Trail of Ninety-Eight ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (1909)—became best sellers. These inspired more adventure fiction which grew in popularity throughout the first half of the twentieth century. The genre was extremely popular in the inter-war years, with a "Mountie craze" hitting its peak during the mid-1920s. A large amount of Northern fiction is the work of non-Canadians. Nevertheless, Skene-Melvin writes "Just as the Western is widely regarded as emblematic of American culture, it can be argued that the Northern is the only truly indigenous Canadian art form, even if most of its exponents have been foreigners." One of the earliest international examples of the genre is the British play ''The Klondyke Nugget'', which was first performed in 1898. Its author,

Samuel Franklin Cody Samuel Franklin Cowdery (later known as Samuel Franklin Cody; 6 March 1867 – 7 August 1913, born Davenport, Iowa, USA)) was a Wild West showman and early pioneer of manned flight. He is most famous for his work on the large kites known a ...

initially wrote it as a Western but changed the location to capitalize on the contemporary gold rush. Charlie Chaplin's 1925 film ''

The Gold Rush ''The Gold Rush'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film written, produced, and directed by Charlie Chaplin. The film also stars Chaplin in his Little Tramp persona, Georgia Hale, Mack Swain, Tom Murray, Henry Bergman, and Malcolm Waite. Chapl ...

'' is a comedy that parodies some of the cliches of the Northern genre. The Looney Tunes character Blacque Jacque Shellacque, who first appeared in the 1959 short '' Bonanza Bunny'', is another parody. While the Hollywood

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

began to change in the post-World War II era and the Western myth eventually lost popularity, Hollywood Northerns remained mostly unchanged until their production waned in the late 1950s, the underlying mythology never being challenged.

Examples of Northerns

Folklore of Canada (Canadian oral stories)

* Chasse-galerie, the enchanted canoe that flies over the water of the river like a bird *

Johnny Chinook Johnny is an English language personal name. It is usually an affectionate diminutive of the masculine given name John (given name), John, but from the 16th century it has sometimes been a given name in its own right for males and, less commonly ...

, the Canadian cowboy and rancher of

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

Big Joe Mufferaw Joseph "Jos" Montferrand (; born Joseph Favre ; October 25, 1802 – October 4, 1864) was a French-Canadian logger, strongman, and folk hero of the working man and was the inspiration for the legendary Ottawa Valley figure Big Joe Mufferaw. ...

, woodsman

Paul Bunyan Paul Bunyan is a giant lumberjack and folk hero in American and Canadian folklore. His exploits revolve around the tall tales of his superhuman labors, and he is customarily accompanied by Babe the Blue Ox. The character originated in the o ...

of Canada. *

Louis Riel Louis Riel (; ; 22 October 1844 – 16 November 1885) was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political leader of the Métis people. He led two resistance movements against the Government of Canada and its first ...

Poetry

* '' The Spell of the Yukon'' by

, including "

The Shooting of Dan McGrew "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" is a narrative poem by British-Canadian writer Robert W. Service, first published in '' The Songs of a Sourdough'' in 1907 in Canada. Details The tale takes place in a Yukon saloon during the Yukon Gold Rush of th ...

" and "

The Cremation of Sam McGee "The Cremation of Sam McGee" is among the most famous of Robert W. Service's (1874–1958) poems. It was published in 1907 in ''Songs of a Sourdough''. (A "sourdough", in this sense, is a resident of the Yukon.) It concerns the cremation of a ...

Pulp magazines

* ''North-West Stories'' (May 1925–Summer 1937), became ''North-West Romances'' (Fall 1937–Spring 1953) * ''Complete Northwest Magazine'' (September 1935–April 1940) * ''Real Northwest Stories''

Comics

* '' 30 Days of Night'' * ''

King of the Royal Mounted ''King of the Royal Mounted'' is an American comics series which debuted February 17, 1935 by Stephen Slesinger, based on popular Western writer Zane Grey's byline and marketed as ''Zane Grey's King of the Royal Mounted''. The series' protagonist ...

'' * ''

Jesuit Joe Jesuit Joe is a mysterious character who appears in the eponymous story of Italian comics creator Hugo Pratt. This graphic novel was initially serialised in ''Pilote'' magazine before it was released as hardcover albums in 1980, in France entitle ...

Books

* ''The Story of Louis Riel: The Rebel Chief'' (1885), by Joseph Edmund Collins * ''Annette, the Métis Spy'' (1886), by Joseph Edmund Collins * ''The Devil's Playground'' (1894), by John Mackie * Klondike Kit Library (May 1898 – March 1899, series of 19

dime novel The dime novel is a form of late 19th-century and early 20th-century U.S. popular fiction issued in series of inexpensive paperbound editions. The term ''dime novel'' has been used as a catchall term for several different but related forms, r ...

s), by William Wallace Cook * ''The Sky Pilot'' (1899), by Ralph Connor * ''

'' (1903), by Jack London * ''The Hound from the North'' (1904), by Ridgwell Cullum * ''

White Fang ''White Fang'' is a novel by American author Jack London (1876–1916) — and the name of the book's eponymous character, a wild wolfdog. First serialized in ''Outing'' magazine between May and October 1906, it was published in book form in Oc ...

'' (1906), by Jack London * '' The Spoilers'' (1906) by Rex Beach * ''

'' (1909) by

* ''Corporal Cameron of the North West Mounted Police'' (1912), by Ralph Connor * ''Yukon Trail'' (1917), by

William MacLeod Raine William MacLeod Raine (June 22, 1871 – July 25, 1954), was a British-born American novelist who wrote fictional adventure stories about the American Old West. In 1959, he was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners of the National Cowb ...

* ''

Renfrew of the Royal Mounted ''Renfrew of the Royal Mounted'' was a popular series of boy's adventure books written by Laurie York Erskine that were later filmed and became a series on both radio and television. Canon 'Inspector Douglas Renfrew' was a former Royal Flying Cor ...

'' (10 books, 17 short stories; from 1922) by Laurie York Erskine * ''The Alaskan'' (1923), by

James Oliver Curwood James Oliver Curwood (June 12, 1878 – August 13, 1927) was an American action-adventure writer and conservationist. His books were often based on adventures set in the Hudson Bay area, the Yukon or Alaska and ranked among the top-ten best selle ...

* ''The Snow Patrol'' (1925) by Harry Sinclair Drago * ''Gone North'' (1930), by Charles Alden Seltzer * ''

Susannah of the Mounties ''Susannah of the Mounties'' is a children's novel by Canadian author Muriel Denison, first published in 1936. In the book 9-year-old Susannah is sent to Regina, Saskatchewan to spend the summer with her uncle who is a Mountie. There are several ...

'' (1936), by Muriel Denison * ''Barren Land Showdown'' (1940) by Luke Short * '' Mrs. Mike'' (1947) by Benedict Freedman and

Nancy Freedman Nancy Mars Freedman (born July 4, 1920, in Evanston, Illinois, died August 10, 2010, in Greenbrae, California) was an American feminist novelist, the co-author of ''Mrs. Mike''.. Life Upbringing Freedman (née Nancy Mars) was a professional chil ...

* ''Torture Trail'' (1965) by Max Brand, based on "Torturous Trek" (published in ''

Western Story Magazine ''Western Story Magazine'' was a pulp magazine published by Street & Smith, which ran from 1919 to 1949.Doug Ellis, John Locke, and John Gunnison, (editors),''The Adventure House Guide to the Pulps'', Adventure House, 2000. (pp. 311–12). It was ...

'', August–September 1932) * ''Corporal Cavannagh'' (1982) by Ian Anderson, first of the Scarlet Riders series of seven books * Works of

James Hendryx James Beardsley Hendryx, (December 9, 1880 - March 1, 1963) was an American author of western fiction. Biography James Hendryx was born in Sauk Centre, Minnesota in 1880. He attended local schools in Sauk Centre and went to the University of Min ...

, George Marsh, Robert Ormond Case, William Byron Mowery, Philip H. Godsell, and Dan Cushman.

Collections

* ''Rugged Alaska Stories'' (1950), by Frank Richardson Pierce * ''Best Mounted Police Stories'' (1978), edited by Dick Harrison * ''The Northerners'' (1990), edited by Bill Pronzini and Martin H. Greenberg * ''Stories of the Far North'' (1998), edited by Jon Tuska * '' Scarlet Riders'' (1998), edited by Don Hutchison

Photographies

* '' Northern'', a collection of photographies by Anthony Jourdain

Radio

* ''

'' (presented by the author Laurie York Erskine) * ''

Challenge of the Yukon ''Challenge of the Yukon'' is an American radio adventure series that began on Detroit's WXYZ and is an example of a Northern genre story. The series was first heard on January 3, 1939. The title changed from ''Challenge of the Yukon'' to ''Se ...

'' (1939-1955) featuring ''Sergeant Preston''

Serials

* '' The Mystery Trooper'' (

1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...

) * '' Clancy of the Mounted'' ( 1933) * ''

The Mysterious Pilot ''The Mysterious Pilot'' is a 15-episode 1937 Columbia movie serial based on the book by William Byron Mowery and starring the record-breaking aviator Frank Hawks. This was the second serial produced by Columbia. In the serial, Hawks plays a fl ...

'' ( 1938) * ''

'' (

1940 A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * Januar ...

) * '' Perils of the Royal Mounted'' (

1942 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Declaration by United Nations is signed by China, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and 22 other nations, in w ...

) * ''

King of the Mounties ''King of the Mounties'' is a 1942 Republic 12-chapter film serial, directed by William Witney. Allan Lane played Sgt. Dave King of the Mounties, with Peggy Drake as heroine Carol Brent, and Abner Biberman played the villainous Japanese admiral ...

'' (

) * ''

The Royal Mounted Rides Again ''The Royal Mounted Rides Again'' is a 1945 Universal film serial. Adventure serials of this type were popular in the early days of cinema. The serial, often called cliffhangers, would show one episode per week, with an ending that would hide t ...

'' (

1945 1945 marked the end of World War II and the fall of Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan. It is also the only year in which Nuclear weapon, nuclear weapons Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, have been used in combat. Events Below, ...

) * '' Dangers of the Canadian Mounted'' ( 1948) * '' Canadian Mounties vs Atomic Invaders'' ( 1953) * ''

Gunfighters of the Northwest ''Gunfighters of the Northwest'' is a 1954 American Western serial film directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and Charles S. Gould and starring Jock Mahoney, Clayton Moore, Phyllis Coates, Don C. Harvey. Plot White Horse Rebels, under the command o ...

'' ( 1954) * ''

Perils of the Wilderness ''Perils of the Wilderness'' is a 1956 American Western serial film directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and starring Dennis Moore. Plot U.S. Deputy Marshal Dan Lawson teams with RCMP Sergeant Gray to go undercover and capture the nefarious smuggl ...

'' ( 1956)

Television

* ''

'' (1953) * '' Sergeant Preston of the Yukon'' (1955–1958) * '' R.C.M.P.'' (1959–1960) * '' Klondike'' (1960–1961) * ''

Dudley Do-Right Dudley Do-Right is a fictional character created by Alex Anderson, Chris Hayward, Allan Burns, Jay Ward, and Bill Scott, who appears as the main protagonist of "Dudley Do-Right of the Mounties", a segment on '' The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.' ...

'' (1961–1970, animated), a spoof of melodrama and silent films using the genre * '' The Forest Rangers'' (1963–1965) * ''

Klondike Kat ''Klondike Kat'' was a cartoon produced by Total Television and originally aired as part of '' The Beagles'' on CBS-TV in 1966, and later found in the U.S. syndicated ''Underdog'' and '' Tennessee Tuxedo'' cartoon series, in between episodes as an a ...

'' (1963–1968, animated) * '' Adventures in Rainbow Country'' (1970–1971) * ''

Red Serge The Red Serge refers to the jacket of the dress uniform of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. It consists of a scarlet British-style military pattern tunic, complete with a high-neck collar and blue breeches with yellow stripe identifying a ca ...

'' (1986–1987) * '' Bordertown'' (1989–1991) * '' Northern Exposure'' (1990–1995) * '' North of 60'' (1992–1997) * '' Due South'' (1994–1999) * ''

When Calls the Heart ''When Calls the Heart'' is an American television drama series, inspired by Janette Oke's book of the same name from her ''Canadian West series'', and developed by Michael Landon Jr. The series began airing on the Hallmark Channel in the Uni ...

'' (2014—) * '' An Klondike'' (2015–17)

Films

* '' A Woman's Way'' (1908) * ''

The Snowbird ''The Snowbird'' is an existing 1916 silent film drama directed by Edwin Carewe and starring Mabel Taliaferro. B. A. Rolfe produced while Metro Pictures distributed. Cast *Mabel Taliaferro as Lois Wheeler * Edwin Carewe as Jean Corteau *James Cr ...

'' (1916) * '' 'Blue Blazes' Rawden'' (1918) * '' The Call of the North'' (1918) * '' The Spoilers'' (1914) * '' The Law of the Great Northwest'' (1918) * '' The Law of the North'' (1918) * '' The Mints of Hell'' (1919) * '' The Call of the North'' (1921) * '' Flower of the North'' (1921) * ''

Cameron of the Royal Mounted ''Cameron of the Royal Mounted'' is a 1921 Canadian silent action film directed by Henry MacRae and starring Gaston Glass, Irving Cummings and Vivienne Osborne.Langman p.531 Part of the tradition of Northerns, it is based on the story ''Corpora ...

'' (1921) * '' God's Country and the Law'' (1921) * '' The Sky Pilot'' (1921) * '' Belle of Alaska'' (1922) * ''

The Frozen North ''The Frozen North'' is a 1922 American short comedy film directed by and starring Buster Keaton. The film is a parody of early western films, especially those of William S. Hart. The film was written by Keaton and Edward F. Cline (credited ...

'' (1922) * '' The Man from Glengarry'' (1922) * ''

Nanook of the North ''Nanook of the North'' is a 1922 American silent film which combines elements of documentary and docudrama, at a time when the concept of separating films into documentary and drama did not yet exist. In the tradition of what would later be c ...

'' (1922) * ''

'' (1923) * '' The Eternal Struggle'' (1923) * '' The Spoilers'' (1923) * '' Gold Madness'' (1923) * ''

The Grub-Stake ''The Grub-Stake'' is a 1923 American silent Western film produced by and starring Nell Shipman. It was directed by Shipman's partner Bert Van Tuyle. It is considered an independent film. Cast * Nell Shipman as Faith Diggs * Alfred Allen a ...

'' (1923) * '' Where the North Begins'' (1923) * '' Lure of the Yukon'' (1924) * '' Yukon Jake'' (1924) * ''

The Ancient Highway ''The Ancient Highway'' is a 1925 American silent adventure film directed by Irvin Willat and written by James Shelley Hamilton and Eve Unsell based upon the novel of the same name by James Oliver Curwood. The film stars Jack Holt, Billie Dove ...

'' (1925) * ''

'' (1925) * '' The Flame of the Yukon'' (1926) * ''

The Lodge in the Wilderness ''The Lodge in the Wilderness'' is a 1926 American silent Western film directed by Henry McCarty and starring Anita Stewart, Edmund Burns and Larry Steers.Connelly, p. 153. It is a Northern based on a 1909 short story of the same title by Ca ...

'' (1926) * '' The Michigan Kid'' (1928) * '' Tiger Rose'' (1929) * ''

Men of the North ''Men of the North'' is a 1930 American Western film directed by Hal Roach and written by Richard Schayer from a story by Willard Mack. The film stars Gilbert Roland, Barbara Leonard, Arnold Korff, Robert Elliott and George Davis. The film wa ...

'' (1930) * '' O'Malley Rides Alone'' (1930) * '' The Spoilers'' (1930) * ''

Mounted Fury ''Mounted Fury'' is a 1931 American drama film directed by Stuart Paton and written by Betty Burbridge. The film stars John Bowers, Blanche Mehaffey, Robert Ellis, Frank Rice, George Regas and Lina Basquette. The film was released on Decembe ...

'' (1931) * ''

Riders of the North ''Riders of the North'' is a 1931 American pre-Code Western (genre), Western film directed by J.P. McGowan and starring Bob Custer, Blanche Mehaffey and Eddie Dunn (actor), Eddie Dunn. Cast * Bob Custer as Mountie Sergeant Stone * Blanche Meha ...

'' (1931) * '' The River's End'' (1931) * '' Honor of the Mounted'' (1932) * '' Mason of the Mounted'' (1932) * ''

McKenna of the Mounted ''McKenna of the Mounted'' is a 1932 American pre-Code Western film directed by D. Ross Lederman. A print is housed in the Library of Congress collection.''Catalog of Holdings The American Film Institute Collection and The United Artists Collec ...

'' (1932) * '' Courage of the North'' (1934) * '' The Fighting Trooper'' (1934) * '' The Trail Beyond'' (1934) * ''

Undercover Men ''Undercover Men'' is a 1934 American-Canadian action film directed by Sam Newfield and starring Charles Starrett, Adrienne Dore and Kenne Duncan.Pitts p.376 It was made in Toronto by the B-movie company Booth Productions. With a plot following the ...

'' (1934) * '' Border Brigands'' (1935) * ''

'' (1935) * '' Code of the Mounted'' (1935) * '' Fighting Shadows'' (1935) * '' His Fighting Blood'' (1935) * '' Northern Frontier'' (1935) * ''

The Red Blood of Courage ''Red Blood of Courage'' is a 1935 American drama film directed by John English from a screenplay by Barry Barringer. The film stars Kermit Maynard, Ann Sheridan, and Reginald Barlow. Plot Sgt. Sullivan of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police go ...

'' (1935) * '' Silent Code'' (1935) * '' Timber Terrors'' (1935) * '' Trails of the Wild'' (1935) * '' Wilderness Mail'' (1935) * ''

Caryl of the Mountains ''Caryl of the Mountains'' is a 1936 American northern (genre), northern film directed by Bernard B. Ray. It was made for Reliable Pictures and shot at Big Bear Lake, California. The film is also known as ''Get That Girl'' in the United Kingdom ...

'' (1936) * '' The Country Beyond'' (1936) * ''

'' (1936) * ''

Klondike Annie ''Klondike Annie'' is a 1936 American Western film starring Mae West and Victor McLaglen. The film was co-written by West from her play ''Frisco Kate'', which she wrote in 1921 and a story written by the duo Marion Morgan and George Brendan Dowe ...

'' (1936) * '' O'Malley of the Mounted'' (1936) * '' Phantom Patrol'' (1936) * '' Rose Marie'' (1936) * '' Secret Patrol'' (1936) * ''

Skull and Crown ''Skull and Crown'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by Elmer Clifton. It was the final film of cast member Molly O'Day. Cast * Rin Tin Tin, Jr. as Rinty *Regis Toomey as Bob Franklin posing as Rocky Morgan *Jack Mulhall as Border Pa ...

'' (1936) * ''

God's Country and the Woman ''God's Country and the Woman'' is a 1937 American Technicolor lumberjack drama film directed by William Keighley and written by Norman Reilly Raine. The film stars George Brent, Beverly Roberts, Barton MacLane, Robert Barrat, Alan Hale, Sr. a ...

'' (1937) * ''

'' (1937) * '' Death Goes North'' (1938) * ''

Heart of the North ''Heart of the North'' is a 1938 American adventure film directed by Lewis Seiler and written by Lee Katz and Vincent Sherman. The film stars Dick Foran, Gloria Dickson, Gale Page, Allen Jenkins, Patric Knowles, and Janet Chapman. The film was r ...

'' (1938) * '' On the Great White Trail'' (1938) * '' Blue Montana Skies'' (1939) * '' Fighting Mad'' (1939) * ''

Outpost of the Mounties ''Outpost of the Mounties'' is a 1939 American Western film directed by Charles C. Coleman and starring Charles Starrett. Plot In this adventure, a courageous Canadian Mountie must bring peace to an embattled miner and an unscrupulous trader ...

'' (1939) * ''

'' (1939) * '' Yukon Flight'' (1939) * '' Danger Ahead'' (1940) * '' Murder on the Yukon'' (1940) * '' North West Mounted Police'' (1940) * '' River's End'' (1940) * '' Sky Bandits'' (1940) * '' 49th Parallel'' (1941) * '' The Royal Mounted Patrol'' (1941) * ''

North of the Rockies ''North of the Rockies'' is a 1942 American Western film directed by Lambert Hillyer and starring Bill Elliott and Tex Ritter. Plot Western. Mounty rounds up gang of fur smugglers Cast * Bill Elliott as Sergeant Wild Bill Cameron * Tex Ritter ...

'' (1942) * '' Northwest Rangers'' (1942) * '' Pierre of the Plains'' (1942) * '' The Spoilers'' (1942) * ''

Law of the Northwest ''Law of the Northwest'' is a 1943 American Western film directed by William Berke and starring Charles Starrett, Shirley Patterson and Arthur Hunnicutt.Pitts p.184 Plot Cast * Charles Starrett as Steve King * Shirley Patterson as Michele Da ...

'' (1943) * '' Northern Pursuit'' (1943) * ''

Riders of the Northwest Mounted ''Riders of the Northwest Mounted'' is a 1943 American Western film directed by William Berke and written by Fred Myton. The film stars Russell Hayden, Dub Taylor, Bob Wills, Adele Mara, Dick Curtis and Richard Bailey. The film was released on ...

'' (1943) * '' Northwest Trail'' (1945) * '' Neath Canadian Skies'' (1946) * '' North of the Border'' (1946) * ''

Road to Utopia ''Road to Utopia'' is a 1946 American semi-musical comedy film directed by Hal Walker and starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour. Filmed in 1943 but not released until 1946, ''Road to Utopia'' is the fourth film of the "'' Road to � ...

'' (1946) * '' Bush Pilot'' (1947) * '' Where the North Begins'' (1947) * '' Northwest Stampede'' (1948) * ''

Canadian Pacific The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...

'' (1949) * '' Mrs. Mike'' (1949) * ''

Trail of the Mounties ''Trail of the Mounties'', also known as ''Law of the Mounties'', is a 1947 American Western film directed by Howard Bretherton and starring Russell Hayden, Jennifer Holt, and Emmett Lynn. Premise A Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman is seeking ...

'' (1949) * ''

Trail of the Yukon ''Trail of the Yukon'' is a 1949 American Northern film directed by William Beaudine and starring Kirby Grant, Suzanne Dalbert and Bill Edwards. It was based on a novel by James Oliver Curwood about a North-West Mounted Police officer and his ...

'' (1949) * ''

Call of the Klondike ''Call of the Klondike'' is a 1950 American Northern film directed by Frank McDonald and starring Kirby Grant, Anne Gwynne, and Lynne Roberts. The film was the fourth in the series of ten films featuring Kirby Grant as a Canadian Mountie.Dre ...

'' (1950) * '' The Cariboo Trail'' (1950) * ''

North of the Great Divide '' North of the Great Divide '' is a 1950 American western film directed by William Witney and starring Roy Rogers, Penny Edwards and Gordon Jones. Plot An Indian tribe, the Osekas, in the north-west near the Canadian border has been dependin ...

'' (1950) * ''

Snow Dog ''Snow Dog'' is a 1950 American Northern film directed by Frank McDonald and starring Kirby Grant, Elena Verdugo and Rick Vallin. It was the third of a series of ten films featuring Grant as a Canadian Mountie.Drew, p. 225. Plot Cast * ...

'' (1950) * '' Northwest Territory'' (1951) * ''

'' (1951) * ''

Yukon Manhunt ''Yukon Manhunt'' is a 1951 American Northern film directed by Frank McDonald and starring Kirby Grant, Gail Davis and Margaret Field. The film was the sixth in the series of ten films featuring Kirby Grant as a Canadian Mountie.Drew, p. 22 ...

'' (1951) * '' Blue Canadian Rockies'' (1952) * '' Border Saddlemates'' (1952) * '' Lost in Alaska'' (1952) * '' Pony Soldier'' (1952) * '' The Wild North'' (1952) * '' Yukon Gold'' (1952) * '' Back to God's Country'' (1953) * ''

Fangs of the Arctic ''Fangs of the Arctic'' is a 1953 American Northern film directed by Rex Bailey and starring Kirby Grant, Lorna Hanson and Warren Douglas. The film was the eighth in the series of ten films featuring Kirby Grant as a Canadian Mountie.Drew, ...

'' (1953) * '' Fort Vengeance'' (1953) * ''

Northern Patrol The Northern Patrol, also known as Cruiser Force B and the Northern Patrol Force, was an operation of the British Royal Navy during the First World War and Second World War. The Patrol was part of the British "distant" blockade of Germany. Its ma ...

'' (1953) * ''

The Far Country ''The Far Country'' is a 1954 American Technicolor Western film directed by Anthony Mann and starring James Stewart, Ruth Roman, Walter Brennan, John McIntire and Corinne Calvet. Written by Borden Chase, the film is about a self-minded advent ...

'' (1954) * '' Rose Marie'' (1954) * '' Saskatchewan'' (1954) * ''

Yukon Vengeance ''Yukon Vengeance'' is a 1954 American Northern film directed by William Beaudine and starring Kirby Grant, Monte Hale and Mary Ellen Kay.Marshall p. 346 It was the tenth and final film featuring Grant as Mountie Corporal Rod Webb, assisted by ...

'' (1954) * '' The Spoilers'' (1955) * '' Bonanza Bunny'' (1959) * ''

North to Alaska ''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 ' ...

'' (1960) * '' The Canadians'' (1961) * '' The Trap'' (1966) * ''

'' (1972) * '' Challenge to Be Free'' (1972) * ''

'' (1973) * '' Alien Thunder'' (1974) * ''

Challenge to White Fang ''The Return of White Fang'' ( it, Il ritorno di Zanna Bianca) is a 1974 Northern film. A sequel to '' White Fang'', it was directed, as was its predecessor, by Lucio Fulci, as part of a trend of films inspired by '' Call of the Wild'' (1972), wh ...

'' (1974) * '' Red Coat'' (1975) * ''

'' (1976) * '' Death Hunt'' (1981) * '' Silence of the North'' (1981) * ''

The Grey Fox ''The Grey Fox'' is a 1982 Canadian biographical Western film directed by Phillip Borsos and written by John Hunter. It is based on the true story of Bill Miner, an American stagecoach robber who staged his first Canadian train robbery on 1 ...

'' (1982) * ''

'' (1991) * ''

'' (1991) * '' Shadow of the Wolf'' (1992) * '' White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf'' (1994) * ''

Balto Balto (1919 – March 14, 1933) was a Siberian Husky and sled dog belonging to musher and breeder Leonhard Seppala. He achieved fame when he reportedly led a team of sled dogs driven by Gunnar Kaasen on the final leg of the 1925 serum run to ...

'' (1995) * ''

'' (1996) * '' North Star'' (1996) * ''

'' (1999) * '' Balto II: Wolf Quest'' (2002) * ''

Snow Dogs ''Snow Dogs'' is a 2002 American adventure comedy film directed by Brian Levant, and produced by Jordan Kerner. The film stars Cuba Gooding Jr., with a supporting cast of James Coburn (in one of his final roles), Joanna Bacalso, Sisqó, Nichell ...

'' (2002) * '' The Snow Walker'' (2003) * '' Balto III: Wings of Change'' (2004) * '' Gunless'' (2010) * '' The Mountie'' (2011) * '' The Revenant'' (2015) * '' Searchers'' (2016) * '' Togo'' (2019) * '' Call of the Wild'' (2020)

Video Games

* ''

Red Dead Redemption 2 ''Red Dead Redemption 2'' is a 2018 action-adventure game developed and published by Rockstar Games. The game is the third entry in the ''Red Dead'' series and a prequel to the 2010 game ''Red Dead Redemption''. The story is set in 1899 and f ...

References

External links

"Looking for Dudley Do-Right"
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Canuxploitation

NORTH WEST MOUNTED POLICE Canadian Mounties in Literature

(list of films)
The Force in the North - Myths at Virtual Museum Canada
{{Film genres Fiction by genre Film genres Western (genre) staples and terminology Royal Canadian Mounted Police in fiction Yukon in fiction Cinema of Canada Canadian folklore Klondike Gold Rush in fiction Northwest Territories in fiction Western (genre) films by genre

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