Monday, April 17, 2017

A To Z Challenge- The Letter N


So I'm a bit late today.....ughhhh. Head on over to the A to Z Challenge to see what everyone else is writing about.

NORTH TO ALASKA-1960


DIRECTOR: Henry Hathaway
STARS: John Wayne, Stewart Granger, Capucine, Ernie Kovacs, Fabian
OSCAR NOMS: Nil
OSCAR WINS: Nil
PLOT: 2 prospectors, who hit paydirt, get into more than they bargained for when one of them fetches his partner's mail order bride only to find out that she married someone else. He decides to bring back another and this is just the start of their problems.
LOVE: The fight scene and the hit theme song by Johnny Horton
TRIVIA: Stewart Granger was very intimidated by Hathaway who was bullying him, until Wayne talked to him and told him to stand up to the director. Granger did and the director lessened his bullying ways. Capucine and Wayne did not care for each other. In the fight scene, you can see Wayne's hairpiece fly up. Another tidbit, John Wayne loved to use young singers in his movies to help start them on an acting career if they wished.

JIMMY NOEL: May 15, 1903 to January 31, 1985


OCCUPATION: Actor, Stuntman
OSCAR NOMS: Nil
OSCAR WINS: NIL
ANECDOTE:  He was a prolific actor for both big screen and TV and usually was in Westerns. He seemed to have been in over 200 TV/Films. These actors are always needed for the background or for during the dangerous stunts but rarely get the recognition.

32 comments:

  1. I don't think I've seen this one, but the title is certainly familiar.So is Jimmy Noel's face, but not his name.

    Week three, Birgit. We can do this! ☺

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    1. It's a fun film and hope you get to see it one day

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  2. That's a lot of movies. He had a long career for a stuntman.

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  3. I remember the sing but don't think I ever saw the movie.

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    1. Song. Ugh I hate auto-correct.

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    2. Yes...autocorrect has done the same things to me. The song is great

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  4. Wow, a ton of movies indeed. I knew Wayne liked to use young singers, as he used a few.

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  5. Stunt actors definitely don't get the recognition they deserve.

    Cait @ Click's Clan

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  6. I wonder how many people are surprised, like myself, when they learn this sweet old guy was a stuntman. Once I got that in my head, I think what a rugged looking dude. Ah, perceptions.

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    1. He came from an era that one had to be rugged because they had no computers to do the stunts and many were inventing the stunts as they went

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  7. The song was much better than the movie.

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    1. I love the song but I also love the movie:)

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  8. Hi Birgit...is it my age...I can't remember this film and me and dad thought we had seen every John Wayne film...will have to put this on my Sunday afternoon watch list....you okay? Xxxxx

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    1. I'm feeling better so thank you:) this is a fun film and was a big hit when it came out. I hope you see it.

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  9. I wish I had a collection of John Waynes BEST movies.

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    1. I would start with the Searchers, Stagecoach, The Quiet Man, True Grit, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Red River, Rio Bravo, El Dorado, The Sons of Katie Elder, Mclintock.

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  10. This was a fun movie! I did not at all care for Fabian's "performance" (too much mugging), but I loved Ernie Kovacs, and of course John Wayne (it goes without saying).

    ~ D-FensDogG
    Check out my new blog @
    (Link:] Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...

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    1. Ernie was great in this movie...such a shame he died so young.

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  11. I really enjoyed this movie.
    And I liked the tidbit about JW helping young singers.
    Thanks for the info.

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  12. Lately I see kids with the name Fabian. And all I can think of is my mother. And how she HATED Fabian. Oh, it's a loathing...

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    1. Oh my...hahahahaaa. Why did she not like him?.

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  13. Hi Birgit - I haven't seen this or heard about the film - but I'll love reading through your choices if not now - later on ... I too was pleased to see John Wayne supported younger singers starting out -
    cheers Hilary

    http://positiveletters.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/o-is-for-orkney-islands-adapted-breeds.html

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    1. Thanks and hope you like what you read. Will check you out also.

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    2. That's quite a lineup of actors with John Wayne. Ernie Kovacs of course became big. Fabian comes as a surprise. I had no idea he could act. Your selection movies is great as usual!

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  14. Great behind the scene info, as always ;-)

    @JazzFeathers
    The Old Shelter - 1940s Film Noir

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  15. I'm back playing catch-up and loving it. I've never seen this movie, but Jimmy Noel looks familiar, even though I never watch westerns.

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  16. Not to nitpick, but are you sure that's Jimmy Noel? It looks more like Glenn Strange, character actor and one of Universal's many portrayers of the Frankenstein Monster.

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