In Northern Pursuit, the brothers Warner tried to adapt the earlier Humphrey Bogart film, Across the Pacific to a story about our neighbors to the north. What I think they were trying for was a repeat of the critical and popular success the British film, the 49th Parallel enjoyed. I'm sure Errol Flynn's name above the title sold a few tickets back in the day, but as for drama Northern Pursuit is one of the more laughable examples of wartime propaganda zeal.
Like in 49th Parallel a group of Nazis get over to Canada, but they're going to the great frozen north instead of away from it. And they nearly all get killed in an landslide, mistakenly called an avalanche in the script. All, but Helmut Dantine.
Errol Flynn finds him and he's a Mountie of German ancestry, a fact that Dantine tries to exploit. Later on when Dantine escapes to try and complete his original mission, Flynn joins him and this is where the plot of the film looks just like Across the Pacific. If you've seen that film, you know exactly what happens here.
If Flynn looks a little disinterested in the whole business, it's probably not just the story that's doing it. Errol was fresh from his acquittal in that rape trial so I'm sure he had other things on his mind.
Seen today, Northern Pursuit is unintentionally funny in many spots, it's one of the low points of Flynn's career at Warner Brothers.
Like in 49th Parallel a group of Nazis get over to Canada, but they're going to the great frozen north instead of away from it. And they nearly all get killed in an landslide, mistakenly called an avalanche in the script. All, but Helmut Dantine.
Errol Flynn finds him and he's a Mountie of German ancestry, a fact that Dantine tries to exploit. Later on when Dantine escapes to try and complete his original mission, Flynn joins him and this is where the plot of the film looks just like Across the Pacific. If you've seen that film, you know exactly what happens here.
If Flynn looks a little disinterested in the whole business, it's probably not just the story that's doing it. Errol was fresh from his acquittal in that rape trial so I'm sure he had other things on his mind.
Seen today, Northern Pursuit is unintentionally funny in many spots, it's one of the low points of Flynn's career at Warner Brothers.