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Plot

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.
MPAA Rating:
Genre(s):
Action
Run Time:
118min.
DVD Release Date:
06/06/2006
Director(s):
Robert Aldrich
Starring:
Lee Marvin , Ernest Borgnine , Keith Carradine , Charles Tyner , Malcolm Atterbury
Themes:
Down on Their Luck
Tone:
Angry,Bleak,Confrontational,Forceful,Grim,Gritty,Harsh,Ominous,Tense
Keywords:
attack,bad-guy,battle [war],bum,camp,chain,death,drifter,fame,good-guy,police,railroad,rival,train [locomotive],traveling