Lee Marvin

Emperor of the North Lee Marvin

Drawing inspiration from Jack London's adventures travelling with hobos aboard trains throughout the U. S., this gritty Depression-era drama features outstanding performances from Lee Marvin, Keith Carradine, and Ernest Borgnine. Shack (Borgnine) is a cruel railroad agent who makes it his personal mission to rid the world of hobos out for a free ride. Legendary tough-guy hobo A-1 (Marvin) vows to ride Shack's train to its destination and survive, which would earn him the title of "Emperor of the North Pole." A humorous game of cat-and-mouse ensues, complicated by the pesky presence of the dim-witted Cigaret (Carradine), who is determined to prove himself but instead just gets in the way.