The film centers on an escalating war of wills aboard a steam locomotive in the Pacific Northwest.
Despite being directed by the man behind The Dirty Dozen and featuring two Oscar-winning powerhouses, the film was a commercial failure upon its 1973 release. Studio executives even shortened the title to Emperor of the North mid-run, fearing audiences thought it was a Christmas movie. subtitle Emperor of the North 1973
The original title, Emperor of the North Pole , refers to a piece of hobo lore—it’s an ironic title for the "king" of the hobos because an emperor of the North Pole rules over nothing but a frozen, empty wasteland. The film centers on an escalating war of
A legendary hobo king who prides himself on his ability to ride any rail for free. He represents the "outsider"—a man who refuses to be regimented or suppressed. The original title, Emperor of the North Pole
A sadistic, axe-wielding conductor who has made it his personal mission to ensure no hobo ever rides his train, "the Number 19," and survives.
The Brutal Majesty of Robert Aldrich’s Emperor of the North (1973)