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Northwest Passage

Play trailer Poster for Northwest Passage 1940,  2h 6m,  Adventure Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 75% 8 Reviews Tomatometer 68% 500+ Ratings Popcornmeter
75% Tomatometer 8 Reviews 68% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
An epic Western, about Major Robert Rogers, the tough frontiersman who led a grueling expedition to Canada in 1759 to punish a fearsome Indian tribe and seek a northwest passage to the Pacific. Langdon Towne and Hunk Marriner joined the Rangers at the Indian village, but when they head on to Fort Wentworth, they find the place deserted.

Critics Reviews

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Nick Rogers Midwest Film Journal Feb 2, 2026
2/5
Acknowledging it can be a fill-in-the-blank complaint for Hollywood films of its era like "Northwest Passage" to cite technical aptitude but a boring pace and rampant racism, well … so it goes. Go to Full Review
Danielle Solzman Solzy at the Movies Aug 26, 2025
2.5/5
Hollywood has a long history of misrepresenting Native Americans in Westerns, and while Northwest Passage isn’t a Western, the same problems apply. Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Sep 2, 2024
3/4
A hard-boiled adventure yarn that doesn’t skimp on the harshness or nastiness of the situations on hand. Go to Full Review
Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews May 11, 2010
A-
A rousing adventure story of epic proportions. Go to Full Review
Steve Crum Video-Reviewmaster.com Feb 24, 2008
5/5
Surprisingly gritty, realistic MGM version of early pioneers led by Spencer Tracy's Rogers. Go to Full Review
Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Jul 2, 2005
3/5
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Audience Reviews

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Abraham S Mar 14, 2019 Appalling. This is in contention for the worst movie ever made.
Draco L Nov 23, 2017 Take 'The Hidden Fortress' and cross it with your basic Cavalry Western and this is the result.
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Northwest Passage

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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King Vidor

Director

Spencer Tracy

Maj. Robert Rogers

Robert Young

Langdon Towne

Walter Brennan

`'Hunk'` Marriner

Ruth Hussey

Elizabeth Browne

Nat Pendleton

`'Cap'` Huff

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Northwest Passage

Northwest Passage (1940) Northwest Passage (1940) Northwest Passage (1940) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis An epic Western, about Major Robert Rogers, the tough frontiersman who led a grueling expedition to Canada in 1759 to punish a fearsome Indian tribe and seek a northwest passage to the Pacific. Langdon Towne and Hunk Marriner joined the Rangers at the Indian village, but when they head on to Fort Wentworth, they find the place deserted.
Director
King Vidor
Producer
Hunt Stromberg
Screenwriter
Laurence Stallings, Talbot Jennings
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Genre
Adventure
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 23, 1940, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 1, 2009
Runtime
2h 6m
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