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My introduction to this next film was with my family at a drive-in movie theatre as a young teen. After watching Planet of the Apes, the next feature was about to start, and my two brothers and I were about to fall asleep. I think Mom and Dad thought they might actually get to watch the second film with some quiet in the back seat. Wrong!

Just prior to the opening credits, the second film began with a train whistle and an old steam locomotive filling from a water tank along a seemingly deserted stretch of track; until the camera panned to the hobos peering through the bushes and debris in hopes of catching a free ride. As the train slowly, began rolling along the tracks, a single man appeared from the shrubs and hopped between two cars and settled in with a sandwich.

Angered by this “freeloader”, the engineer opened a panel of what appeared to be tools, actually used as weapons, and gripped a sizable steel-head hammer. Jogging down the rooftops of the cars, he stopped above the break in the cars, where the unaware hobo chewed his lunch. Without mercy the engineer launched his weapon through the air, striking the man on the head. Helplessly struggling to maintain his grip on the train car, the man let go with a scream. The following scene follows the caboose traveling over the tracks where the hobo lies severed in half by the train wheels.

Needless to say, my brothers and I instantly jumped up,“Wow! This is gonna be cool!” This was my introduction to Emperor of the North, starring Ernest Borgnine, Lee Marvin and introducing Keith Carradine in his first film role.

During the Great Depression, hobos roamed the land, surviving in camps and living by the rules they defined. Trains were the only manner of transportation available at the time, so many traveled from town to town by “hopping“ the closest train car. In this film the demon-enemy to these tramps was Shack, an engineer played in the nastiest style by Ernest Borgnine. He would rather kill a man than allow him a free ride on his train. Enter Lee Marvin as A No. 1, a seasoned hobo respected far and wide among his tramp brethren across the country. After riding in to the local station on Shack’s train (#19) with a tag-along, cocky young hobo named Cigarette, played by Keith Carradine, A No. 1 learns his unwanted “trainee” is chatting up a storm about how he road Shack’s train.

Hearing about Shack, A No. 1 issues a public challenge by having the locals write on the water tower, ldquo; A No. 1 to Portland on the #19.” The remainder of the film is a battle of wills between Shack and A No. 1. Keith Carradine continues to follow on the heels of Lee Marvin, reluctantly learning what he can about the rules of the trains. A number of scenes demonstrate the sadistic nature of Shack, as he enjoys dragging a steel rod under the cars where he suspects the hobos are lying. As the heavy steel bounces off the ground from the end of his rope, he smiles as he begins to hear the involuntary moans of pain as the rod stabs his prey in the arms, back and head.

The climactic final scene comes with Shack chasing Cigarette down the rooftops of his train, with no where left to run. “The problem is you’re runnin’ out’a train!”, Shack delightfully tells his prey as he gets closer. However, as they reach the last car, A No. 1 appears from the caboose, “Your fight’s over here, Shack”. The final battle is not of wills, but it has become personal.

This is a classic film for any collection. The performances by these three actors are excellent, as Keith Carradine holds his own among the more senior Ernest Borgnine and Lee Marvin. The filming accurately captures the mood and tones of the Great Depression, using sepias, dim lighting and darker colors. I continue to enjoy this film and just recently found it in limited print DVD. It is available for rental and streaming on Netflix, as well. Enjoy!