The Northern or Northwestern is a

genre Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...

in various arts that tell stories set primarily in the late 19th or early 20th century in the north of

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

, primarily in

western Canada Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West or the Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a Canadian region that includes the four western provinces just north of the Canada� ...

but also in

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

. It is similar to the

Western genre The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...

, but many elements are different, as appropriate to its setting. It is common for the central character to be a

Mountie The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal and national police service of Canada. As poli ...

instead of a

cowboy A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the '' vaquer ...

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

. Other common characters include fur trappers and traders, lumberjacks, prospectors,

First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: **First Natio ...

people, settlers, and townsfolk. International interest in the region and the genre was fuelled by the Klondike Gold Rush (1896–99) and subsequent works surrounding it, fiction and non-fiction. The genre was extremely popular in the

interwar period In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the World War I, First World War to the beginning of the World War II, Second World War. The in ...

of the 20th century. Northerns are still produced, but their popularity waned in the late 1950s.

Characteristics

Northerns are similar to

westerns The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...

but are set in the frozen north of

; that is,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. Of the two, Canada was the more common setting, although many tropes could apply to both. Popular locations within Canada are the

Yukon Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...

, the

Barren Grounds The Barren Grounds (also called Barren Lands) are a large area of tundra located in mainland Nunavut and stretching into the Northwest Territories in northern Canada. The Barren Grounds is nearly uninhabited, with the exception of a few coastal ...

, and area around

Hudson Bay Hudson Bay ( crj, text=ᐐᓂᐯᒄ, translit=Wînipekw; crl, text=ᐐᓂᐹᒄ, translit=Wînipâkw; iu, text=ᑲᖏᖅᓱᐊᓗᒃ ᐃᓗᐊ, translit=Kangiqsualuk ilua or iu, text=ᑕᓯᐅᔭᕐᔪᐊᖅ, translit=Tasiujarjuaq; french: b ...

. Generic names used for this general setting included the "Far North", the "Northlands", the "North Woods", and the "Great Woods". Common settings include

boreal forests Taiga (; rus, тайга́, p=tɐjˈɡa; relates to Mongolic and Turkic languages), generally referred to in North America as a boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, spruces, ...

, isolated cabins, and mining towns. Snow featured to such an extent that Northern films were sometimes termed "snow pictures". Animals were a common feature too. Dogs and dog sleds were popularized by ''The Call of the Wild'' and ''White Fang''. Scenes involving attacks by bears date back to ''The Klondyke Nugget''. The primary antagonist in a Northern can be the wilderness, the weather and other natural elements, which the protagonists must endure, overcome and survive. Northerns often explore the 'Matter of Canada' (the national mythos of Canada, after the

Matter of Rome According to the medieval poet Jean Bodel, the Matter of Rome is the literary cycle of Greek and Roman mythology, together with episodes from the history of classical antiquity, focusing on military heroes like Alexander the Great and Julius Cae ...

). Common elements of which are the Black Donnelly murders (February 1880), the

North-West Rebellion The North-West Rebellion (french: Rébellion du Nord-Ouest), also known as the North-West Resistance, was a resistance by the Métis people under Louis Riel and an associated uprising by First Nations Cree and Assiniboine of the District of S ...

(1885), the Klondike Gold Rush (1896–99), the pursuit of Albert Johnson (January 1932), the

October Crisis The October Crisis (french: Crise d'Octobre) refers to a chain of events that started in October 1970 when members of the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) kidnapped the provincial Labour Minister Pierre Laporte and British diplomat James Cr ...

(October 1970), and persistent national anxiety about potential annexation by the United States. The Western idea of

lawlessness Lawlessness is a lack of law, in any of the various senses of that word. Lawlessness may describe various conditions. In society Anomie is a breakdown of social bonds between an individual and their community, in which individuals do not feel bo ...

set in American towns was not a part of the Canadian Northern, though individual lawbreakers or uprisings by Canadians feature in works such as ''

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

'' (1951), ''

Riel Riel may refer to: Places * Riel, Netherlands, a town in the Netherlands *Riel (electoral district), a provincial electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, named after Louis Riel * Riel, Winnipeg, a community committee comprising three city wards Pe ...

'' (1979), and ''

Northwest Mounted Police The North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) was a Canadian para-military police force, established in 1873, to maintain order in the new Canadian North-West Territories (NWT) following the 1870 transfer of Rupert’s Land and North-Western Territory ...

'' (1940). In Northerns and wider crime fiction, the general Canadian preference is for law enforcement to be performed by the state rather than vigilantes or private investigators. Likewise, Northerns rarely feature the heroic outlaws often found in Westerns. On the subject, David Skene-Melvin writes "Canada never had a Wild West because the Mounties got there first," while Margaret Atwood writes "No outlaws or lawless men for Canada; if one appears, the Mounties always get their man." Law and order in Northerns set in Canada is most often represented by the Mounties, either the

North-West Mounted Police The North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) was a Canadian para-military police force, established in 1873, to maintain order in the new Canadian North-West Territories (NWT) following the 1870 transfer of Rupert’s Land and North-Western Territory ...

Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal police, federal and national police service of ...

depending on era. Like snow, Mounties are a common enough feature to become a synonym for the genre, with Northern films sometimes called "Mountie films". Their popularity was not confined to film; by 1930, 75 volumes of written Mountie fiction had been published, not including juvenile fiction and material published in magazines. Where a protagonist in a Western is often part of both civilization and the wild (whether native or criminal), Mounties in Northerns are entirely a part of civilization. The nature of fictional Mounties can vary depending on the nationality of the author. Mounties as written by British authors are often younger members of upper class British families serving the British Empire in the colonies. American-authored Mounties are often little different from US Marshalls and project the values of Westerns in that they place their individual sense of justice and conscience above their duty to the law. Canadian-authored Mounties represent, and are self-abnegating champions of, the Canadian establishment and its laws. Further, their authority does not come from either their social class or physical abilities; such a Mountie "upholds the law by moral rather than physical force". A common story outline for Northerns involving Mounties is a pursuit, confrontation and capture: the Mountie's pursuit of a fugitive takes place across the Canadian wilderness and may be resolved non-violently. According to

Pierre Berton Pierre Francis de Marigny Berton, CC, O.Ont. (July 12, 1920 – November 30, 2004) was a Canadian writer, journalist and broadcaster. Berton wrote 50 best-selling books, mainly about Canadiana, Canadian history and popular culture. He also wr ...

"the French-Canadian was to the northerns what the Mexican was to the westerns — an exotic primitive, adaptable as a chameleon to play a hero or a heavy." French-Canadians were a ubiquitous element of the genre. As characters, French-Canadians are typically depicted as rustic and uneducated. These characters were usually divided into two broad types: the heroic, happy-go-lucky bon-vivant and the villainous, lecherous killer. Some later examples merged the two stereotypes into a charming, roguish anti-villain. Common visual elements were a

tuque A knit cap is a piece of knitted headwear designed to provide warmth in cold weather. It usually has a simple tapered shape, although more elaborate variants exist. Historically made of wool, it is now often made of synthetic fibers. Found ...

, a sash and a pipe. All were present in the first appearance in film, in '' A Woman's Way'' (1908). Female French-Canadian characters also followed the "tempestuous" stereotype of female Mexican characters. Mexican actress

Lupe Vélez María Guadalupe Villalobos Vélez (July 18, 1908 – December 13, 1944), known professionally as Lupe Vélez, was a Mexican actress, singer and dancer during the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema. Vélez began her career as a performer in Mexican ...

, in line with her identity as "The Mexican Spitfire", played the title character in '' Tiger Rose'' (1929) in this mode; as did

Renée Adorée Renée Adorée (born Jeanne de la Fonte; 30 September 1898 – 5 October 1933) was a French stage and film actress who appeared in Hollywood silent movies during the 1920s. She is best known for portraying the role of Melisande, the love intere ...

in '' The Eternal Struggle'' (1923) and Nikki Duval in ''

'' (1951). A common anachronism in Northerns was the tyranny and absolute power of the

Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business div ...

and its officers, even into the modern period. This was repeated not just in fiction but by reviewers and critics too. The concept of ''La Longue Traverse'', or the Journey of Death, comes from '' The Call of the North'' (1914) and was popular in later films. In this, the Hudson's Bay Company executes convicts by forcing them into the wilderness without equipment or supplies. In 1921, the Hudson's Bay Company successfully sued the

Famous Players-Lasky Corporation Famous Players-Lasky Corporation was an American motion picture and distribution company formed on June 28, 1916, from the merger of Adolph Zukor's Famous Players Film Company—originally formed by Zukor as Famous Players in Famous Plays—and ...

for the villainous portrayal of their Company in the latters' remake '' The Call of the North''.

Alaska Natives Alaska Natives (also known as Alaskan Natives, Native Alaskans, Indigenous Alaskans, Aboriginal Alaskans or First Alaskans) are the indigenous peoples of Alaska and include Iñupiat, Yupik, Aleut, Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, and a numbe ...

or Métis are featured in some depictions. Besides being set in

Canadian Prairies The Canadian Prairies (usually referred to as simply the Prairies in Canada) is a region in Western Canada. It includes the Canadian portion of the Great Plains and the Prairie Provinces, namely Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. These provin ...

, the stories often contrast the

American frontier The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of United States territorial acquisitions, American expansion in mainland North Amer ...

with the Canadian frontier in several ways. In films such as ''

Pony Soldier ''Pony Soldier'' is a 1952 American Northern Western film set in Canada, but filmed in Sedona, Arizona. It is based on a 1951 '' Saturday Evening Post'' story "Mounted Patrol" by Garnett Weston. It was retitled ''MacDonald of the Canadian Mou ...

'' and ''

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...

'' the North-West Mounted Police display reason, compassion and a sense of fair play in their dealings with

Aboriginal people Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

(

) as opposed to hotheaded American visitors (often criminals), lawmen or the American Army who seem to prefer

extermination Extermination or exterminate may refer to: * Pest control, elimination of insects or vermin * Genocide, extermination—in whole or in part—of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group * Homicide or murder in general * "Exterminate!", t ...

with violence.

History

David Skene-Melvin classes the "second period" of Canadian crime literature (1880–1920), as "the heyday of the 'Northern' and the literary exploration of Canada's remote and romantic frontiers." He refers to Joseph Edmund Collins as an important figure in this period because, despite his work being of low quality, he was the first Canadian author to address some aspects of the 'Matter of Canada' in his novels, such as ''The Story of Louis Riel: The Rebel Chief'' (1885) and ''Annette, the Métis Spy'' (1886). Northerns continued to be written after 1920 but Canadian authors largely moved to other genres after World War I as they moved away from a frontier and colonial ethos. The Klondike Gold Rush during the 1890s in Canada and Alaska brought a lot of wider, international attention to the far north of North America. Adventure novels from veterans of the gold rush—such as

Jack London John Griffith Chaney (January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916), better known as Jack London, was an American novelist, journalist and activist. A pioneer of commercial fiction and American magazines, he was one of the first American authors to ...

's ''

The Call of the Wild ''The Call of the Wild'' is a short adventure novel by Jack London, published in 1903 and set in Yukon, Canada, during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush, when strong sled dogs were in high demand. The central character of the novel is a dog named ...

'' (1903),

Rex Beach Rex Ellingwood Beach (September 1, 1877 – December 7, 1949) was an American novelist, playwright, and Olympic water polo player. Early life Rex Beach was born in Atwood, Michigan, but moved to Tampa, Florida, with his family where his father ...

's '' The Spoilers'' (1906) and

Robert W. Service Robert William Service (January 16, 1874 – September 11, 1958) was a British-Canadian poet and writer, often called "the Bard of the Yukon". The middle name 'William' was in honour of a rich uncle. When that uncle neglected to provide for hi ...

's ''

The Trail of Ninety-Eight ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (1909)—became best sellers. These inspired more adventure fiction which grew in popularity throughout the first half of the twentieth century. The genre was extremely popular in the inter-war years, with a "Mountie craze" hitting its peak during the mid-1920s. A large amount of Northern fiction is the work of non-Canadians. Nevertheless, Skene-Melvin writes "Just as the Western is widely regarded as emblematic of American culture, it can be argued that the Northern is the only truly indigenous Canadian art form, even if most of its exponents have been foreigners." One of the earliest international examples of the genre is the British play ''The Klondyke Nugget'', which was first performed in 1898. Its author,

Samuel Franklin Cody Samuel Franklin Cowdery (later known as Samuel Franklin Cody; 6 March 1867 – 7 August 1913, born Davenport, Iowa, USA)) was a Wild West showman and early pioneer of manned flight. He is most famous for his work on the large kites known a ...

initially wrote it as a Western but changed the location to capitalize on the contemporary gold rush. Charlie Chaplin's 1925 film ''

The Gold Rush ''The Gold Rush'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film written, produced, and directed by Charlie Chaplin. The film also stars Chaplin in his Little Tramp persona, Georgia Hale, Mack Swain, Tom Murray, Henry Bergman, and Malcolm Waite. Chapl ...

'' is a comedy that parodies some of the cliches of the Northern genre. The

Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series ''Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation.

character Blacque Jacque Shellacque, who first appeared in the 1959 short ''

Bonanza Bunny ''Bonanza Bunny'' is a 1959 Warner Bros. '' Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Robert McKimson. The short was released on September 5, 1959, and stars Bugs Bunny. In the cartoon, Bugs faces off with the French-Canadian claim jumper Blacque J ...

'', is another parody. While the Hollywood

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

began to change in the post-World War II era and the Western myth eventually lost popularity, Hollywood Northerns remained mostly unchanged until their production waned in the late 1950s, the underlying mythology never being challenged.

Examples of Northerns

Folklore of Canada (Canadian oral stories)

Chasse-galerie ''La Chasse-galerie'' also known as "The Bewitched Canoe" or "The Flying Canoe" is a popular French-Canadian tale of lumberjacks from camps working around the river of Gatineau who make a deal with the devil, a variant of the Wild Hunt. Its best-k ...

, the enchanted canoe that flies over the water of the river like a bird *

Johnny Chinook Johnny is an English language personal name. It is usually an affectionate diminutive of the masculine given name John (given name), John, but from the 16th century it has sometimes been a given name in its own right for males and, less commonly ...

, the Canadian cowboy and rancher of

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

Big Joe Mufferaw Joseph "Jos" Montferrand (; born Joseph Favre ; October 25, 1802 – October 4, 1864) was a French-Canadian logger, strongman, and folk hero of the working man and was the inspiration for the legendary Ottawa Valley figure Big Joe Mufferaw. ...

woodsman Woodsman (also, woodsmen, pl.) is a competitive, co-ed intercollegiate sport in the United States, Canada and elsewhere based on various skills traditionally part of forestry educational and technical training programs. In North America, the sp ...

Paul Bunyan Paul Bunyan is a giant lumberjack and folk hero in American and Canadian folklore. His exploits revolve around the tall tales of his superhuman labors, and he is customarily accompanied by Babe the Blue Ox. The character originated in the o ...

of Canada. *

Louis Riel Louis Riel (; ; 22 October 1844 – 16 November 1885) was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political leader of the Métis people. He led two resistance movements against the Government of Canada and its first ...

Poetry

* '' The Spell of the Yukon'' by

, including "

The Shooting of Dan McGrew "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" is a narrative poem by British-Canadian writer Robert W. Service, first published in '' The Songs of a Sourdough'' in 1907 in Canada. Details The tale takes place in a Yukon saloon during the Yukon Gold Rush of th ...

" and "

The Cremation of Sam McGee "The Cremation of Sam McGee" is among the most famous of Robert W. Service's (1874–1958) poems. It was published in 1907 in ''Songs of a Sourdough''. (A "sourdough", in this sense, is a resident of the Yukon.) It concerns the cremation of a ...

Pulp magazines

* ''North-West Stories'' (May 1925–Summer 1937), became ''North-West Romances'' (Fall 1937–Spring 1953) * ''Complete Northwest Magazine'' (September 1935–April 1940) * ''Real Northwest Stories''

Comics

* '' 30 Days of Night'' * ''

King of the Royal Mounted ''King of the Royal Mounted'' is an American comics series which debuted February 17, 1935 by Stephen Slesinger, based on popular Western writer Zane Grey's byline and marketed as ''Zane Grey's King of the Royal Mounted''. The series' protagonist ...

'' * ''

Jesuit Joe Jesuit Joe is a mysterious character who appears in the eponymous story of Italian comics creator Hugo Pratt. This graphic novel was initially serialised in ''Pilote'' magazine before it was released as hardcover albums in 1980, in France entitle ...

Books

* ''The Story of Louis Riel: The Rebel Chief'' (1885), by Joseph Edmund Collins * ''Annette, the Métis Spy'' (1886), by Joseph Edmund Collins * ''The Devil's Playground'' (1894), by John Mackie * Klondike Kit Library (May 1898 – March 1899, series of 19

dime novel The dime novel is a form of late 19th-century and early 20th-century U.S. popular fiction issued in series of inexpensive paperbound editions. The term ''dime novel'' has been used as a catchall term for several different but related forms, r ...

s), by

William Wallace Cook William Wallace Cook (1867-1933) also known by the pen-name John Milton Edwards, was an American journalist and author of popular fiction. His works include westerns, adventure stories, dime novels The dime novel is a form of late 19th-cent ...

* ''The Sky Pilot'' (1899), by Ralph Connor * ''

'' (1903), by

* ''The Hound from the North'' (1904), by Ridgwell Cullum * ''

White Fang ''White Fang'' is a novel by American author Jack London (1876–1916) — and the name of the book's eponymous character, a wild wolfdog. First serialized in ''Outing'' magazine between May and October 1906, it was published in book form in Oc ...

'' (1906), by

* '' The Spoilers'' (1906) by

* ''

'' (1909) by

* ''Corporal Cameron of the North West Mounted Police'' (1912), by Ralph Connor * ''Yukon Trail'' (1917), by

William MacLeod Raine William MacLeod Raine (June 22, 1871 – July 25, 1954), was a British-born American novelist who wrote fictional adventure stories about the American Old West. In 1959, he was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners of the National Cowb ...

* ''

Renfrew of the Royal Mounted ''Renfrew of the Royal Mounted'' was a popular series of boy's adventure books written by Laurie York Erskine that were later filmed and became a series on both radio and television. Canon 'Inspector Douglas Renfrew' was a former Royal Flying Cor ...

'' (10 books, 17 short stories; from 1922) by Laurie York Erskine * ''The Alaskan'' (1923), by

James Oliver Curwood James Oliver Curwood (June 12, 1878 – August 13, 1927) was an American action-adventure writer and conservationist. His books were often based on adventures set in the Hudson Bay area, the Yukon or Alaska and ranked among the top-ten best selle ...

* ''The Snow Patrol'' (1925) by

Harry Sinclair Drago Harry Sinclair Drago (March 20, 1887 – October 25, 1979) was an American writer of screenplays and Westerns. He also wrote under the names Stewart Cross, Kirk Deming, Will Ermine, Bliss Lomax, J. Wesley Putnam and Grant Sinclair. Partial fil ...

* ''Gone North'' (1930), by

Charles Alden Seltzer Charles Alden Seltzer (August 15, 1875 – February 9, 1942) was an American writer. He was a prolific author of western novels, had writing credits for more than a dozen film titles, and authored numerous stories published in magazines, most p ...

* ''

Susannah of the Mounties ''Susannah of the Mounties'' is a children's novel by Canadian author Muriel Denison, first published in 1936. In the book 9-year-old Susannah is sent to Regina, Saskatchewan to spend the summer with her uncle who is a Mountie. There are several ...

'' (1936), by Muriel Denison * ''Barren Land Showdown'' (1940) by

Luke Short Luke Lamar Short (January22, 1854September8, 1893) was an American Old West gunfighter, cowboy, U.S. Army scout, dispatch rider, gambler, boxing promoter, and saloon owner. He survived numerous gunfights, the most famous of which were agains ...

* '' Mrs. Mike'' (1947) by

Benedict Freedman Benedict Freedman (December 19, 1919 – February 24, 2012) was an American novelist and mathematician, the co-author of '' Mrs. Mike'' and a professor of mathematics at Occidental College in Los Angeles.. Life Upbringing Freedman was born to a ...

and

Nancy Freedman Nancy Mars Freedman (born July 4, 1920, in Evanston, Illinois, died August 10, 2010, in Greenbrae, California) was an American feminist novelist, the co-author of ''Mrs. Mike''.. Life Upbringing Freedman (née Nancy Mars) was a professional chil ...

* ''Torture Trail'' (1965) by

Max Brand Frederick Schiller Faust (May 29, 1892 – May 12, 1944) was an American writer known primarily for his Western (genre), Western stories using the pseudonym Max Brand. He (as Max Brand) also created the popular fictional character of young ...

, based on "Torturous Trek" (published in ''

Western Story Magazine ''Western Story Magazine'' was a pulp magazine published by Street & Smith, which ran from 1919 to 1949.Doug Ellis, John Locke, and John Gunnison, (editors),''The Adventure House Guide to the Pulps'', Adventure House, 2000. (pp. 311–12). It was ...

'', August–September 1932) * ''Corporal Cavannagh'' (1982) by Ian Anderson, first of the Scarlet Riders series of seven books * Works of

James Hendryx James Beardsley Hendryx, (December 9, 1880 - March 1, 1963) was an American author of western fiction. Biography James Hendryx was born in Sauk Centre, Minnesota in 1880. He attended local schools in Sauk Centre and went to the University of Min ...

, George Marsh, Robert Ormond Case, William Byron Mowery, Philip H. Godsell, and Dan Cushman.

Collections

* ''Rugged Alaska Stories'' (1950), by Frank Richardson Pierce * ''Best Mounted Police Stories'' (1978), edited by Dick Harrison * ''The Northerners'' (1990), edited by Bill Pronzini and Martin H. Greenberg * ''Stories of the Far North'' (1998), edited by Jon Tuska * '' Scarlet Riders'' (1998), edited by Don Hutchison

Photographies

* '' Northern'', a collection of photographies by Anthony Jourdain

Radio

* ''

'' (presented by the author Laurie York Erskine) * ''

Challenge of the Yukon ''Challenge of the Yukon'' is an American radio adventure series that began on Detroit's WXYZ and is an example of a Northern genre story. The series was first heard on January 3, 1939. The title changed from ''Challenge of the Yukon'' to ''Se ...

'' (1939-1955) featuring ''Sergeant Preston''

Serials

* '' The Mystery Trooper'' (

1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...

) * ''

Clancy of the Mounted ''Clancy of the Mounted'' (1933) is an American pre-Code Universal movie serial based on the poem " Clancy of the Mounted Police" by Robert W. Service, directed by Ray Taylor. Tom Tyler played Sgt. Clancy, and William L. Thorne played the villai ...

'' ( 1933) * ''

The Mysterious Pilot ''The Mysterious Pilot'' is a 15-episode 1937 Columbia movie serial based on the book by William Byron Mowery and starring the record-breaking aviator Frank Hawks. This was the second serial produced by Columbia. In the serial, Hawks plays a fl ...

'' ( 1938) * ''

'' ( 1940) * ''

Perils of the Royal Mounted ''Perils of the Royal Mounted'' is a 1942 American Northern (genre), Northern film. It was the 18th Serial (film), serial released by Columbia Pictures. It starred Robert Kellard (aka Robert Stevens) as the hero, Sgt. Mack MacLane of the Royal Mo ...

'' ( 1942) * ''

King of the Mounties ''King of the Mounties'' is a 1942 Republic 12-chapter film serial, directed by William Witney. Allan Lane played Sgt. Dave King of the Mounties, with Peggy Drake as heroine Carol Brent, and Abner Biberman played the villainous Japanese admiral ...

'' ( 1942) * ''

The Royal Mounted Rides Again ''The Royal Mounted Rides Again'' is a 1945 Universal film serial. Adventure serials of this type were popular in the early days of cinema. The serial, often called cliffhangers, would show one episode per week, with an ending that would hide t ...

'' (

1945 1945 marked the end of World War II and the fall of Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan. It is also the only year in which nuclear weapons have been used in combat. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. Januar ...

) * ''

Dangers of the Canadian Mounted ''Dangers of the Canadian Mounted'' is a 1948 Northern Republic film serial. Plot A criminal gang discovers a Genghis Khan treasure ship on the Canada-Alaska border. However, the treasure itself is hidden on land. In their efforts to find the ...

'' ( 1948) * ''

Canadian Mounties vs Atomic Invaders ''Canadian Mounties vs Atomic Invaders'' (1953) is a Republic Pictures, Republic Movie serial starring William Henry (actor), Bill Henry and both produced and directed by Franklin Adreon. It was the sixty-second serial (of sixty-six) produced b ...

'' ( 1953) * ''

Gunfighters of the Northwest ''Gunfighters of the Northwest'' is a 1954 American Western serial film directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and Charles S. Gould and starring Jock Mahoney, Clayton Moore, Phyllis Coates, Don C. Harvey. Plot White Horse Rebels, under the command o ...

'' ( 1954) * ''

Perils of the Wilderness ''Perils of the Wilderness'' is a 1956 American Western serial film directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and starring Dennis Moore. Plot U.S. Deputy Marshal Dan Lawson teams with RCMP Sergeant Gray to go undercover and capture the nefarious smuggl ...

'' ( 1956)

Television

* ''

'' (1953) * ''

Sergeant Preston of the Yukon ''Challenge of the Yukon'' is an American radio adventure series that began on Detroit's WXYZ and is an example of a Northern genre story. The series was first heard on January 3, 1939. The title changed from ''Challenge of the Yukon'' to ''Se ...

'' (1955–1958) * '' R.C.M.P.'' (1959–1960) * '' Klondike'' (1960–1961) * ''

Dudley Do-Right Dudley Do-Right is a fictional character created by Alex Anderson, Chris Hayward, Allan Burns, Jay Ward, and Bill Scott, who appears as the main protagonist of "Dudley Do-Right of the Mounties", a segment on '' The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.' ...

'' (1961–1970, animated), a spoof of melodrama and

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

s using the genre * '' The Forest Rangers'' (1963–1965) * ''

Klondike Kat ''Klondike Kat'' was a cartoon produced by Total Television and originally aired as part of '' The Beagles'' on CBS-TV in 1966, and later found in the U.S. syndicated ''Underdog'' and '' Tennessee Tuxedo'' cartoon series, in between episodes as an a ...

'' (1963–1968, animated) * ''Adventures in Rainbow Country'' (1970–1971) * ''Red Serge (TV series), Red Serge'' (1986–1987) * ''Bordertown (1989 TV series), Bordertown'' (1989–1991) * ''Northern Exposure'' (1990–1995) * ''North of 60'' (1992–1997) * ''Due South'' (1994–1999) * ''When Calls the Heart'' (2014—) * ''An Klondike'' (2015–17)

Films

* '' A Woman's Way'' (1908) * ''The Snowbird'' (1916) * '''Blue Blazes' Rawden'' (1918) * '' The Call of the North'' (1918) * ''The Spoilers (1914 film), The Spoilers'' (1914) * ''The Law of the Great Northwest'' (1918) * ''The Law of the North'' (1918) * ''The Mints of Hell'' (1919) * '' The Call of the North'' (1921) * ''Flower of the North'' (1921) * ''Cameron of the Royal Mounted'' (1921) * ''God's Country and the Law'' (1921) * ''The Sky Pilot'' (1921) * ''Belle of Alaska'' (1922) * ''The Frozen North'' (1922) * ''The Man from Glengarry'' (1922) * ''Nanook of the North'' (1922) * ''The Call of the Wild (1923 film), The Call of the Wild'' (1923) * '' The Eternal Struggle'' (1923) * ''The Spoilers (1923 film), The Spoilers'' (1923) * ''Gold Madness'' (1923) * ''The Grub-Stake'' (1923) * ''Where the North Begins'' (1923) * ''Lure of the Yukon'' (1924) * ''Yukon Jake'' (1924) * ''The Ancient Highway'' (1925) * ''

'' (1925) * ''The Flame of the Yukon (1926 film), The Flame of the Yukon'' (1926) * ''The Lodge in the Wilderness'' (1926) * ''The Michigan Kid (1928 film), The Michigan Kid'' (1928) * '' Tiger Rose'' (1929) * ''Men of the North'' (1930) * ''O'Malley Rides Alone'' (1930) * ''The Spoilers (1930 film), The Spoilers'' (1930) * ''Mounted Fury'' (1931) * ''Riders of the North'' (1931) * ''The River's End (1931 film), The River's End'' (1931) * ''Honor of the Mounted (1932 film), Honor of the Mounted'' (1932) * ''Mason of the Mounted'' (1932) * ''McKenna of the Mounted'' (1932) * ''Courage of the North'' (1934) * ''The Fighting Trooper'' (1934) * ''The Trail Beyond'' (1934) * ''Undercover Men'' (1934) * ''Border Brigands'' (1935) * ''The Call of the Wild (1935 film), The Call of the Wild'' (1935) * ''Code of the Mounted'' (1935) * ''Fighting Shadows'' (1935) * ''His Fighting Blood'' (1935) * ''Northern Frontier'' (1935) * ''The Red Blood of Courage'' (1935) * ''Silent Code'' (1935) * ''Timber Terrors'' (1935) * ''Trails of the Wild'' (1935) * ''Wilderness Mail'' (1935) * ''Caryl of the Mountains'' (1936) * ''The Country Beyond (1936 film), The Country Beyond'' (1936) * ''King of the Royal Mounted (film), King of the Royal Mounted'' (1936) * ''Klondike Annie'' (1936) * ''O'Malley of the Mounted (1936 film), O'Malley of the Mounted'' (1936) * ''Phantom Patrol'' (1936) * ''Rose Marie (1936 film), Rose Marie'' (1936) * ''Secret Patrol'' (1936) * ''Skull and Crown'' (1936) * ''God's Country and the Woman'' (1937) * ''

'' (1937) * ''Death Goes North'' (1938) * ''Heart of the North'' (1938) * ''On the Great White Trail'' (1938) * ''Blue Montana Skies'' (1939) * ''Fighting Mad (1939 film), Fighting Mad'' (1939) * ''Outpost of the Mounties'' (1939) * ''Susannah of the Mounties (film), Susannah of the Mounties'' (1939) * ''Yukon Flight'' (1939) * ''Danger Ahead (1940 film), Danger Ahead'' (1940) * ''Murder on the Yukon'' (1940) * ''North West Mounted Police (film), North West Mounted Police'' (1940) * ''River's End (1940 film), River's End'' (1940) * ''Sky Bandits (1940 film), Sky Bandits'' (1940) * ''49th Parallel (film), 49th Parallel'' (1941) * ''The Royal Mounted Patrol'' (1941) * ''North of the Rockies'' (1942) * ''Northwest Rangers'' (1942) * ''Pierre of the Plains (1942 film), Pierre of the Plains'' (1942) * ''The Spoilers (1942 film), The Spoilers'' (1942) * ''Law of the Northwest'' (1943) * ''Northern Pursuit'' (1943) * ''Riders of the Northwest Mounted'' (1943) * ''Northwest Trail'' (1945) * ''Neath Canadian Skies'' (1946) * ''North of the Border (film), North of the Border'' (1946) * ''Road to Utopia'' (1946) * ''Bush Pilot (film), Bush Pilot'' (1947) * ''Where the North Begins'' (1947) * ''Northwest Stampede'' (1948) * ''Canadian Pacific (film), Canadian Pacific'' (1949) * ''Mrs. Mike (film), Mrs. Mike'' (1949) * ''Trail of the Mounties'' (1949) * ''Trail of the Yukon'' (1949) * ''Call of the Klondike'' (1950) * ''The Cariboo Trail'' (1950) * ''North of the Great Divide'' (1950) * ''Snow Dog'' (1950) * ''Northwest Territory (film), Northwest Territory'' (1951) * ''

'' (1951) * ''Yukon Manhunt'' (1951) * ''Blue Canadian Rockies'' (1952) * ''Border Saddlemates'' (1952) * ''Lost in Alaska'' (1952) * ''

'' (1952) * ''The Wild North'' (1952) * ''Yukon Gold (film), Yukon Gold'' (1952) * ''Back to God's Country (1953 film), Back to God's Country'' (1953) * ''Fangs of the Arctic'' (1953) * ''Fort Vengeance'' (1953) * ''Northern Patrol (film), Northern Patrol'' (1953) * ''The Far Country'' (1954) * ''Rose Marie (1954 film), Rose Marie'' (1954) * ''

'' (1954) * ''Yukon Vengeance'' (1954) * ''The Spoilers (1955 film), The Spoilers'' (1955) * ''

'' (1959) * ''North to Alaska'' (1960) * ''The Canadians (1961 film), The Canadians'' (1961) * ''The Trap (1966 film), The Trap'' (1966) * ''The Call of the Wild (1972 film), The Call of the Wild'' (1972) * ''Challenge to Be Free'' (1972) * ''White Fang (1973 film), White Fang'' (1973) * ''Alien Thunder'' (1974) * ''Challenge to White Fang'' (1974) * ''Giubbe rosse, Red Coat'' (1975) * ''The Call of the Wild (1976 film), The Call of the Wild'' (1976) * ''Death Hunt'' (1981) * ''Silence of the North'' (1981) * ''The Grey Fox'' (1982) * ''

'' (1991) * ''White Fang (1991 film), White Fang'' (1991) * ''Shadow of the Wolf'' (1992) * ''White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf'' (1994) * ''Balto (film), Balto'' (1995) * ''Alaska (1996 film), Alaska'' (1996) * ''North Star (1996 film), North Star'' (1996) * ''Dudley Do-Right (film), Dudley Do-Right'' (1999) * ''Balto II: Wolf Quest'' (2002) * ''Snow Dogs'' (2002) * ''The Snow Walker'' (2003) * ''Balto III: Wings of Change'' (2004) * ''Gunless'' (2010) * ''The Mountie (film), The Mountie'' (2011) * ''The Revenant (2015 film), The Revenant'' (2015) * ''Searchers (film), Searchers'' (2016) * ''Togo (film), Togo'' (2019) * ''The Call of the Wild (2020 film), Call of the Wild'' (2020)

Video Games

* ''Red Dead Redemption 2''

References

External links

"Looking for Dudley Do-Right"
a

a

a
Canuxploitation

NORTH WEST MOUNTED POLICE Canadian Mounties in Literature

(list of films)
The Force in the North - Myths at Virtual Museum Canada
{{Film genres Fiction by genre Film genres Western (genre) staples and terminology Royal Canadian Mounted Police in fiction Yukon in fiction Northern (genre) films, Cinema of Canada Canadian folklore Klondike Gold Rush in fiction Northwest Territories in fiction Western (genre) films by genre

Characteristics

History

Examples of Northerns

Folklore of Canada (Canadian oral stories)

Poetry

Pulp magazines

Comics

Books

Collections

Photographies

Radio

Serials

Television

Films

Video Games

References

Further reading

External links