Filmed Versions
Because of the success of the novel, a bidding war arose over the movie rights. MGM purchased the rights for an undisclosed "record sum."
The Saint Francis raid, depicted in the first half of the novel, inspired the 1940 movie with the same title, starring Spencer Tracy. The producers' decision to concentrate on the first book of the novel allowed the film to have a happy ending. Roberts, however, intensely disliked the movie, which had the Rogers character burst into tears upon a disappointment, while the historic Rogers had rallied his force to remain strong despite the disappointment, completely omitted the harrowing but pivotal journey to the Fort at Number 4 and ignored the Towne-Rogers-Elizabeth romantic triangle. Roberts resolved to refuse to sell any more of his works to Hollywood as a result.
According to MGM, the cost of making the movie in Technicolor had proven to be prohibitive, and so MGM decided not to film the second book of the novel. Roberts, though, believed that the producers had never had any intention of filming the second book, because they never introduced the character of McNott, who played a key role, in the movie of the first book.
The book also served as the basis for a 1958-59 television series, which was more closely based on the movie than on the book.
Read more about this topic: Northwest Passage (novel)
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