Alaska: America's last great wilderness frontier. A land of primitive grandeur, of glaciers, mountains and ice-fields. And of ambitious cannery tycoon Zeb "Czar" Kennedy and rugged activist leader Thor Storm, two rough-hewn men whose bitter 40-year rivalry mirrored their powerful land's struggle for statehood.
Acting
Burton and Ryan's volcanic mutual loathing.
Cinematography
Actual Alaska locations that dwarf the human drama.
Director
Vincent Sherman
Richard Burton
Zeb Kennedy
Robert Ryan
Thor Storm
Carolyn Jones
Bridie Ballantyne
George Takei
Wang
Diane McBain
Christine Storm
Martha Hyer
Dorothy Wendt Kennedy
Jim Backus
Dave Husack
Shirley Knight
Grace Kennedy
Sheila Bromley
Lucy Husack
Ray Danton
Bay Husack
Karl Swenson
Scotty Ballantyne
Barry Kelley
Einer Wendt
Sheridan Comerate
Ross Guildenstern
I. Stanford Jolley
Mr. Lawson
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
George Takei appears pre-Star Trek as Wang, one of Hollywood's few non-stereotyped Asian characters in 1960 — Sherman fought studio pressure to cast a white actor in yellowface.
Released the same year Alaska became a state, this was essentially a $4 million government tourism ad disguised as melodrama — Edna Ferber's novel was already dated, and the film aged worse.
US
