Why a 1973 film about hobos became a box office failure

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Robert Aldrich’s 1973 action film Emperor of the North Pole was intended as a gritty allegory about the Establishment versus the individual. Instead, audiences were indifferent, failing to root for the protagonist. Critics were divided, with some praising the spectacular violence while others found the script hollow and unengaging.

The film, starring Lee Marvin as the veteran hobo A-No.-1 and Ernest Borgnine as the ruthless conductor Shack, is set during the Great Depression. The title refers to a cynical joke among hobos: the 'Emperor of the North Pole' is the best among them, reigning over a barren, empty wasteland. This irony was lost on many viewers, who saw only a brutal, violent struggle rather than the intended symbolic clash between anti-Establishment individualism and the rigid, oppressive status quo.

Director Robert Aldrich later admitted he misjudged his audience. He expected viewers to identify with Marvin’s character, who fights to remain unregimented, but found that nobody cared. Critics like Gene Siskel dismissed the film as a 'dismal adventure yarn,' while Gary Arnold of The Washington Post argued that the project was negligible without its 'sickening interlude of violence.' Even Quentin Tarantino later critiqued the film, suggesting it leaned too heavily into 'corny thirties theatrics' rather than the gritty, muscular tone expected from Aldrich.

Despite its commercial failure, the film has gained a cult reputation for its technical execution. Shot along the Oregon, Pacific and Eastern Railway, it utilized authentic steam locomotives and spectacular stunts. While the film initially struggled to find an audience, its legacy persists through its soundtrack—featuring Marty Robbins—and its status as a unique, if polarizing, entry in 1970s American cinema. It remains a case study in how a director’s intended symbolism can completely miss the mark with the public.

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