Period action and adventure series Northwest Passage took us back to the French and Indian War of 1754-1759 that was all about finding a route that would allow boat traffic right across America.
The series followed the real life figure of Major Robert Rogers who created Rogers’ Rangers, a specialist team, experts in both exploration and fighting Indians. Chief among Rogers’ crew ere Hunk Marriner and Harvard graduate Langdon Towne.
The episodes tended towards a mix of fighting with the French and with the Indians and helping new settlers who had found themselves in a war zone.
The real life Rogers’ Rangers never found the Northwest Passage. Spencer Tracy and Robert Young had made a popular movie on the same subject for MGM in 1940, this was also called Northwest Passage.
production details
USA / NBC – MGM / 26×25 minute episodes / Broadcast 14 September 1958 – 8 September 1959
cast
Keith Larsen as Major Robert Rogers
Buddy Ebsen as Sgt Hunk Marriner
Don Burnett as Ensign Langdon Towne
Philip Tonge as General Amherst
Lisa Davis as Natula
Larry Chance as Black Wolf
Jim Hayward as Jonas
Pat Hogan as Rivas
