Northwest Passage

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Stow it forward, son.

All right, father.

Make it fast, my boy.

Yes, father.

Reel her through

the back, alan.

Yes, father.

Must be 5:
00, father.

There's the boston stage.

[Whistles]

Cap huff, where

you going?

Can't stop now.

I'm on an errand

of mercy.

When did you

start tending bar?

Why, langdon!

Hello, son.

The day

you left for harvard,

i started my education

at studely's tavern.

Hunk marriner's

in sore need of this.

Where is hunk?

On public exhibition.

Bring that tankard here

and let me hide

my face in it in shame.

Well, if it ain't

langdon towne,

my educated friend.

Why, you old possum.

Go over there

and shake hands with me.

I'm glad to see you.

Let me give him that.

Sure this is good

for him?

This ain't

the silly season.

You give it to him.

I'd as soon try

to fill a sieve.

What put him in here

this time?

Clagett

the king's attorney.

Clagett? Did you bite him

or just kick him?

No. I'm in

for public speaking.

What brought you home

in time for deer season?

You might call it

public speaking.

Pictures speak

louder than words.

The puritan

or the pie?

The pie... harvard pie.

Who's the puritan?

The president of harvard.

Now the president can't

stand the smell of you.

He asked me to go

far, far away.

You ought to know

better than that.

Whiskers on a skunk

grow up, not down.

Well, i've never been

on intimate terms

with a skunk.

Does your father

know about this,

langdon?

No, and is not

going to be easy

to tell him i've been

sacked from harvard.

Drop over to the tavern

afterwards.

I'll be there, too.

They lock me up

about sundown.

I usually break out

around 8:
00.

Here, here.

Mind your step.

Mind my step?

Clages a tyrant

and thief!

I wouldn't be here

if he hadn't tried

to tax my old father

of half

his fish catch!

Save it, hunk.

The time will come.

A hundred years

the townes

have

rigged-out ships.

They had hoped

to bring into port

a professional man...

a lawyer,

a clergyman.

And now their

first great venture

is dashed

on the rocks

of youthful folly.

I ask your forgiveness

for disappointing

you and mother.

I ask my brothers

to forgive me

for throwing away

my chance.

Aw, langdon.

I want my sons to take up

for their rights,

but i hate

for my boy

to go around

with his heart

on his sleeve.

Yes, mother?

I'm sorry langdon's

lost his chance

to be a clergyman.

He's always shown

his feelings.

Clergymen show

their feelings

on all occasions.

Well, thas

a clergyman's

privilege.

Artists should show

their feelings, too.

And if he's going

to be a painter,

he's got

to feel about things.

Yes. If he felt

that way,

he felt that way.

We'll have to make

the best of our

disappointments.

Oh, father!

Son, what was

in that pie?

I never

got that far, sir.

May langdon borrow

a sunday shirt

to call on elizabeth

tonight?

Of course,

but remember...

keep our disappointments

within the family.

I don't want langdon

to bow his head

to reverend browne.

The townes have

been rigging ships

just as long

as the brownes

have been sending

sinners to...

hades.

I declare!

Langdon.

Elizabeth.

I can't believe it.

What can't you

believe?

You're more beautiful

than ever.

Oh, no.

Langdon, are those

the manners

they teach you

at harvard?

I thought of you

all the time,

made a thousand sketches

of the way you'd look

when i saw you again.

I'm sure you never

gave me a thought

with all those

lovely ladies

in boston.

I made one good sketch.

You're looking at me

over your shoulder.

Every time i see it,

my heart

comes into my throat.

[Knocking]

But...

we don't have to see

your father just yet,

do we?

That horrid

hunk marriner's

told everybody

in portsmouth.

Good evening,

mrs. Browne.

Good evening,

jane.

Hi, sam.

Reverend...

now that you have

willfully thrown aside

an education at harvard

and a career

in the ministry,

how do you propose

to support yourself

in life?

I want to be

an artist,

an american artist...

a painter.

A painter?

Heaven forbid!

Painters, actors,

mountebanks...

drunkards rolling

in the gutter.

Not all artists

are like that.

Rubens and velsquez

were great gentlemen.

Sir joshua reynolds

is the toast of london.

I mean no offense,

my boy,

when i say that you are not

exactly a velasquez or a rubens.

I can only say that

if you persist

in this career,

then nothing

can save you.

And i am sure

my daughter

thinks as i do.

Don't you, elizabeth?

Father's usually

right, langdon.

Then i suppose

there's nothing

left for me

to say.

Langdon.

Let him think it over,

elizabeth.

He'll feel

differently, sir.

Depend on me.

[Fiddle playing

sprightly tune]

[Whistling same tune]

Hey, cap.

One minute, jonathan.

Mr. Studely, you always

do well by your patronage.

Very well, indeed.

Some girl

came from london.

Oh, it isn't

elizabeth's fault.

Is that pompous

old... parson.

I've learned not

to argue with him.

I can't afford to

if i expect to marry

one of his daughters.

If you're trying

to drink yourself

out of lovesickness,

we've got some rum

that will burn the knots

out of a pine plank.

Bring it in.

I wouldn't

drink any more.

Why shouldn't i drink?

Browne said all painters

are drunkards.

The old hypocrite

wouldn't care

if he thought

they'd be rich.

Money and power...

thas all he

cares about,

hobnobbing

with rich scoundrels

that put poor woodsmen

like hunk in jail.

Hunk got himself

in jail

for talking against

wiseman clagett.

It was hunk's own fault

for talking.

It was clages fault

for deserving to be

talked against.

Oh, claptrap.

Claptrap?

Wiseman clages

the biggest thief

in this province.

Shh. Not so loud.

Oh, i mustn't talk,

or i'll get put

in jail?

I wouldn't

be surprised.

Clagett can steal

100,000 acres of land

from this province,

but nobody

must talk about it.

And he's hand-in-glove

with that indian agent,

sir william johnson.

They let men like hunk

clear the land

and risk being scalped

by indians,

then take it away

from them.

Be quiet, langdon.

They'd steal the pennies

off a dead man's eyes,

but elizabeth's father

wouldn't care.

Well, gentlemen...

to what are we indebted

for this pleasure,

mr. Clagett?

Mr. Livermore,

i find you

in dangerous company.

You may withdraw.

Langdon towne

is my guest.

If you're here to say

something to him,

say it to me also.

You wish

to defend libels

against his majesty's

representatives?

Certainly not.

Then you've

no business here.

I bid you

good evening.

Packer, open the door

and give mr. Livermore

any necessary

assistance.

Get out!

Now, sir, do you wish

to make a statement?

Why should i make

any statement?

You've made yourself liable

to very dangerous charges.

You've slandered me,

libeled that good man

sir william johnson,

repeated shameful rumors,

lies, calumnies.

I'd never

repeat calumnies

about innocent men.

Whas that you said?

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