Shack — Emperor of the North Character Profile

About Shack

The ruthless and highly experienced conductor of freight train No. 19. He acts as the primary antagonist, employing brutal tactics, sabotage, and direct violence to hunt down hobos riding his train, culminating in a fatal confrontation.

Shack — Character Profile

Character Facts

Played by

Ernest Borgnine

Appears in

Emperor of the North (1973)

Role

Protagonist

Relationships (5)

• Shack — Conflict Parallel Enforcer — Policeman (Simon Oakland)

  Both represent institutional authority opposing the hobos.

• Shack — Professional Colleague — Conductor (Robert Foulk)

  Co-workers within the same railroad company structure.

• Shack — Conflict Arch Enemy — Cigaret (Keith Carradine)

  A deadly, personal rivalry defined by physical sabotage and pursuit.

• Shack — Professional Commander — Hogger (Malcolm Atterbury)

  Shack commands Hogger's engineering decisions despite the extreme risks.

• Shack — Professional Subordinate — Cracker (Charles Tyner)

  Shack exercises direct authority over Cracker during train operations.

Explore the full interactive character relationship map of Emperor of the North

More characters from Emperor of the North

• A No. 1 (Lee Marvin)
• Cigaret (Keith Carradine)
• Cracker (Charles Tyner)
• Dinger (Joe Di Reda)
• Hogger (Malcolm Atterbury)
• Pokey Stiff (Karl Lukas)
• Conductor (Robert Foulk)
• Smile (Liam Dunn)
• Grease Tail (Sid Haig)
• Policeman (Simon Oakland)
• Yardman (Vic Tayback)
• Stew Bum (John Steadman)