Cook & Peary: The Race to the Pole (1983)
Cook and Peary: The Race to the Pole is an unabashedly biased recreation of the controversy concerning the "conquering" of the North Pole. Robert E. Peary (Rod Steiger), a US Navy commander and shameless self-promoter, sets out through Arctic wastes in 1909 to discover the Pole, an expedition that many others have attempted but failed to complete. His principal rival is Dr. Frederick A. Cook (Richard Chamberlain), who insists that he'd already reached the Pole in 1908. Though the experts (and the US Congress) conclude that Perry was first, public opinion is firmly in Cook's corner--as is this TV movie.
Director: Robert Day
![]() |
Richard Chamberlain as Frederick Cook |
![]() |
Rod Steiger as Robert E. Peary |
![]() |
Diane Venora as Marie Fidele Hunt |
![]() |
Michael Gross as James Troth |
![]() |
Samm-Art Williams as Matt Henson |
![]() |
Louis Negin as Maitre D' |
![]() |
Walter Massey as Theodore Roosevelt |
![]() |
Donald Li as Etuk |
![]() |
Donald Pilon as Robert Bartlett |
![]() |
Timothy Webber as Harry Whitney |
![]() |
Vlasta Vrana as Murphy |
![]() |
Tony Vogel as Skipper |
![]() |
Bronwen Mantel as Mrs. Dudley |
![]() |
Daniel Nalbach as Bridgeman |
| Production | Robert Halmi Sr. | Executive Producer |
| Writing | I.C. Rapoport | Writer |
| Directing | Robert Day | Director |
| Production | Robert Halmi Jr. | Producer |