Barricade

Jack London's Sea Wolf (1941) is remade here into an undistinguished oater. Nonetheless, Massey is effective as the tyrannical mine boss, loudly lording it over his hapless men in a role tailor made for the actor's powerful presence. A rather subdued Dane Clark, however, is again playing second fiddle to John Garfield in a role Garfield had in the much more expensive original. But, pity a poor well-scrubbed Ruth Roman who looks utterly lost in an ill-defined eye-candy role.

What's notable in this remake is the absence of an intellectual counterweight to the tyrant's Nietzschean view of humankind. What there is in this version is divided between the sometimes philosophical comments of Milburn (Douglas) plus those of the Judge (Farley). In the original, it was actor Alexander Knox who went toe to toe with the tyrannical Edward G. Robinson. Likely, the producers figured a sagebrush opera was not the place for intellectual debate, which nonetheless sparked the original.

Speaking of the production, it does a good job of making a budget effort appear bigger than it is. Despite appearances, the production never leaves greater LA, making good use of Vasquez Rocks and Bronson Canyon.Then there's that wagon crash that's no stock footage and a real stunner. Still and all, the drama never really gels, while the script and direction remain lackluster, at best. And considering the Jack London roots, that's a genuine disappointment.

An anti tyranny allegory from a Jack London novel by way of Bill Sackheim and all wrapped up in a western. Don't know 'bout you but that's not how I like my political allegories. Or my westerns, come to think of it. Makes for some heavy, stiff passages with lots of Shakespeare quoting, Wise Sayings ("Some men can't live without integrity") and cardboard characters who are either pure or pure evil. Still, there are a couple things that elevate this film a bit above the mediocrity line, chief among them Raymond Massey's fine performance as a power mad, sadistic psycho, kind of a combination Macbeth and Hitler (he's given a German last name). Indeed, Massey is such a good bad guy that I'm surprised he didn't do more of these villainous turns instead of the faintly dull Doc Gillespie/Abe Lincoln stuff. Give it a generous C plus, mostly for Massie.

Loosely based on jack london's story sea wolf, another man versus nature... or in this case... man versus large figure in charge. When judith (ruth roman) and her new friend milburn (robert douglas) show up at a gold miner's camp , the foreman (ray massey, in a rare, regular guy role! ) gives them temporary work. But things are a bit off ... everyone is afraid of the foreman, who runs a tight ship, and things go off the rails fast. When a crooked judge dies, they realize they can't go along with the way things are in town. The corrupt foreman is a viscious killer and doesn't care who gets in the way. Then nature intervenes. Like it always does in a london or hemingway story. Directed by peter godfrey, for warner brothers. Filmed at vasquez rocks and griffith park. It's pretty good. Not sure what the lesson is, but nature always seems to play a role.

Bob Peters (Dane Clark) is hiding from the law. He would rather keep moving but he's offered a job with mining Boss Kruger (Raymond Massey). He finds the job worst than expected and Kruger a ruthless tyrant. Escaped prisoner Judith Burns (Ruth Roman) arrives in town and makes a run for it on a runaway stage coach. She crashes and recuperates at the mine.

This is apparently adapted from the Jack London novel "The Sea Wolf". This is an interesting western. Raymond Massey is a great actor although I would like him to be scarier. It's interesting to take the point of view from folks on the run from the law. There are some fair action and some less impressive action. It's interesting.

Jack London's The Sea Wolf does not stand the voyage to the American west all that well in Barricade. Raymond Massey is in the lead and is no longer a sea captain but a mine owner and one cruel and sadistic man in the tradition of Wolf Larsen. Out in the middle of the desert no one is any more in a position to leave than they would be if they were on a ship at sea.

The themes that London tells in his story are just so watered down in this version. The players do well, but the watered down themes also water down the performances. Raymond Massey would have made a great Wolf Larsen in a straight version of The Sea Wolf, too bad he's stuck here.

The biggest change is to the roles that John Garfield and Ida Lupino played in The Sea Wolf. The two runaways from the criminal justice system would not remotely contemplate what they say they will do in Barricade. Robert Douglas for once is a good guy in the part that Alexander Knox did in The Sea Wolf. But as a lawyer instead of an existential writer again the part loses something.

What Barricade is in the end is a great action western and those who like action westerns will like Barricade. But if you are expecting Jack London, Jack didn't make the trip west.