The Spoilers

The old Rex Beach chestnut, The Spoilers, has been filmed several times, from the early silent days to the Eisenhower fifties. A durable tale indeed. When the first version was made the Emperor Franz Josef was still on the throne in Austria. All versions feature the famous fight between McNamara and Glennister, that begins in a saloon and ends several miles down the street. Windows get shattered, tables and chairs fly through the air, and people gasp in horror.

This 1942 film, directed by the reliable Ray Enright, is actually genteel compared to the silent versions, and as much a vehicle for Marlene Dietrich as anything else. As she was riding the comeback trail, in the wake of her spectacular success in Destry Rides Again, she plays a saloon singer, which had become her specialty. A rousing "Northern" western, set in the days of the Alaskan Gold Rush (which was, incidentally, closer in historical time to the year this film was made than we are to World War II), The Spoilers has a fairly conventional plot about prospectors, claim-jumpers, and the various hangers-on, honest and crooked, that made mining towns like Nome so exciting,--and so dangerous.

Leading men Randoloph Scott and John Wayne make rugged adversaries, though I find Scott somewhat more appealing, which isn't supposed to be the case. Wayne is competent if a little anonymous here. The supporting cast includes the reliable Harry Carey, Richard Barthelmess, Samuel Hinds, and in a cameo (I'm not making this up), the poet, Robert Service, best known for "The Shooting Of Dan McGrew". I guess if you're going to cast a poet in a film like this you don't go for Edna St. Vincent Millay. Service is most appropriate casting.

The sets are quite good, and at times quite fancy; and the streets are muddy, though I seem to remember the earlier films as having a more realistic, dirty look, as Alaska here is cleaner and at least physically less forbidding than one might expect. As to the climactic fight, it is well enough done, and properly violent, though neither participant seems nearly so bloodied up as he ought to. Overall, the movie is satisfying, more routine than I expected, and yet a worthy entry in that fascinating sub-genre, the Gold Rush Western.

This is the fourth time this novel was adapted to film, and there would be one more after it, which goes to show that the story is worthwhile.

The star-studded cast also seems to point in the direction of this being a great movie, but unfortunately it's not quite as good as that. There's something missing. The dialogues are perhaps not as witty as they try to be. Also, be it far from me to judge old movies by the anachronic standards of modern political correctness, but when you see many movies from this time you do get tired of the stereotypical black servants and the no less tropey comical side characters.

Great fist-fight between Randolph Scott and John Wayne, though, and Marlene Dietrich is also good to see, in a role that is rather similar to the one she played in Destry Rides Again a few years before this.

All in all, solid but doesn't take the extra step to become great.

This movie's got a good enough plot that it's been made at least 4 times, so you know that part's covered. It's a good story that holds up and moves at a good pace. The cast of stars are caught at interesting times in their varying careers. Dietrich is riding the Destry saloon girl role in a carbon copy of the original that belabors a huge oversized Gibson-girl wig and multiple extraordinary outfits befitting Marlene "the star". She brings her distinctive charm to the role and has a tongue-in-cheek ball with the sexually loaded script, but her role has nothing extra-special or magical. John Wayne is full of swagger and charm and working his way up the ladder towards the title of big stud cowboy on campus. Randolph Scott is turning the corner of his career into Westerns also; abandoning those light comedy or milquestoast leading roles and showing a glimpse of the hardnose tough guy & questionably moral cowboy that he came to be in later career moves. This is the penultimate film for Richard Barthelmess and his role is a morose and bitter one that fits his personal situation of a star who had had his day in the sun and was ready to step-down. Kudos, big laughs and a robust round of applause to the best delivery, lines and most entertaining scenes which are all handled by Marlene's maid - Idabelle - played beautifully and naturally by Marietta Canty. She WILL have you laughing out loud! This film is chock full of sexual innuendo, lust-filled motivation and snide comments; all subtly and enjoyably delivered.

You wait for their final settlement throughout the film, but in the end you will be rewarded. Marlene is the star here, she shines in every scene like the lighthouse in the storm of chaos, and her acting and presence reduce both Wayne and Scott to almost dummies or at least puppets. Wayne has something to defend though and does so with a vengeance, while your sympathies for Scott are constantly reduced, so that you finally even are tempted to say 'good riddance' to the judge when he leaves the sinking ship of lawlessness and brings the law out of the country with him. For once individual rights get the better of bureaucracies and formalities. It's great entertainment all the way, although the plot gets rather mixed up with details, but it's the brawl scenes that make the film, which above all is worth watching for the splendour of Marlene Dietrich.

Nice action picture marks "The Spoilers."

Taking place in Nome, Alaska, John Wayne and Harry Carey own a gold mine. Along comes the gold commissioner (Randolph Scott) and a judge who work together as crooks to swindle people out of their stakes.

Marlene Dietrich is along for the ride as a gambling dance-hall queen. Her role is very similar to that of "Destry Rides Again," which was made three years before this picture.

Naturally, the Scott and judge duo want to clip Wayne and Carry. The judge has a niece (Margaret Lindsay) who will not quite make that happen. We've got shoot 'em ups, bar room brawls and dynamite explosions. If that isn't enough, we have Richard Barthelmess as Dietrich's manager who kills the sheriff and tries to frame Wayne for the murder. Barthelmess loves Dietrich and Wayne is in the way. Not bad, 2 women falling for Wayne.

Nice action flick with the theme of watch out for the law. A typical western production that works.