Il falco del Nord

Some surprisingly violent action scenes are the highlights of this Alaska-set adventure tale of boats and salmon fishermen, which plays like a disguised Western. Unfortunately, they're lost in a sea of footage (almost two hours), and the savvy viewer can see the ending coming from halfway to Skag

This is a real good movie. Henry Fonda and George Raft Play the rival fishermen. Near the end of the movie George Raft is shot. While resting in bed he smokes a cigarette and the smoke comes up out of the bullet holes in his chest!? I remember when I was in high school. We were learning about first aid. The teacher told us about never giving a cigarette to an injury victim. Then he told us about a Humphrey Bogart movie where after being shot he smoked a cigarette and the smoke came out of his chest. I searched for years and found out it was the "Spawn of The North", With GEORGE RAFT not Bogart. Watch for this movie on AMC or TCM, just to see this scene. It is well worth watching, with fine acting and great scenery.

"Spawn of the North" turns out to be a really good movie. It gets off to a slow start but after that it's really good. The first half does a nice job establishing the characters and the plot. It's just that the first half spends a lot of the time trying to be funny. It is pretty funny but I just wish they got to the meat and potatoes earlier. The second half is very exciting and quite emotional. The cast is very good but for me the star of the show is the production design. It's terrific. "Spawn of the North" is another solid movie from director Henry Hathaway. Honorable mention: a very dreamy Dorothy Lamour. Man, let me tell you, there's a scene towards the end where I couldn't take my eyes off her sweater.

This has been called a western at sea and deservedly, considering the shootouts and roughhousing and a plot line of conflicted loyalties. There is great wildlife and glacier footage and tasty atmosphere. George Raft and Henry Fonda are an odd-couple match, but the chemistry works for the worldly-innocent contrast. In the "egg" incident, notice how both of them seem genuinely tickled. Fonda, of course, is the do-gooder and has little to do here until emotions build toward the climax. Raft has the more interesting role, and a salmon fisherman is a part definitely out of the norm for him. He gets an opportunity to lightly display a variety of talents (singing, swimming, stuntwork). But best of all, this is an example of the kind of performance that thoughtful direction like Hathaway's could bring from him. A vital sequence is emotionally honest without being hysterical or histrionic, and it's perfectly toned to the point of being wrenching. Also having good turns out of the usual are Dorothy Lamour and Akim Tamiroff, though John Barrymore seems a bit wasted - no pun intended.

Fishermen buddies Henry Fonda (Jim) and George Raft (Tyler) meet up in Alaskan waters when Raft gives Fonda a business proposition to move away from fishing Alaskan salmon and join him for bigger profits. Raft is set on buying a bigger boat and just needs to make the purchase. However, Fonda has settled into his own business and is now very much part of the Alaskan village community. Raft needs to make money fast - he wants his new boat. Akim Tamiroff (Red) is the Russian bad guy who steals fish from everyone else's traps and George Raft allies himself with this evil-doer. This brings him into conflict with Fonda.

The film is ok. It is also too long and a bit boring and we've seen the story before - a buddy-buddy movie where friends fall out. The best in the cast is Tamiroff followed by barmaid Dorothy Lamour (Nicky) who is Raft's girlfriend. Raft and Lamour are a more interesting couple than Fonda and snooty Louise Platt (Di). John Barrymore is also put into the mix as Platt's father and pretty much plays an old drunkard who thinks he's eloquent. The standout moment for me comes one evening when the Alaskan Indians perform a salmon ceremony to encourage a good fishing season. The chanting is quite haunting and provides a memorable occasion.

At the film's start, we see a documentary montage showing the wildlife - salmon and bears - as well as the fishing vessels carrying out their tasks for this particular industry. It ends with a climax - literally - as we see the salmon reproductive process and lots of sperm. I mean spawn. It's a fish porno. What a horrid title for a film and what a horrid word 'spawn' is. Spawn. Say it again. Spawn. See what I mean?