DramaWestern

The Spoilers

- Crashing Fists in the Gold-Crazed Alaska of '98!

When honest ship captain Roy Glennister gets swindled out of his mine claim, he turns to saloon singer Cherry Malotte for assistance in his battle with no-good town kingpin Alexander McNamara.

Release Date : 1942-06-11

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Universal PicturesFrank Lloyd ProductionsCharles K. Feldman Group

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Cherry Malotte

Original Name : Marlene Dietrich

Gender : Female

Character Name : McNamara

Original Name : Randolph Scott

Gender : Male

Character Name : Glennister

Original Name : John Wayne

Gender : Male

Character Name : Helen Chester

Original Name : Margaret Lindsay

Gender : Female

Character Name : Dextry

Original Name : Harry Carey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bronco Kid

Original Name : Richard Barthelmess

Gender : Male

Character Name : Banty

Original Name : George Cleveland

Gender : Male

Character Name : Judge Stillman

Original Name : Samuel S. Hinds

Gender : Male

Character Name : Flapjack

Original Name : Russell Simpson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Wheaton

Original Name : William Farnum

Gender : Male

Character Name : Idabelle

Original Name : Marietta Canty

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mr. Skinner

Original Name : Jack Norton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Clark

Original Name : Ray Bennett

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bennett

Original Name : Forrest Taylor

Gender : Male

Character Name : Deputy

Original Name : Art Miles

Gender : Male

Character Name : Deputy

Original Name : Charles McMurphy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Stuve

Original Name : Charles Halton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Marshal

Original Name : Bud Osborne

Gender : Male

Character Name : Galloway

Original Name : Drew Demorest

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Austin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hotel Manager (uncredited)

Original Name : Irving Bacon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miner (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Barron

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miner in Saloon (uncredited)

Original Name : Ed Brady

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miner (uncredited)

Original Name : Roy Bucko

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Montrose - Clerk (uncredited)

Original Name : Chester Clute

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miner (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry Cording

Gender : Male

Character Name : Deputy (uncredited)

Original Name : Richard Cramer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Engineer Kelly (uncredited)

Original Name : John Elliott

Gender : Male

Character Name : Chinese Man in Jail Cell (uncredited)

Original Name : Willie Fung

Gender : Male

Character Name : New Marshal (uncredited)

Original Name : William Gould

Gender : Male

Character Name : Deputy Joe (uncredited)

Original Name : William Haade

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miner (uncredited)

Original Name : Herman Hack

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miner (uncredited)

Original Name : Earle Hodgins

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kelly (uncredited)

Original Name : Lloyd Ingraham

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miner in Search of Lodging (uncredited)

Original Name : Emmett Lynn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Restaurant Proprietor (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert McKenzie

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miner (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Milasch

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miner (uncredited)

Original Name : Paul Newlan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Landlady (uncredited)

Original Name : Kitty O'Neil

Gender : Female

Character Name : Bailiff (uncredited)

Original Name : John Rice

Gender : Male

Character Name : Court Bailiff (uncredited)

Original Name : Dick Rush

Gender : Male

Character Name : The Poet (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert W. Service

Gender : Male

Character Name : Disgruntled Miner (uncredited)

Original Name : Mickey Simpson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miner (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry Strang

Gender : Male

Character Name : Deputy (uncredited)

Original Name : Glenn Strange

Gender : Male

Character Name : Banker (uncredited)

Original Name : Ben Taggart

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miner (uncredited)

Original Name : Sailor Vincent

Gender : Male

Character Name : Deputy (uncredited)

Original Name : Max Wagner

Gender : Male

Character Name : Poker Player (uncredited)

Original Name : Matt Willis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Disgruntled Miner (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry Woods

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miner (uncredited)

Original Name : Duke York

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

No fighting in here allowed unless it's over me. We are in Nome, Alaska, miner Roy Glennister (John Wayne) and his partner Dextry (Harry Carey), are forced to fight to save their gold claims from the crooked commissioner, Alexander McNamara (Randolph Scott). Backed by sultry saloon owner and entertainer Cherry Malotte (Marlene Dietrich), the team must overcome both the odds and suspect politicians in order to get their just deserts. Rex Beach's novel has been adapted five times thus far, and it's not hard to see why because the story is as solid as it gets. This take on the source has a wonderful sense of fun and adventure oozing from it, the cast are uniformly great and the direction from Ray Enright is tight and unobtrusive. Some fine set pieces dot themselves throughout the picture, culminating in a right royal (and lengthy) punch up between Wayne & Scott. No overkilling or tediously ham sequences are here, this is simply an enjoyable Western achieving all it set out to achieve from the off. 7/10

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2022-06-26

An oddly mis-matched cast of Marlene Dietrich, John Wayne and Randolph Scott star in this adaptation of Rex Beach's adventure tale of two miners (financed by Dietrich - a saloon owner/entertainer) who have to put up a fight against the corrupt land commissioner who is bent on stealing all the lucrative claims from their rightful owners. The cast don't really gel but that actually helps it along - it's very implausibility (e.g. Wayne in ladies' apparel) and a decent wise-cracking dialogue makes it quite entertaining. The ending is never in doubt - good will out - but it's quite an enjoyable ride to the finish with a journeyman cast of supporting actors - and a great bar brawl too!

Wuchak

@Wuchak

2022-09-04

**_Worthwhile old Western about Alaskan prospectors vs. corrupt officials with Wayne, Scott and Dietrich_** In 1900, the Nome Gold Rush attracts claim-jumpers, including a smooth gold commissioner (Randolph Scott), who’s in league with a crooked judge (Samuel S. Hinds). An alluring saloon owner (Marlene Dietrich) is aware of the corruption as her old beau (John Wayne) arrives on the same ship as the ‘judge,’ arm-in-arm with his winsome niece (Margaret Lindsay). The situation builds to a confrontation between the honest miners and the thieves masquerading as “the law.” "The Spoilers" (1942) is a B&W Western and one of five cinematic versions of the 1906 Rex Beach novel that was based on real-life corrupt officials, such as Alexander McKenzie, who seized gold mines from hard-working prospectors, which Beach himself witnessed when prospecting. While the film’s hindered by some understandable quaint elements (the B&W photography, the score and bits of goofy side amusement involving a couple of sourdoughs), you can’t beat the notable cast of Wayne, Scott and Dietrich. Both Marlene (Cherry) and Margaret (Helen) are appealing in different ways. Although the flick is talky, you get to know the characters and find yourself involved in the story, assuming you can roll with the old-fashioned style. As far as thrills go, there’s a gunfight or two, a saloon fight, a jailbreak, a train crash and, best of all, a mano a mano melee between the characters played by Wayne and Scott, which took five days to plot and execute. I heard Randolph mistimed one punch and broke John’s nose, which of course delayed filming. The movie runs 1 hour, 27 minutes, and was shot at Lake Arrowhead, San Bernardino National Forest, which is just east of the Los Angeles area, as well as Universal Studios. Some second unit work was done in Sunland, California (just north of L.A.), and possibly Yukon, Canada. GRADE: B