John Wayne is Roy Glennister and he’s co-owner of The Midas, the richest mine in Nome, Alaska, with his partner Al Dextry (Harry Carey).
He arrives back in Nome with pretty young Helen Chester (Margaret Lindsay) in his arms and her uncle, Judge Horace Sillman, in tow.
The judge has promised to bring law and order to Nome in the year 1900.
Helen’s presence doesn’t sit well with Cherry Malotte (Marlene Dietrich), owner of the Northern saloon. She’s in love with Glennister; no other man will do.
Though that doesn’t keep her from giving him the cold shoulder when she suspects he might be falling for another woman. And into a trap.
Turns out she’s right about that. Helen and her uncle are in cahoots with local gold commissioner McNamara (Randolph Scott). Their plan is to swindle Glennister and Dextry out of their gold mine.
Dextry and his hair-trigger gun Betsy are quick to catch on. Glennister isn’t, agreeing to have the ownership matter settled in court.
But he springs into action when he finds the mine and his safe in the hands of the court.
John Wayne as Roy Glennister, trying to charm his way back into Cherry Malotte’s good graces in The Spoilers (1942)
Marlene Dietrich as Cherry Malotte, letting Roy Glennister know how upset she is with him in The Spoilers (1942)
Review:
Splendid version of the oft-filmed Rex Beach story about claim-jumping in the Alaskan gold fields at the turn of the 20th century.
Wayne and Dietrich are superb as quarreling lovers, but the film also benefits from a deep cast and a snappy script and a plot that does a nice job of balancing action with interplay between our three stars.
By the way, Wayne, despite the success of “Stagecoach” (1939), was third billed.
One of the most delightful scenes comes when Dietrich lures Scott’s McNamara to her room as a diversion, only to find Wayne’s Glennister already there, wearing one of her boas and munching on hard-boiled eggs.
Then comes a great line from Wayne: “That’s a bad habit you got McNamara — jumping claims. That could get you in a lot of trouble some day.”
As for that cast, it include silent film star William Farnum as a lawyer named Wheaton. Back in 1914, he held the lead role in the first film version of The Spoilers.
There are also 1923 and 1930 versions of the film, starring Noah Beery and Gary Cooper, respectively. And it would be remade again in 1955 with Anne Baxter, Jeff Chandler, and Rory Calhoun in the lead roles.
Randolph Scott as new gold commissioner Alexander McNamara, liking what he sees when he meets Cherry Malotte in The Spoilers (1942)
Harry Carey as Al Dextry, Glennister’s partner, determined to protest their mine, The Midas, from claim jumpers in The Spoilers (1942)
Directed by:
Ray Enright
Cast:
Marlene Dietrich … Cherry Malotte
Randolph Scott … Alexander McNamara
John Wayne … Roy Glennister
Margaret Lindsay … Helen Chester
Harry Carey … Al Dextry
Richard Barthelmess … Bronco Kid
George Cleveland … Banty
Samuel S. Hinds … Judge Horace Sillman
Russell Simpson … Flapjack Sims
William Farnum …. Wheaton
Marietta Canty … Idabelle
Jack Norton … Mr. Skinner
Ray Bennett … Clark
Forrest Taylor … Bennett
Art Miles … Deputy
Runtime: 87 min.
Margaret Lindsay as Helen Chester, in on the plan to jump claims in Alaska, until she really falls for Roy Glennister in The Spoilers (1942)
Samuel S. Hinds as Judge Horace Stillman, wrapped up in McNamara’s claim jumping scheme in The Spoilers (1942)
Memorable lines:
Skinner: “Ravishing as usual, Miss Malotte.”
Cherry: “Glad to see you’re out of jail again, Mr. Skinner.”
Skinner: “A temporary arrangement only. I’ll be back in again by nightfall, I dare say.”
Bartender Bronco: “You met, McNamara.”
Cherry: “Let’s say he met me.”
Bronco, spotting Glennister getting off the boat with pretty Helen Chester: “She could be a relative.”
Cherry: “Yeah. Maybe his Aunt Ettie.”
Helen Chester: “I’m sure you’ll be glad to know that law and order has come to Nome, Miss Malotte.”
Cherry: “Yes, it will be so much easier on the boys if the girls are required to turn in their guns.”
George Cleveland as Banty and Russell Simpson as Flapjack Sims, old-timers on the verge of losing their mine to claim jumpers in The Spoilers (1942)
Marietta Canty as Idabelle, knowing Cherry Malotte will want to have a special treat waiting for Glennister’s homecoming in The Spoilers (1942)
Cherry to Glennister and McNamara: “There’ll be no brawls here, unless they’re over me.”
Glennister: “I imagine that dress is supposed to have a chilling effect. Well if it is, it isn’t working, ‘cuz you’d look good to me, baby, in a burlap bag.”
Wheaton: “Miss Malotte, Roy has worked out what I consider a very sensible plan of action.”
Cherry: “Oh, how does Mr. Glennister look when he’s acting brilliant?”
Glennister: “Little bubbles come out of my mouth and I smoke. But you ought to know about that.”
Helen Chester: “I may have more respect for Mr. Glennister than you have.”
McNamara: “Ah, yes, of course, he’s a big handsome lad. Isn’t he? I hope you’re not softening up like a school kid on a hayride. We’re here on business.”
Richard Barthelmess as Bronco, the saloon operator in love with Cherry Malotte in The Spoilers (1942)
Charles Halton as Jonathan Stuve, the attorney wrapped up in the claim jumping in The Spoilers (1942)
Glennister, catching McNamara about to kiss Cherry: “That’s a bad habit you got McNamara — jumping claims. That could get you in a lot of trouble some day.”
McNamara: “Go ahead — tell us what a nice little community it was until we blew in and spoiled it all.”
Helen Chester: “Make it sound as sloppy as you want to. But that’s how it is and that’s what we are — a cheap lot of spoilers.”
McNamara to the judge: “Maybe you’d better slip upstairs and sip a warm lemonade before you break out into a rash of righteousness.”
Richard Marthelmess as Bronco, pointing out Glennister coming ashore with another woman as Cherry Malotte (Marlene Dietrich) watches in The Spoilers (1942)
Marlene Dietrich as Cherry Malotte, cool to the advances of Alexander McNamara (Randolph Scott), at least for now, in The Spoilers (1942)
Marietta Canty as Idabelle, helping Cherry Malotte (Marlene Dietrich) prepare to welcome Roy Glennister home in The Spoilers (1942)
Harry Carey as Al Destry and John Wayne as Roy Glennister, denying officials access to their mine in The Spoilers (1942)
Marlene Dietrich as Cherry Malotte, using her charm on gold commissioner McNamara in The Spoilers (1942)
John Wayne as Roy Glennister, finding McNamara in Cherry’s room, though he got there first in The Spoilers (1942)
Marlene Dietrich as Cherry Malotte and John Wayne as Roy Glennister, embracing after a wicked fight in The Spoilers (1942)
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