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. You see, he’s promised to bring law and order to Nome in the year 1900.
The former 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), and 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.
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.
Wayne, despite the success of “Stagecoach” (1939) was third billed, by the way.
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.
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.
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.”
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.”
Idabelle, upon seeing Glennister in black face: “Wait a minute. You ain’t no colored boy. You’s washable … What you doin’ runnin’ around here raisin’ a lady’s hopes like that for? Wait til Miss Cherry sees you.”
Glennister: “Wait a minute Idabelle. Let’s get rid of this Alabama tan first …”
Idabelle: “But, Mr. Glennister, you’s more handsome now than you’ve ever been before.”
Glennister: “And Miss Cherry might feel the same way. And then I’d have to spend the rest of my life in a smokehouse.”
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.”
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