Although The Spoilers was made by Universal who were back in 1942 was a mainly 'B' picture studio, this film is too great to have been a 'B' picture, yet not quite so polished as to be an 'A' picture either.
It starred Randolph Scott and Marlene Dietrich who were two long standing and pretty big box office draws, and a youthful John Wayne on loan from Republic who since his breakout role in 1939's Stagecoach was finally breaking away from the poverty row studio westerns he had made by the bucketload throughout the 1930's and onto bigger more prestigious projects.
Wayne plays a goldminer who along with his partner (the great Harry Carey) is desperately trying to defend his rightful claim from a corrupt Gold Commissioner played by Randolph Scott and an equally corrupt judge who plan to steal the mine for themselves.
The wonderful Marlene Dietrich all but recreates her 'Frenchy' role from Destry Rides Again as she plays the towns tough saloon owner, who is Wayne's love interest but desired by Scott...as if they didn't have enough to fight over already!
Wayne may have a love rival for Dietrich's affections but Dietrich has one too in the form of the lovely Margeret Lyndsay, the corrupt judges daughter who also has her heart set on Wayne.
However the business of the heart remains secondary to that of the goldmine.
Wayne's character is a decent man who welcomes the judge and his daughter to the town. He has often expressed a wish to see proper law and order for their boomtown, and when it comes he wishes to cooperate fully with it. However when that law and order shows it's true colours and all but hoodwinks him out of his mine, then The Duke is out to get it back in the old fashion way, by the fist and by the gun.
The whole film culminates in one of the best choreographed fist fights ever put onto film as two (quite obvious in certain shots) stunt doubles who we have to accept are John Wayne and Randolph Scott beat the hell out of each other for several knuckle breaking, lip splitting, tooth loosening minutes.
It's a plot that has been used many times before, in fact this is the fourth version of The Spoilers to finds its way onto our screens, following two silent versions and an early pre-code talkie with Gary Cooper in the Wayne part. It would go on to be made again in the 1950's with Anne Baxter and Rory Calhoun, however the Wayne/Scott/Dietrich movie is the definitive version.
It was a big success on release and the three stars really play well off each other. In fact so popular was it that Universal immediately rushed another Wayne/Scott/Dietrich project into production with the movie 'Pittsburgh' which was released later the same year.
If you can get passed Randolph Scott, a western idol and hero in his own right, for once playing an uncharacteristic baddie who gets his a$$ kicked (which is pretty difficult) then I recommend this movie most heartily.
It starred Randolph Scott and Marlene Dietrich who were two long standing and pretty big box office draws, and a youthful John Wayne on loan from Republic who since his breakout role in 1939's Stagecoach was finally breaking away from the poverty row studio westerns he had made by the bucketload throughout the 1930's and onto bigger more prestigious projects.
Wayne plays a goldminer who along with his partner (the great Harry Carey) is desperately trying to defend his rightful claim from a corrupt Gold Commissioner played by Randolph Scott and an equally corrupt judge who plan to steal the mine for themselves.
The wonderful Marlene Dietrich all but recreates her 'Frenchy' role from Destry Rides Again as she plays the towns tough saloon owner, who is Wayne's love interest but desired by Scott...as if they didn't have enough to fight over already!
Wayne may have a love rival for Dietrich's affections but Dietrich has one too in the form of the lovely Margeret Lyndsay, the corrupt judges daughter who also has her heart set on Wayne.
However the business of the heart remains secondary to that of the goldmine.
Wayne's character is a decent man who welcomes the judge and his daughter to the town. He has often expressed a wish to see proper law and order for their boomtown, and when it comes he wishes to cooperate fully with it. However when that law and order shows it's true colours and all but hoodwinks him out of his mine, then The Duke is out to get it back in the old fashion way, by the fist and by the gun.
The whole film culminates in one of the best choreographed fist fights ever put onto film as two (quite obvious in certain shots) stunt doubles who we have to accept are John Wayne and Randolph Scott beat the hell out of each other for several knuckle breaking, lip splitting, tooth loosening minutes.
It's a plot that has been used many times before, in fact this is the fourth version of The Spoilers to finds its way onto our screens, following two silent versions and an early pre-code talkie with Gary Cooper in the Wayne part. It would go on to be made again in the 1950's with Anne Baxter and Rory Calhoun, however the Wayne/Scott/Dietrich movie is the definitive version.
It was a big success on release and the three stars really play well off each other. In fact so popular was it that Universal immediately rushed another Wayne/Scott/Dietrich project into production with the movie 'Pittsburgh' which was released later the same year.
If you can get passed Randolph Scott, a western idol and hero in his own right, for once playing an uncharacteristic baddie who gets his a$$ kicked (which is pretty difficult) then I recommend this movie most heartily.