The Spoilers (1955)

In 1899 Alaska, miners have to protect themselves from a phony legal team trying to steal their gold claims.

Director:

Jesse Hibbs

Writers:

Oscar Brodney (screenplay), Charles Hoffman (screenplay)

Stars:

Anne Baxter, Jeff Chandler, Rory Calhoun

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anne Baxter	...	Cherry Malotte
Jeff Chandler	...	Roy Glennister
Rory Calhoun	...	Alex McNamara
Ray Danton	...	Blackie
Barbara Britton	...	Helen Chester
John McIntire	...	Dextry
Wallace Ford	...	Flapjack Simms
Forrest Lewis	...	Banty Jones
Carl Benton Reid	...	Judge Stillman
Raymond Walburn	...	Mr. Skinner
Ruth Donnelly	...	Duchess
Dayton Lummis	...	Wheaton
Willis Bouchey	...	Jonathan Struve
Roy Barcroft	...	The Marshal
Byron Foulger	...	Montrose

Storyline

During the 1898 gold rush in Nome,Alaska, many miners are faced with claim jumpers bent on stealing their legitimate gold claims.The new gold commissioner, Alex McNamara, assures the miners that judge Stillman is on his way to Nome to review all legal matters concerning the mines.However, the miners grow impatient and want to settle matters the old fashioned way:with a gun.Finally, a ship arrives bringing judge Stillman and his daughter to Nome. On the same boat,local mine owner,Roy Glennister,returns to Nome and is greeted by girlfriend Cherry Malotte who's the owner of the local saloon and gambling house.But Roy is full of gallantry toward fellow boat passenger, Helen Chester,which causes a jealousy scene between Roy and girlfriend Cherry.Following their lovers' quarrel Roy and Cherry discover that judge Stillman and his legal team are phony,the gold commissioner, Alex McNamara, is corrupt and that Roy and his mining partner, Dextry, are about to lose their mine to phony claimants.

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Plot Keywords:

alaska | gold rush | 1890s | based on novel | based on play | 

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Taglines:

REX BEACH'S IMMORTAL SAGA OF THE YUKON! (original print ad - all caps)

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Genres:

Adventure | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Final feature film of Barbara Britton.

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Goofs

During the climactic fist-fight, Glennister punches McNamara who falls onto a gaming table which collapses to the floor. There is a cutaway to the town drunk and we hear two more punches, but when we return to the fight, McNamara is still picking himself up from the floor.

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits prologue: ALASKA 1899

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Connections

Version of The Spoilers (1942)

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Soundtracks

Careless Love
(uncredited)
Written by Arnold Schwarzwald (as Arnold Hughes) and Frederick Herbert

User Reviews

A remake of the original

This comes nowhere near the quality of the original film with John Wayne and Randolph Scott. Jeff Chandler is too old and has no class. Rory Calhoun is the new kid on the block, but he is not impressive in the Scott role. And even though Anne Baxter is a good actress in her own right, she is no replacement for Marlene Dietrich. She has class with Wayne in both the original film and 'Seven Sinners'. There is no real tension between Chandler and Colhoun like there was between Wayne and Scott, and it made you realise that even if the plot is a bit pedestrian at times, the performances between Wayne, Scott and Dietrich maintained your attention. This is not the case in this version and I would advise fans to stay away from this version and watch the original.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 December 1955 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Les forbans

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$1,400,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.00 : 1