Customer Reviews

Spoilers [VHS]

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

'The Spoilers' may be the most often-filmed western, ever, yet it has been largely forgotten by today's moviegoers, which is a shame! This is a riproaring adventure yarn with claimjumpers, a sexy romantic triangle, loads of humor, and, to cap things off, the most spectacular fistfight in screen history!

The second of three Marlene Dietrich/John Wayne teamings (and Duke is third-billed, behind Dietrich and Randolph Scott!), the plot is simple; evil government 'agents' arrive in Alaska, steal goldminers' claims, until the miners finally take matters into their own hands!

The climactic fistfight, between Wayne and Randolph Scott, is the stuff of legends! You can hold up 'The Quiet Man', or 'Hard Times', or 'Any Which Way But Loose' as having epic brawls, but this one tops them all! We're talking shirts ripped to shreds, broken furniture and windows, rolling under horses and through the mud mayhem, here! If this were pro football, both Scott and Wayne would make the All-Madden Team, for sure!

This film may never make a 'Classic Westerns' list (other than mine!), but it is a VERY enjoyable tale that shouldn't be forgotten! If you love a good Western, particularly if you're a John Wayne fan, 'The Spoilers' is a MUST!

"The Spoilers" is an excellent western, released in 1942, that just misses being a classic. I suppose with the setting in Nome, Alaska, it should be called a "northern" ! The film boasts a potent starring trio of John Wayne, Marlene Dietrich and Randolph Scott, and has remained famous over the years for its climactic, no-holds-barred fistfight between those two icons of western cinema, Wayne and Scott.

Clocking in at just under an hour and a half, "The Spoilers" does not have a complcated plot. The gold rush is on, but ruthless government agents, led by a swaggering crook named McNamara ( an atypically villainous Randolph Scott ), are trying to chisel miners out of their property. Cherry Malotte, the local casino operator ( smouldering Marlene Dietrich ) may seem like a tough woman on the outside, but she has supported a number of the miners and is pleased when her old flame, Glennister ( formidable John Wayne ), is back in town. Cherry's relationship with Glennister is about as calm and centred as that of two Siamese fighting fish ! At the same time, McNamara's pursuit of Cherry is only slightly less energetic than his efforts to steal gold mines, so when the showdown comes, the "Duke" has a lot at stake.

In addition to the three stars, there are many supporting performances of note, with faces familiar to fans of old "A" and "B" westerns--Harry Carey, George Cleveland, Russell Simpson, William Farnum, Ray Bennett and Forrest Taylor to name a few. The movie is directed with a lot of energy by Ray Enright. The sets are impressive--check those streets--thick mud--I suspect that Nome around 1900 was like this--plenty of booze, mud, fortunes won and lost, and a busy undertaker !

The DVD exhibits a black and white picture with reasonable quality. When a movie is 62 years old, I tend to be less critical about technical matters than some reviewers. There are no extras whatsoever. Surely there are some noted film critics out there who could have provided some interesting background comments ? Hey--Leonard Maltin--hey Roger Ebert--how about a little help here ?

"The Spoilers", even with the legendary fisticuffs, is not--for me, at least--in the top echelon of classic westerns. At the same time, Wayne, Dietrich and Scott are so watchable that this disc still deserves a place in the collection of any serious fan.

"The Spoilers" is an unabashed adventure flick brimming with romance, humor and spectacular action. The plot, such as it is, is simple but compelling. When government agents arrive in Alaska and 'steal' a gold miner's claim, the miners decide to retaliate. John Wayne is a miner who's claim has been stolen by the local magestrate, played by Randolph Scott. Both Scott and John Wayne cut dashing figures of masculinity across the stark but beautiful Alaskan backdrops. Marlene Dietrich - as the lusty, husky-voiced madam, is at her most provocative, sensual best. The climactic fistfight, between Wayne and Scott is defiantly brutal to say the least.

TRANSFER: Exemplary. The B&W picture can be nicely balanced. Blacks are sometimes unstable. There's a limited amount of film grain and age related artifacts that enhances the performances. Digital anomalies are generally not an issue, though some edge enhancement is present. The audio is mono but nicely cleaned up.

EXTRAS: Forget it! Universal generally doesn't think much of its classic film library and this disc is no exception.

BOTTOM LINE: "The Spoilers" is recommended as a near reference quality DVD.

"The Spoilers" is an unabashed adventure flick brimming with romance, humor and spectacular action. The plot, such as it is, is simple but compelling. When government agents arrive in Alaska and 'steal' a gold miner's claim, the miners decide to retaliate. Both Randolph Scott and John Wayne cut dashing figures of masculinity across the stark but beautiful Alaskan backdrops while Marlene Dietrich - as the lusty, husky madam, is at her most provocatively sensual best. The climactic fistfight, between Wayne and Scott is defiantly brutal to say the least.
TRANSFER: Exemplary. The B&W picture can be nicely balanced. Blacks are sometimes unstable. There's a limited amount of film grain and age related artifacts that enhances the performances. Digital anomalies are generally not an issue, though some edge enhancement is present. The audio is mono but nicely cleaned up.
EXTRAS: Forget it! Universal generally doesn't think much of its classic film library and this disc is no exception.
BOTTOM LINE: "The Spoilers" is recommended as a movie - not as a reference quality DVD.

In THE SPOILERS, we can once again enjoy the unusual star combination of Dietrich, Scott and Wayne in a rollicking adventure set against an Alaskan boom-town circa the 1890's. "The Spoilers" by Rex Beach had already been adapted for the screen several times, but this is the version most people are familiar with.

The town of Nome is at the height of the gold-rush, and saloon owner Cherry Malotte (Marlene Dietrich) becomes the object of desire in a vendetta between cheated miner Roy Glennister (John Wayne) and local kingpin Alexander McNamara (Randolph Scott).

Universal first combined Dietrich, Scott and Wayne in "Pittsburgh" (also released in 1942); their unusual screen chemistry plays out to maximum effect in THE SPOILERS, yet both movies are quite similar with their period settings and fiery love-duels for Dietrich's affection.

Marlene Dietrich gets to really cut loose with her character of Cherry Malotte, costumed in some outrageous Vera West creations. Adding some fun comedy is her wisecracking maid Idabelle (Marietta Canty). Margaret Lindsay is the stereotypical "good girl"--but with a twist.

Many reviewers have already talked about the climactic brawl between Wayne and Scott, so I won't step on anybody's toes. That said, it is a brilliantly-executed sequence, you can't even tell where the actors leave off and the stunt doubles take over.

Settle back with some hard-boiled eggs and enjoy this classic adventure romp! (Single-sided, dual-layer disc).

I have this movie and love seeing it. It is one that you will want to watch time and time again. The script is cleverly written, such as the line that John Wayne says to Marlene Dietrich: "Baby,you'd look better in a burlap bag". The music is conducted by Elmer Bernstein and helps to capture the drama in this movie. John Wayne's way of getting his words across to the actresses in the film is his trademark, his high pitched voice, the nod of his head and his smile. The brawl between John Wayne and Randolph Scott is a real classic of movie making.So much could be said, but if you love old western classics you will really enjoy this one. They don't make them like this anymore. This movie should be rated a 10.

I would like to know whether the DVD format is COLOUR or Black & White . Amazon.conm shows it as Colour but Movies Unlimited
info. is B&W !! I am confused. Please clarify before I decide to purchase

Ashoke P. Mahtani/ Calcutta/ India

Everyone I hope are John Wayne fans. Talk about the best western actor who ever lived, it's THE DUKE.... I'm not saying that theirs not other good actors who star in westerns, but no one can come close to JOHN.... I can truly say watching him in a movie, is like not watching someone pretending. The words he said, and the way he treated others, he was humble, had great morals, a lifetime of being a very clean cut man. His movies were clean, family show,and wrong was wrong, and right was right. I started watching John with my father, 60 yrs. ago, oh how I fell in love with westerns, action, riding horses, and taking good care of them too. Yes, their were fights with fists, or chairs n tables busted up, and bottles of booze thrown flying on top of someones head, but I knew even thou I watched like I was in the movie, I knew it was only acting. For an hour or two I was sitting in a western town, and walking the streets, or riding a horse, or going some where in a stage coach. With John he didn't act it was like he was living the character of what ever the name he was, and the job he was doing. The Spoilers is so real, and it will keep your attention for the whole movie. I believe each actor, and John Wayne put on the best movie that anyone who likes westerns would love to see it. After all the years that has past since I first saw it in black and white, it's still one great movie.

THE SPOILERS is based on a novel written by Rex Beach The Spoilers. In 1942, it was already the fourth time Hollywood producers were adapting the book whose last adaptation was released in 1955. I sincerely would have liked to sing without limitation the praises of the film like all the precedent reviewers here but I honestly can't. Director Ray Enright was not John Ford nor Anthony Mann and all the Hollywood stars wouldn't have changed the fact that this movie is a good B-movie but not a masterpiece.

Don't misunderstand me, I've liked the film or, rather, I've liked certain aspects of THE SPOILERS. Marlene Dietrich's performance, for instance, is a reason to see the film, she's the real star here, John Wayne and Randolph Scott's parts being interesting, yes, but less important. I've also liked a few comic scenes such as the arrival of Jonathan Struve at the mine and his retreat in front of Al Dextry and his rifle Betsy. In this scene, Ray Enright reminds us of the time he was a gag writer for Mack Sennett. Finally, there is the well-known final fight between John Wayne and Randolph Scott : absolutely unrealistic but so cinematic.

A DVD zone Roy Bean.

John Wayne may well be billed third behind Marlene Dietrich and Randolph Scott In this forth and best version of THE SPOILERS but it was Wayne's star that was in the ascendancy, most of Dietrich's best work was behind her and Scott from the mid 1940's on was mostly in above average B-Westerns. Also starring Harry Carey former cowboy star of hundreds of early westerns and a favourite of director John Ford.

THE SPOILERS was from a 1906 novel by Rex Beach the story is set in the mud splattered mining town of 1900 Nome, Alaska during the gold rush. Roy Glennister (John Wayne) and Al Dextry (Harry Carey) are co-owners of a gold mine financed by saloon owner Cherry Mallotte (Marlene Dierich). A crooked gold commissioner Alexander McNamara Randolph Scott sets out to steal Glennister's claim along with the love of Cherry! The climax is one of the best-filmed extended bar-room-brawls of all time. A fifth version was released in 1956 this time in color with Jeff Chandler and Rory Calhoun in the Glennister and McNamara roles.

Made in Yukon Territory, Canada 65 years ago, filmed in black & white and directed by Ray Enright. No doubt a five star western on its release; including the excellent opening sequences showing the very muddy streets of Nome. The end also has the much acclaimed fight sequence between Wayne and Scott, but in between some other parts of it don't quite pass the test of time on this Universal 2006 DVD Release.