Tonight's movie was "The Spoilers" (1942), the eighth movie from my seemingly never ending 10 Pack of Westerns. John Wayne leads an all-star cast in this tale of gold mining and claim jumping way up in Nome, Alaska in 1900. Wayne plays a local prospector who has staked a claim and established his own gold mining company, complete with an office and a safe inside where he stores his gold. He has a crusty old partner, because in Westerns, it is mandatory that a percentage of the characters be crusty and/or crotchety, and elderly but feisty.
Not long after the movie opens, Wayne is returning to Nome by ship (from an unknown locale), eager to begin working his gold mine. Waiting to greet him is the legendary Marlene Dietrich, his one time paramour who runs the local saloon. However, when she sees Wayne disembark with the lovely Margaret Lindsay, she is none too happy. Wayne explains to Marlene that this is just the way he is, and that declaration sets the stage for the romantic part of the story; a competition for Wayne's affections between the two women, one sweet and pampered (Lindsay) and one self-supporting and worldly (Dietrich).
The main angle is the organised attempt at swindling gold miners out of their claims. Prior to watching this film, the only thing I knew about claim jumping was going to Claim Jumper's restaurant out by Northridge Mall. I used to go there with Mom and Dad on occasion in the early 2000s. We always liked it because the food was good and they gave you humongous portions, so much that you always took home a large doggie bag. I also liked the Western motif, but anyhow, that was the extent of my knowledge on claim jumping, which apparently was more of a phony legal process than an outright outlaw act of gunning a man down and taking his gold. Claim jumping involved filing an affidavit stating that you found the claim first, even though you didn't. Because the mining operations were out in the boondocks, it was one man's word against another's. Many claims were stolen in this way, and in the movie - which is based on a historical novel of actual events - John Wayne is not only up against a claim jumper but against a group of organised gold and land thieves comprised of the local mining official, played by Randolph Scott, and the local circuit judge and his flunky lawyer. Margaret Lindsay, who has half of John Wayne's heart, is the niece of the corrupt judge, and is in on the plot to "legally" steal Wayne's gold claim. She is torn by her love for him, but too scared of her uncle the judge to tell Wayne the truth.
Marlene Dietrich, however, sees through the scheme. She is tough as nails and dressed to kill throughout. Her character in this movie has got to be the inspiration for the famous Lily Von Schtupp character in "Blazing Saddles", played by Madeline Kahn. See it for yourself if you are a "Saddles" fan.
Once again, as the movie was made during the age of great screenwriting there is enough story to fill the book that it was based on to begin with. In the first half, a light comedy element is present while the romantic tensions are building up. Marlene Dietrich does her thing and plays up the strutting yet sophisticated sexuality, while John Freakin' Wayne grins, shrugs and responds with his "maybe baby" macho male retorts. He doesn't need her (or does he)?
He's got the other gal hooked too, Margaret Lindsay, who thinks she loves him but is too beholden to her crooked Uncle, the judge, and his crooked buddy the mining official Randolph Scott (which, when you say his name you have to do it with the "Blazing Saddles" chorus behind you. See Youtube for details.)
I hope you can figure out what is going on from what I have told you, because it is late and I have to be up at the crack of dawn for church.
One last thing I will mention is that there is a major league Western Movie Punchout between John Wayne and Randolph Scott at the end of the movie that goes on way too long and was far too brutal for my liking. In those days, it was supposed to be a form of sensationalised "man vs. man showdown", pure Hollywood schtick. But this one went way too far and it grossed me out, it was even brutal by today's standards, and I thought it took away from the movie, especially coming at the end. I don't want to see that kind of violence, it's not entertaining.
I was tempted to dock One Thumb from my review for that ending, and only give "The Spoilers" a single Thumb Up, but I have relented because of the great 85 minute story preceding the grotesque ending, and because the movie, overall, is a classic Western, with elements of crime story and comedy, and great locations at Lake Arrowhead in the San Bernardino Mountains, and it was filmed in black and white.
Two Thumbs Up are therefore extended. Just cover your eyes during the last three minutes. There was no reason to end the movie that way.
See you in church tomorrow morning, we've got a great one to sing : "Shall We Gather At The River".
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
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