Famous for having one of the longest and most elaborate brawls in film history, The Spoilers (1942) is probably the best version of this classic Western tale which has been filmed five times; with Tom Santschi and William Farnus in 1913, Milton Sills and Noah Beery in 1923, Gary Cooper and William Boyd in 1930, John Wayne and Randolph Scott in 1941, and Rory Calhoun and Jeff Chandler in 1955. Set in Nome, Alaska, at the turn of the century, the story pits gold miners Roy Glennister (John Wayne) and his partner, Al Dextry (Harry Carey), against gold commissioner Alexander McNamara (Randolph Scott) and a corrupt judge (Samuel S. Hinds). Marlene Dietrich stars as Cherry Malotte, the saloon hostess who takes a fancy to 'The Duke.'

The climactic fight sequence of The Spoilers, which lasts six minutes, required the services of over 30 experienced stuntmen and acrobats. It took over ten days to film the brawl which used every type of breakaway furniture imaginable and had stuntmen crashing into mirrors, sailing over balconies, slamming against walls, and breaking down doors. Needless to say, the bar where the fight begins is completely trashed by the end of the slugfest. John Wayne was particularly proud of the fact that he performed some of the stunts himself and always gave this sage advice to younger actors, "Learn to fight. Learn to hit and learn to roll with a punch. Learn to handle your body easily and smoothly. You have to make it look good. Above all, it has to be convincing."

The Duke's co-star, Randolph Scott, was rarely cast in a villainous role in Westerns but he makes an effective one here and is a formidable opponent for Wayne's character. During filming, it was reported that Scott and Wayne didn't get along, mostly due to creative differences. Scott took a more artistic approach to acting than Wayne who had a very unpretentious approach to his craft. Wayne had no trouble warming to co-star Dietrich, however, and their off-screen affair was well known in Hollywood circles. According to Ronald L. Davis, the author of Duke: The Life and Image of John Wayne, the rugged cowboy star "spent evenings at Dietrich's house, confiding his marital problems to the sympathetic actress. He was restless and bored with Josephine and spent as little time at home as possible. He confessed to Marlene that his sex life with Josie was minimal. "Four times in ten years," Duke snorted, explaining his four children. Dietrich had introduced him to more exotic sex; she made him feel like a man in bed and admired him physically. Although the dignified Josephine seemed cold by comparison, Duke continued to praise his wife as "wonderful, religious woman" and an ideal mother."

Director: Ray Enright
Producer: Frank Lloyd, Lee Marcus (associate)
Screenplay: Lawrence Hazard, Tom Reed, Rex Beach (novel)
Cinematography: Milton R. Krasner
Music: Hans J. Salter
Art Direction: John B. Goodman, Jack Otterson
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 Farrell), George Cleveland (Banty).
BW-87m.

by Jeff Stafford