Directed by:
Lewis SeilerCinematography:
Robert De GrasseCast:
Marlene Dietrich, Randolph Scott, John Wayne, Frank Craven, Louise Allbritton, Shemp Howard, Thomas Gomez, Ludwig Stössel, Samuel S. Hinds, Paul Fix (more)Plots(1)
Marlene Dietrich, Randolph Scott and John Wayne wrestle with love and greed in this all-star gold rush adventure set in a turn-of-the-century Alaskan boomtown. Dietrich is savvy saloon owner Cherry Malotte, whose honest former beau (Wayne) looks like being swindled out of his claim by no-good town kingpin McNamara (Scott). It's a tale as wild as the frozen north itself, featuring an all-out fight to the finish between western icons Wayne and Scott, which is still considered one of the most spectacular action sequences ever filmed. (British Film Institute (BFI))
(more)Reviews (2)
A classic film featuring the Marlene Dietrich and John Wayne duo. They’re a bit disparate, but a very popular Universal studios couple. The film features enjoyable American war propaganda full of clichés, but they are so artfully incorporated that it doesn't ruin anything. Marlene is still irresistible, still from Europe, and still finds herself between two men. And if anyone is fighting over Marlene, it's definitely without her, which is tasteful. That's all you need to be happy from celluloid.
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If it had been taken to that dramatic level, to a properly destructive finale, rather than the other way around with this happy ending, it would have been a great film. John Wayne delivers an excellent performance in terms of portraying a dramatic character who becomes bad, but he simply couldn't be a jerk the whole time. It's a shame about the twist because otherwise, it would have been great.
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