Spawn of the North
| Spawn of the North | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Henry Hathaway |
| Produced by | Albert Lewin |
| Written by |
Jules Furthman Talbot Jennings |
| Starring |
George Raft Henry Fonda Dorothy Lamour John Barrymore |
| Music by | Dimitri Tiomkin |
| Cinematography | Charles Lang |
| Edited by | Ellsworth Hoagland |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 110 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Spawn of the North is a 1938 film about rival fishermen in Alaska starring George Raft and featuring Henry Fonda, Dorothy Lamour, and John Barrymore. The movie was directed by Henry Hathaway.[1]
Plot
Jim Kimmerlee owns a salmon cannery. He is pleased to see old friend Tyler Dawson, who has been away hunting seal. Also glad to see Tyler is his sweetheart, hotel owner Nicky Duval.
Thieves have been stealing from fishing traps. Jim is determined to put a stop to it, engaging in a feud with Red Skain, a Russian fisherman who is suspected in the thefts.
Di Turlon comes back to town after several years of big-city life. The adjustment to the fishing community is awkward at first, but Di comes around and becomes interested romantically in Jim.
As he and others go after Red and the thieves, Jim is dismayed to learn that Tyler has become one of Red's accomplices. Planning to catch the fish poachers in the act, Jim tries to spare Tyler by having Nicky sabotage his boat, but Tyler finds another vessel and joins Red at sea. Jim exchanges gunfire with the thieves, killing two and wounding Tyler.
After being found and helped by his friend after Red has abandoned him, Tyler decides there is one more thing he must do. Close to death, he takes a boat back out, confronts Red, then blows a loud boat whistle that causes an avalanche, resulting in both men's death. Jim speaks admiringly of his friend's sacrificial act.
Cast
- George Raft as Tyler Dawson
- Henry Fonda as Jim Kimmerlee
- Dorothy Lamour as Nicky Duval
- Akim Tamiroff as Red Skain
- John Barrymore as Windy Turlon
- Louise Platt as "Di" Turlon
- Lynne Overman as "Jack" Jackson
- Fuzzy Knight as Lefty Jones
- Vladimir Sokoloff as Dimitri
- Duncan Renaldo as Ivan
- John Wray as Dr. Sparks
- Michio Ito as Indian Dancer
- Stanley Andrews as Partridge
- Richard Ung as Tom
Reception
The film was a big box office success and was later remade as Alaska Seas (1954).[2]
The special effects and production team who worked on Spawn of the North received an Academy Honorary Award at the 11th Academy Awards for their efforts. The award was given to the special effects artist Gordon Jennings, with assistance from Jan Domela, Dev Jennings, Irmin Roberts and Art Smith; the transparencies artist Farciot Edouart, with assistance from Loyal Griggs and the sound effects artist Loren Ryder, with assistance from Harry D. Mills, Louis H. Mesenkop and Walter Oberst.[3]
References
- β The AFI Catalog of Feature Films:Spawn of the North
- β Everett Aaker, The Films of George Raft, McFarland & Company, 2013 p 79
- β "Special Award - 11th Academy Awards". Academy Awards Database. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Spawn of the North. |
- Spawn of the North at the American Film Institute Catalog
- Spawn of the North at the Internet Movie Database