The opening music sounds like it could be from a jungle flick, though a title card calls attention to Old West parallels for fish pirates on the Alaskan frontier in the early 1900's. Prior to finding this film in a second hand shop, I had never heard of it, and to maintain the suspense, I didn't read the video sleeve, hoping that the combination of Fonda, Raft and Lamour would deliver. It's not too bad, set as it is in an unlikely venue of Arctic glaciers and salmon spawning grounds, with the Western parallel of good guys against bad guys only lacking the obligatory black hats.

Henry Fonda and George Raft seem an unlikely duo to co-star, and each is acceptable in their respective assignments. Fonda's role as Jim Kimmerlee is a little more fleshed out and philosophical than Raft's Tyler Dawson. There's an interesting scene where Jim responds to Dian's (Louise Platt) lament over what she sees as naive for the native Indians to perform ceremonial prayer for a successful fish harvest. Jim points out that it's no more hypocritical than praying for rain when a farmer plants his wheat. I thought that was great.

True to their respective natures, Jim's boat is 'Old Reliable', while Tyler Dawson's (Raft) is 'Who Cares', enough said subliminally to hint at what's going to happen. Interestingly, the 'pirates' of the film are cast as Russian thugs who raid the legal fishing nets, led by a seaman appropriately named 'Red' (Akim Tamiroff). When Dawson throws in with Red, it sets up a dramatic confrontation between Jim and Tyler that leads to Dawson's redemptive moment in the film's climax.

Along the way, Dorothy Lamour and Louise Platt stand by their men, Dawson and Kimmerlee respectively, right or wrong. It's a different role for Lamour if you're used to her 'Road' pictures with Hope and Crosby. Platt has the kind of looks that will have you wondering where you've seen her before, but you probably haven't. She appeared in only a handful of films between 1939 and 1942, but one of them was John Ford's acclaimed Western epic "Stagecoach".

True to his Western film roots, director Henry Hathaway called on a few veterans of the genre for supporting roles here. Fans will recognize Stanley Andrews, Duncan Renaldo and Fuzzy Knight, even though fishing boats replace stagecoaches.

"Spawn of the North" was recognized with an Oscar for Paramount's creation of special photographic and sound effects for the picture. The Academy might have also come up with something for the film's uncredited scene stealer, Slicker the sea lion. Every scene with Slicker was something special, the best being his team up with Fonda to put one over on Louise Platt's character, that was simply great!

Not copyrighted. A Paramount picture. New York opening at the Paramount 7 September 1938. U.S. release: 26 August 1938. Sydney opening at the Prince Edward, 19 November 1938 (ran 4 weeks). 110 minutes.

SYNOPSIS: Russian salmon fisheries are on the agenda!

NOTES: Special Academy Award "for outstanding achievement in creating Special Photographic and Sound Effects in the Paramount production, Spawn of the North. Special Effects by Gordon Jennings, assisted by Jan Domela, Dev Jennings, Irmin Roberts and Art Smith. Transparencies by Farciot Edouart, assisted by Loyal Griggs. Sound effects by Loren Ryder, assisted by Harry Mills, Louis H. Mesenkop and Walter Oberst".

Re-made in 1954 as "Alaska Seas".

COMMENT: A typically vigorous Henry Hathaway actioner, "Spawn of the North" is a powerful drama with some terrific action scenes and awesome location material brilliantly blended into the studio footage.

Mind you, this studio footage isn't to be put down either, as all the players contribute excellent portrayals, particularly John Barrymore as a loquacious newspaper editor (well-named "Windy") and Lynne Overman as his "translater". Lamour is quite fetching, while Fonda, Raft, Tamiroff and Sokoloff also provide most agreeable character sketches.

My only complaint is that the movie is a trifle over-long. The big fight scene occurs almost 30 minutes from the actual end of the picture. Slight trimming of this excess anti-climax would be helpful.

The hero's dilemma is real and believable, even though the basic plot is one of the most commonly used in Hollywood movies.

The characters also are thoroughly convincing, even though on paper they might be criticized as stereotypes. It's the way they are so skilfully and dramatically brought to life on the screen that counts. Hathaway's solid, punchy direction could not be bettered. Other technical credits are likewise first-rate.

All told, this movie certainly comes across as gripping entertainment.

The setting could have been the OLD WEST or a Prohibition Gangster film, the plots are that interchangeable. Instead we have the great North-West territory of Alaska at the beginning of the 20th Century. The formula, a standard one for the 1930s, two Friends from similar back-rounds in Childhood. Upon maturity both come to a fork in the roads one going for the 'fast buck' the other wanting to build a new civilization.

Casting George Raft as Tyler Dawson assured that his character was going to take short-cuts. That left Henry Fonda's Jim Kimmerlee as the forthright and upright Friend. Each has a girl reflecting their respective temperaments. Dawson's Nicky Duval, Dorothy Lamour with a questionable background and good girl, Diane 'Di' Turlon, Louise Platt. Daughter of Windy Turlon, John Barrymore and with a name like 'RED' Skain you knew Akim Tamiroff was going to be up to no good.

The fight is over the annual Salmon run. 'RED' and Tyler just wanting to skim off others hard work. Jim and his Friends form a Vigilence Committee and with 'Harp Guns' at the ready do battle with the FISH PIRATES. Plenty of action, scenery with skillful directing by Henry Hathaway. Seldom seen now it was often shown on the old AMC. Available on DVD, good print, but NO extras, not even subtitles for the hard of hearing. Ask your library to order this one it is worth the viewing. Though John Barrymore was slipping into a caricature of himself and no longer 'The Great Profile'.