Fresh and Exciting

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

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'.

None of the other reviews have mentioned that SPAWN OF THE NORTH is in fact a remake of THE VIRGINIAN, with a change in locale from Wyoming to Alaska. There is also one other notable change. While Akim Tamiroff is Trampas and Henry Fonda steps into Gary Cooper's boots as The Virginian, the emphasis has been shifted to the likable but shady Steve character (Richard Arlen in the '29 talkie, George Raft here). SPAWN OF THE NORTH would itself be remade in 1954 as ALASKA SEAS, with a nice cast including Robert Ryan, Brian Keith, and Gene Barry in the roles played by Raft, Fonda, and Tamiroff respectively. On its own terms SPAWN OF THE NORTH is very effective entertainment, thanks to the guiding hand of director Henry Hathaway as well as its cast, not only the aforementioned stars but also experienced scene-stealers John Barrymore and Lynne Overman in support.

This is a real good movie. Henry Fonda and George Raft Play the rival fishermen. Near the end of the movie George Raft is shot. While resting in bed he smokes a cigarette and the smoke comes up out of the bullet holes in his chest!? I remember when I was in high school. We were learning about first aid. The teacher told us about never giving a cigarette to an injury victim. Then he told us about a Humphrey Bogart movie where after being shot he smoked a cigarette and the smoke came out of his chest. I searched for years and found out it was the "Spawn of The North", With GEORGE RAFT not Bogart. Watch for this movie on AMC or TCM, just to see this scene. It is well worth watching, with fine acting and great scenery.

Some surprisingly violent action scenes are the highlights of this Alaska-set adventure tale of boats and salmon fishermen, which plays like a disguised Western. Unfortunately, they're lost in a sea of footage (almost two hours), and the savvy viewer can see the ending coming from halfway to Skag