The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

I've hesitated reviewing this film which I have the barest recollection of seeing as a kid during the 60s on television. There seems to be a print in existence, but whether it will be restored or whether we'll never get to see this third version of The Spoilers God only knows.Certainly Gary Cooper was every inch the hero John Wayne and Jeff Chandler were in later adaptions. If you've seen the other two sound versions of The Spoilers they follow the plot Rex Beach had in his original novel. Certainly Marlene Dietrich as saloon entertainer Cherry Malotte brought far more of her welcome self than Betty Compson does here.But there is one big variation. Instead of the judge's niece being an innocent party Kay Johnson is in on the scheme to bilk Gary Cooper out of his gold claim and the profits therein. Her 'innocence' is not existence, to some degree she's a bigger seductress than Cherry Malotte. This is what I remember best from the Gary Cooper version.The climax of course is the fight between Cooper and crooked William Boyd, not the Hopalong Cassidy William Boyd, but William 'Stage" Boyd so billed as to distinguish him from the other William Boyd. The two really tear into each other for about 15 minutes. This one set the standard for screen fisticuffs.I'd really like to see this version of The Spoilers to see if my memory of it is correct.