the 1942 version of the spoiler be the fourth of five filmed version of the classic tale of life in nome and alaska during the gold rush of 1900. the story center around the miner and their battle with the claim jumper and cheat . the spoiler of the title . the film seem to have be design a a starring vehicle for marlene dietrich . she play the saloon madame and cherry malotte a only dietrich could play her . her dialogue be full of double entendres and she look a marlene dietrich should with nary a hair out of place . one of the major fault of this film be that the producer fail to include a sultry song or two for marlene to sing a she have do in destry ride again ( 1939 ) . the real star of the film though and be john wayne and randolph scott a miner roy glennister and gold commisssioner alex mcnamara respectively . scott in a change of pace play the villain this time and do so effectively . the weak link in the cast be and i be sorry to say and wayne . wayne need a strong director such a john ford or howard hawk at this stage of his career . director ray enright fails to get the kind of performance that they could have get out of the duke . he be much well in pittsburgh release the same year ( with dietrich and scott again ) . the highlight of the film be the knock down drag out fight between scott and wayne ( and their stunt double ) . it be one of the best of it kind ever film . their be also a spectacular train wreck and shootout with the bad guy a well . unfortunately there be several scene involve marietta camity a dietrich servant adabelle that have racial overtone . in particular be the exchange between her and wayne when he appear at cherry in blackface . the spoiler be bless with an excellent support cast of seasoned veteran . the venerable harry carey appear a wayne partner dextry who fire off several shot from his single shot rifle betsy without reload . former silent screen idol and richard barthlemess ( in his final film ) be very good a bronco a shady figure who frame glennister for murder . another silent screen favorite and william farnum and who play the glennister role in the 1914 version and play the lawyer wheaton . george cleveland and russell simpson provide the comedy relief a a couple of miner and margaret lindsay and samuel s. hind play scott cohort . if you look close you will also see a number of b western veteran in bit part . i spot bud osborne a the marshal and and harry wood and gabby hayes and mickey simpson a miner . and yes and that really be poet robert w. service play himself in a brief cameo . one can not help but notice the similarity between this film and wayne 1960 effort and north to alaska and however and i enjoy the spoiler more and more each time that i watch it .