Spawn of the North was released on August 26, 1938. It starred George Raft and featured Henry Fonda, Dorothy Lamour supported by Akin Tamiroff and John Barrymore. Henry Hathaway was the director and the film was a huge success.
Though an action/adventure film, it was successfully shot on the lot at Paramount thanks to cutting-edge special effects and cinematography. In 1939 it received a special Academy Award for “outstanding achievement in creating Special Photographic and Sound Effects.” High praise, indeed.
The plot revolves around the relationship between childhood friends in the fishing industry who take different routes to survive in a cut-throat business. It has been compared to The Virginian though with the roles reversed. Variously categorized as action/adventure/melodrama/comedy/romance, this film had something for everyone.
Once again George rose to the level of his co-star, in this case Henry Fonda, and Hathaway knew just how to bring out his best performance. Dorothy played a character who was neither exotic nor glamorous and proved that she had real acting talent. She and George were a good romantic match on screen and were entertaining to watch. Fans were charmed as ticket sales confirmed.
The DVD, VHS and Blu-Ray are available at Amazon.
