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.

Henry Fonda doesn't contribute much to this film, although Dorothy Lamour does put in a good performance. This is really a George Raft film who puts in a strong performance, and there is a lot that you can learn from his acting. Fonda seems to be trying too hard to act. You just don't believe him, and you feel that he was very lucky to get a break in films in the 1930s. Even Akim Tamaroff puts in a better performance than Fonda standing shoulder to shoulder with Raft as an equal. I can see what Cecil B. DeMille saw in Tamaroff to cast him in 'The Buccaneer', although that was not a good film.Despite all this, I fell asleep during the film because it bored me to tears.

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.

I've always looked on this film as a perfect blend of obvious location shooting for background very well integrated with the plot of the story which was done on the Paramount back-lot. The best part of the film is the footage of Alaska, of the Inuit, and even of the salmon going upstream to their demise.Looking at Henry Fonda and George Raft however is quite a contrast between a great actor and a personality. Raft's gangster persona is not quite right for this tale of best friends ending up on opposite sides of the law. Still he gives it his best shot and the results are more than adequate. However the best acted performance in this film without a doubt goes to Akim Tamiroff as the Russian fish pirate Red Skane. Skane is a swaggering thug and Tamiroff is perfect.Many years ago I saw Henry Fonda and he said he divided his films in two categories, those he did for art's sake and those he did for the money. Spawn of the North was one for the money, but still he was proud of it as entertainment. His Jim Kimmerlee does not belong in the category of his great parts like Mister Roberts or Oxbow Incident, but it still is a good piece of work. Fonda does the best he can with a part that doesn't call for him to do much, but be noble.Back in the 1930s location shooting was an expensive proposition and here Paramount did a superb job at masking the studio origins of the film. Looking at those shots with the fisherman against the backdrop of the glaciers and icebergs you really do think you're in Alaska. Great special effects here, especially in the climax which involves boats being crushed by icebergs.Nice entertainment and Dorothy Lamour does NOT wear a sarong.