''The Barrier'' is a 1937

adventure film An adventure film is a form of adventure fiction, and is a genre of film. Subgenres of adventure films include swashbuckler films, pirate films, and survival films. Adventure films may also be combined with other film genres such as action, an ...

directed by

Lesley Selander Lesley Selander (May 26, 1900 – December 5, 1979) was an American film director of Western (genre), Westerns and adventure film, adventure movies. His career as director, spanning 127 feature films and dozens of TV episodes, lasted from 1936 to ...

. The story was previously filmed by MGM as a silent in 1926.

Plot

In 1890, in Flambeau, a small mining town in Alaska near the Canadian border, among the inhabitants are the prospectors John Gale and "No Creek" Lee and the French fur hunter Poleon Doret. Gale, a man with a big heart, lives with an Indian woman, Alluna, and a girl, Necia, whom he treats like a daughter. In reality, Necia is the daughter of another Indian, Merridy, loved by Gale some time before, but who had married another. Bennett, her husband, had turned out to be a violent man and Merridy, trying to save her daughter from her abuse, had asked for help from Gale who had promised her to watch over the baby until she joined them after leaving her husband. But Merridy had never arrived and Gale had been charged with kidnapping the girl and murdering Merridy. Having escaped capture, Gale had gone into hiding, taking refuge in Flambeau. When the troops of the United States arrive in the city and, under the leadership of Lieutenant Burrell, create a fixed position of the army, Flambeau is all in fibrillation. Among the newcomers is also Bennett who now uses the name of Stark. The man, for fifteen years, has been on the trail of Gale and now he intends to have him arrested and to take Necia from him. Poleon, the French, who grew up with the girl, fell in love with her, but Necia prefers the lieutenant. Alluna, however, warns her that a white man will never marry a half-breed like her. Necia, after talking to Burrell who tells her that their separation would be the best thing for her, leaves with a broken heart. Gale decides to tell the lieutenant everything to ensure a future for Necia. Stark orders Burrell to arrest him, but he must confront the miner. From the clash, the two opponents both come out injured. At the end of his life, Stark says he has taken Necia. Poleon, who hears it, runs to the river to save the girl, arriving just in time. Burrell, meanwhile, obtains Stark's confession about Merridy's murder, thus exonerating Gale who is also found not guilty by the miners' committee for Stark's death. Poleon gallantly gives Necia to Burrell and leaves Flambeau in a canoe singing a song.

Cast

Leo Carrillo Leopoldo Antonio Carrillo (; August 6, 1880 – September 10, 1961), known professionally as Leo Carrillo, was an American actor, vaudevillian, political cartoonist, and conservationist. He was best known for playing Pancho in the television ...

as Poleon Doret *

Jean Parker Jean Parker (born Lois May Green; August 11, 1915 – November 30, 2005) was an American film and stage actress. A native of Montana, indigent during the Great Depression, she was adopted by a family in Pasadena, California at age ten. She init ...

as Necia Gale *

James Ellison James Ellison may refer to: * James O. Ellison (1929–2014), U.S. federal judge * James T. Ellison (1862–1920s), New York gangster *James Ellison (actor) (1910–1993), American film actor *James Ellison (footballer, born 1901) (1901–1958), En ...

as Lieutenant Burrell *

Otto Kruger Otto Kruger (September 6, 1885 – September 6, 1974) was an American actor, originally a Broadway matinee idol, who established a niche as a charming villain in films, such as Hitchcock's ''Saboteur''. He also appeared in CBS's ''Perry Mason'' a ...

as Stark *

J.M. Kerrigan Joseph Michael Kerrigan (16 December 1884 – 29 April 1964) was an Irish actor. Early life Joseph Michael Kerrigan was born on 16 December 1884 in Dublin, which was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland at that time. H ...

as Sergeant Thomas *

Robert Barrat Robert Harriot Barrat (July 10, 1891 – January 7, 1970) was an American stage, motion picture, and television character actor. Early years Barratt was born on July 10, 1891, in New York City and was educated in the public schools there. He ...

as John Gale *

Andy Clyde Andrew Allan Clyde (March 25, 1892 – May 18, 1967) was a Scottish-born American film and television actor whose career spanned more than four decades. In 1921 he broke into silent films as a Mack Sennett comic, debuting in ''On a Summer ...

as 'No-Creek' Lee *

Sally Martin Sally Erana Martin (born 28 May 1985) is an actress from New Zealand. She has appeared in a range of television series, including '' The Strip'', ''Shortland Street'' and in ''Power Rangers Ninja Storm'' as Tori Hanson, the latter two co-starr ...

as Molly Gale *

Sara Haden Sara Haden (born Catherine Haden, November 17, 1898 – September 15, 1981) was an American actress of the 1930s through the 1950s and in television into the mid-1960s. She may be best remembered for appearing as Aunt Milly Forrest in 14 entrie ...

as Mrs. John 'Alluna' Gale *

Addison Richards Addison Whittaker Richards, Jr. (October 20, 1902 – March 22, 1964) was an American actor of film and television. Richards appeared in more than three hundred films between 1933 and his death. Biography A native of Zanesville, Ohio, Richa ...

as Henchman Runnion *Alan Davis as Sergeant Tobin *Fernando Alvarado as Johnny Gale

External links

* * 1937 films 1937 adventure films Films directed by Lesley Selander American black-and-white films American adventure films Films based on works by Rex Beach Remakes of American films Sound film remakes of silent films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films {{adventure-film-stub