The Barrier
Cast & Crew
Lesley Selander
Leo Carrillo
Jean Parker
James Ellison
Otto Kruger
Robert Barrat
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
In the 1890s, among the residents of Flambeau, Alaska, a small mining town near the Canadian border, are gold prospectors John Gale and "No Creek" Lee (the only man in town who doesn't have a creek named after him), and a big-hearted, singing French fur trapper named Poleon Doret. Gale lives with an Indian woman, Alluna, and a young woman, Necia, whom he calls his daughter. In reality, she is the daughter of another Indian, Merridy, a woman Gale had loved, but who married another man, Bennett, who mistreated her. When Necia was three, Merridy summoned Gale for help and asked him to take care of Necia while she confronted Bennett about his abuse. Although Merridy planned to join Gale and Necia, she never came, and Gale was charged with kidnapping and murder. To save the child, Gale changed her name to Necia and became an outlaw. When the U.S. Army, led by Lieutenant Burrell, sets up a post in Flambeau, the town booms. Among the newcomers is Bennett, who is using the alias of Stark. He has been tracking Gale for fifteen years and plans to have him arrested and to steal Necia from him. Although Poleon, who has grown up with Necia, is deeply in love with her, she falls in love with Burrell. Alluna warns her that a white man will never marry a "half-breed," after which Necia confronts Burrell, who intimates that their parting would be the best thing for her. In a state of grief, Necia wanders off alone in the woods and Stark follows, sending her down the river to a mission. Meanwhile, in town, Gale has decided to confess all to Burrell in order to secure Necia's future with him. When Stark orders Burrell to arrest Gale, Gale confronts Stark and both men are wounded. As Stark lays dying, he tells Gale he has "Merridy," and Poleon runs to the river to rescue Necia. He arrives in time to stop her from being accosted by her oarsman. Burrell gets a signed confession about Merridy's murder from Stark before he dies, and the Miners Committee clears Gale of blame in Stark's death. Poleon gallantly gives up Necia to Burrell and leaves Flambeau singing in a canoe.
Director
Lesley Selander
Cast
Leo Carrillo
Jean Parker
James Ellison
Otto Kruger
Robert Barrat
Andy Clyde
Addison Richards
Sara Haden
J. M. Kerrigan
Fernando Alvarado
Sally Martin
Alan Davis
Crew
George Barnes
Gerard Carbonara
Joe Dill
Harrison Jacobs
Robert Lander
Maurice Lawrence
Boris Morros
Earl Moser
Thomas Neff
George Nogle
Lewis J. Rachmil
Bernard Schubert
Mordaunt Shairp
Harry Sherman
Earl Sitar
Ralph Slosser
V. O. Smith
Jack Stern
Eugene Strong
Harry Tobias
Jack Vorshell
Robert Warwick Jr.
Adolph Zukor
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The title card for this film reads: "Rex Beach's The Barrier." The film was shot on location at Mount Baker National Park, WA. According to a Motion Picture Herald "Pictorial Preview" article about this film, it "does not include a single process shot." The article also states that producer Harry Sherman had hoped for seven years to make this film. In a location news item in Hollywood Reporter, Jack Vorshell is listed as production manager and Joseph Pickle as assistant director. "Joseph Pickle" was apparently a nickname for Joe Dill. A February 16, 1937 news item in Hollywood Reporter announced the departure the following week of Harry Sherman, Eugene Strong and Edward Ludwig (who was then set to direct) for location shooting in Alaska, although the location and production schedule later changed. Earlier versions of The Barrier include the 1917 Rex Beach Pictures Co. film, directed by Edgar Lewis and starring Russell Simpson and Mabel Julienne Scott and the 1926 M-G-M film, directed by George Hill and starring Norman Kerry, Henry B. Walthall, Lionel Barrymore and Marceline Day.
