In 1890 Minnesota Christine Powell is the scheming head of the Powell dynasty, the richest mining empire of the era. But the Powell mine deposits are diminishing. The Mesabi range represents a whole new productive area but the rights to mine there are held by a young geological engineer, Kyle Ramlo. The latter reaches an impasse when he needs money to continue his experimentation with open-pit mining and goes to Miss Powell for financing. She displays great interest in both his inventive mining method and in him personally but secretly plots to destroy him and take over his Masabi rights. The gullible Ramlo falls into clutches while the girl he really loves, Cathy Norlund, tries desperately to open his eyes to Christine's scheme.
Acting
Ruth Hussey devours as the scheming Christine—finally not playing someone's wife.
Production
Minnesota location shooting makes this studio Western feel almost authentic.
Director
Joseph Kane
Rod Cameron
Kyle Ramlo
Ruth Hussey
Christine Powell
John Agar
David Powell
Gale Storm
Cathy Nordlund
J. Carrol Naish
John Mulholland
Jim Davis
Steve Powell
Jay C. Flippen
Axel Nordlund
Taylor Holmes
Andrew Dawson
Barry Kelley
O'Hara
Grant Withers
Henry S. Chapman
Stephen Bekassy
Andre Duclos
Howard Petrie
Rick Barton
Hank Worden
Tom Gordon
Virginia Brissac
Mrs. Dawson
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was Republic Pictures trying to class up their Western output with A-list casting—Ruth Hussey had just been Oscar-nominated for Philadelphia Story.
The Mesabi Range open-pit mining depicted here was real and transformative; the film accidentally documents labor practices that would soon unionize violently.
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