Rugged screen greats Robert Ryan (Horizons West) and Brian Keith (The Rare Breed) star in this thrilling adventure yarn set in the frozen North. Matt Kelly (Ryan) is hired by his old pal Jim Kimmerly (Keith), the head of the local salmon fishermen who have formed a canning co-operative. The fishermen fight to keep a ruthless gang of fishing-trap robbers at bay. Matt, however, short on cash and morals, aims to join up with the raiders and steal Jim’s fiancée, Nicki (Jan Sterling, Flesh and Fury). A loose remake of the 1938 George Raft/Henry Fonda starrer Spawn of the North, Alaska Seas delivers action, adventure, romance—and avalanches! Directed by Jerry Hopper (Naked Alibi, Secret of the Incas) and co-starring Gene Barry (Those Redheads from Seattle) and Timothy Carey (The Killing).
For thoughts on Alaska Seas, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
[youtube https://youtu.be/T7jBM3kHH9s?si=tXRkCyU1e_BaqxNO&t=2657]
Video Quality
Kino Classics presents Alaska Seas with a fetching Blu-Ray in 1.66:1 from a new remaster conducted by Paramount Pictures. The presentation is quite a looker from beginning to end with image stability and delineation being handled gracefully. There is some archival nature footage included up top that does not look great due to the source elements, but this is a small part of a larger endeavor. Black levels hold up well enough with little in the way of crush. Instances of print damage such as nicks and lines have mostly been eliminated with overall clarity and detail remaining strong. This transfer retains the natural film grain of the presentation with no moments ever seeming overly clumpy or swarming. The black-and-white photography has a firm grasp on the gradients with no unexpected softness. Kino Classics has delivered a top-notch disc for this one.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a fine DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that handles the material without much issue. The score maintains a decent fidelity as it enhances the atmosphere of the narrative. Despite the strength of this element, nothing ever overshadows the dialogue or other pertinent information. The sound effects and music appear to be natural to the intent of the creative team. This track shows no unexpected signs of age-related wear and tear such as dropouts, hissing, or popping. Dialogue and background noises are balanced carefully with all complementary elements. Kino Classics keeps up the good work on this front. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Film Historian David Del Valle and Film Historian/Archivist Stan Shaffer provide a very engaging commentary track in which they discuss the place of this film as a remake, how it compares to the original film, the work of Jerry Hopper, the background of the ensemble players, the themes and motifs of the picture and much more.
- Trailers: There are trailers provided for Horizons West, Odds Against Tomorrow, Jivaro, The Rare Breed, Those Redheads From Seattle, and Naked Alibi.
Final Thoughts
Alaska Seas is a pretty entertaining action-drama in which jealousy explodes into deadly conflict. Some elements are slightly overwrought, but the performances keep things dialed into a good frequency, especially the commanding Robert Ryan and beguiling Jan Sterling. Some of the stunts they were able to pull off courtesy of special effects assistance still impress to this day. It may not be essential, but it is a really good time if you enjoy the genre. Kino Classics has released a new Blu-Ray featuring a strong A/V presentation and an informative commentary track. Recommended
Alaska Seas is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
