Bob Randall (John Wayne) is a coast guard boatswain, headquartered in Alaska where he and the members of his crew battle evil seal poachers like oily Phil Morgan (Russell Hicks).  When Randall returns to port after his latest patrol, he has to deal with two disappointments.  First off, he is passed over for a promotion to commanding officer, even though everyone knows that he deserves it.  Instead, the promotion goes Lt. Commander Mays (William Blakewell), the son of a commander (George Irving).  Mays doesn’t even want the job.  He’s scared of the water and he’d rather fly airplane as a part of the Coast Guard’s aviation force.  Bob is disappointed but he’s a professional and he’s going to support Mays.  Secondly, Bob’s girlfriend (Nan Grey) witnesses a murder and is kidnapped by Phil Morgan.  Bob and his sidekick (dependable western mainstay Fuzzy Knight) go undercover as fisherman to try to find her.

The Sea Spoilers was the first of six B-movies that John Wayne did for Universal.  Wayne, who had been stuck in the B’s for a while, was trying to prove that he was more than just a singing cowboy so, in this one, he plays a tough and ready sailor.  Wayne is convincing in the role, even if the movie is really just a western set in what was then modern day Alaska.  Though only 30, Wayne shows the no-nonsense professionalism that would become his trademark once he became one of the world’s biggest movie stars.  Unlike some of Wayne’s early films, it’s possible to see the icon that John Wayne would eventually become while watching him here.  The Sea Spoilers is only 66 minutes long but fans of the Duke should enjoy it.

Finally, The Sea Spoilers was written by George Waggner.  Waggner would later go on to direct the original Wolf Man.