Blowing Wild (1953)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Hugo Fregonese

Writer:

Philip Yordan (written by)

Release Date:

16 December 1953 (France)

Genre:

Action | Drama

Plot Keywords:

Bandit | Oil

Cast

Gary Cooper	...	Jeff Dawson
Barbara Stanwyck	...	Marina Conway
Ruth Roman	...	Sal Donnelly
Anthony Quinn	...	Ward 'Paco' Conway
Ward Bond	...	Dutch Peterson
Ian MacDonald	...	Jackson
Richard Karlan	...	Henderson
Juan García	...	El Gavilan

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

West Germany:16 (nf) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Churubusco Studios, Mexico City, México D.F., Mexico

Company:

United States Pictures

Movie Connections:

Featured in Barbara Stanwyck: Fire and Desire (1991) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Blowing Wild (The Ballad of Black Gold)

Good Cast in a Watchable Product

Blowing Wild is some sort of modern times western, unpretentious but interesting.

Ruined friends Jeff Dawson (Gary Coooper) and Dutch Peterson (Ward Bond) are stuck in a small South American city after bandits blow to pieces their only oil well. As they wonder around they run into wealthy Paco Conway (Anthony Quinn) a former close friend of Dawson who is in the oil business and hires him to give him a hand. Dawson takes the job just to raise the money that will bring him and Dutch back to the United States. Paco's wife Marina Conway (Barbara Stanwyck)has had something with Dawson in the past and she seems willing to revive it. Bandits are also around menacing Paco's oil wells. Circumstances mix up and the plot turns out interesting as it shows the disturbing relationship between Jeff, Paco and Marina.

The film was shot in black and white by Argentine director Hugo Fregonese who makes a good job here in a story about friendship, ambition, passion and murder. Frankie Lane sings the adequate title song.

Cooper is very good as the straight minded Dawson as also is Anthomy Quinn as the self made man that really loves his wife. Barbara Stanwyck's character is the center of the plot and she renders an outstanding performance in another of her many "mean woman" roles. Ward Bond and Ruth Roman -Jeff's romantic alternative- are a strong support. There's also Ian McDonald playing one of his usual unsympathetic characters and meeting Cooper again after High Noon (1952).

Blowing Wild is an acceptable product in its kind. You won't miss a great movie if you don't see it, but you'll enjoy it if you do.