Thunder Bay (1953)

Shrimpers and oilmen clash when an ambitious wildcatter begins constructing an off-shore oilrig.

Director:

Anthony Mann

Writers:

Gil Doud (screenplay), John Michael Hayes (screenplay)

Stars:

James Stewart, Joanne Dru, Gilbert Roland

Cast

Complete credited cast:
James Stewart	...	Steve
Joanne Dru	...	Stella Rigaud
Gilbert Roland	...	Teche Bossier
Dan Duryea	...	Gambi
Jay C. Flippen	...	Kermit MacDonald
Marcia Henderson	...	Francesca Rigaud
Robert Monet	...	Phillipe Bayard
Antonio Moreno	...	Dominique Rigaud
Harry Morgan	...	Rawlings (as Henry Morgan)
Fortunio Bonanova	...	Sheriff Antoine Chighizola
Mario Siletti	...	Louis Chighizola

Storyline

In 1946, ex-Navy engineer Steve Martin comes to a Louisiana town with a dream: to build a safe platform for offshore oil drilling. Having finessed financing from a big oil company, formerly penniless Steve and his partner Johnny are in business...and getting interested in shrimp-boat captain Rigaud's two lovely daughters. But opposition from the fishing community grows fast, led by Stella Rigaud. Other hazards include sabotage, a hurricane...and a treacherous board of directors.

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Plot Keywords:

bare chested male | hairy chest | oil | shrimp | louisiana | 

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Taglines:

The Brawling, Mauling Story of the Biggest Bonanza of Them All !

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 September 1953 (UK)

Also Known As:

Die Todesbucht von Louisiana

Filming Locations:

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$2,400,000, 31 December 1953

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

3 Channel Stereo (Western Electric Recording) (5.0) (L-R)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although filmed in the standard 1.37-1 aspect ratio, this film was chosen by Universal-International as its first widescreen feature, accomplishing this by cropping the top and bottom and projecting it at 1.85-1 at Loew's State Theatre in New York City, as well as other sites. Its initial presentation also marked U-I's first use of directional stereophonic sound.

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Goofs

The townspeople secure a restraining order from the state to stop the blasting in the Gulf of Mexico. Since the blasting is further than 3 miles from shore, the state would not have jurisdiction- these are Federal waters.

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Quotes

Johnny Gambi: Can you, uh, juggle or anything like that? We might pick up a few bucks.
Steve Martin: I can imitate a movie star.

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits prologue: LOUISIANA 1946

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Connections

Referenced in Cinemania (2002)

User Reviews

Joanne Dru looks very sensual under Mann's direction...

"Thunder Bay," strictly a man's picture, may be considered a Western, with boats and oil substituting for horses and guns, on the Gulf Coast off Louisiana...

Stewart and Mann considered as regular partners begun for what they thought were fresh pastures... Stewart is properly tough, wild and laconic as the enthusiastic engineer convinced that oil reserves might lie beneath the Louisiana waters, and Duryea have come up with a drilling platform that resists the fury of even the worst storms... Away they go to find offshore oil, with the encouragement of Jay. C. Flippen willing to ramp up, pumping money on exploration...

The drilling clashes with the plans of shrimp fishermen who are opposing the test on the fishing grounds... It may have an adverse affect on their marine life...

Duryea adds more complications to the action-drama by falling in love with the girlfriend of one of the fishermen, whose sister, Joanne Dru (echoing the sentiments of Janet Leigh in "The Naked Spur") is putting her eyes on Stewart... But the machinations of the two girls seem worthless material against the struggles between the guys, which are actually the main force of the movie...

After several obstacles, violent storms, romantic distrust, and the retraction of magnate Flippen, who has lost faith in the project, all ends wonderfully when Stewart (hard to believe) discovers not only oil but an abundant source of shrimp...

Subsequently the lovers pair off, and the former enemies become allies as they share their beneficial trades...

Photographed in Technicolor, "Thunder Bay" is a well-produced movie, an entertaining piece of film making...