Thunder Bay

1953 "The Brawling, Mauling Story of the Biggest Bonanza of Them All !"
6.5| 1h43m| en
Details

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

Director

Producted By

Universal International Pictures

AD
AD

Watch Free for 30 Days

All Prime Video Movies and TV Shows. Cancel anytime. Watch Now

Trailers & Clips

Reviews

Linbeymusol Wonderful character development!
Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.
Ketrivie It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.
Robert Joyner The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one
Claudio Carvalho In 1946, the drifters Steve Martin (James Stewart) and his partner and friend Johnny Gambi (Dan Duryea) travel to Port Felicity in Lousianna completely broken to meet the investor Kermit MacDonald (Jay C. Flippen). Steve dreams on building an offshore drilling barge to explore oil in the Gulf of Mexico and MacDonald, who is an entrepreneur and also a dreamer, decides to finance them but gives a short schedule to find oil. They initially hire the fishing vessel of skipper Dominique Rigaud (Antonio Moreno) since the fishermen are having difficulties to catch shrimps. Steve and Johnny try to befriend the locals but when they use dynamite to locate oil, the population turns against them. Meanwhile Johnny dates the younger daughter of Dominique, Francesca (Marcia Henderson), while her older sister Stella Rigaud (Joanne Dru) feels attraction for Steve, but she rejects him since she is a wounded woman with a past. Steve, Johnny and their crew need to face the hostility and sabotage from the locals and also a hurricane while searching for the valuable oil."Thunder Bay" is an entertaining romantic adventure that takes place in the period of the beginning of exploration of oil in the Gulf of Mexico and shows the friction between the local fishermen and the oilmen. The plot is corny, with a feel-good conclusion but James Stewart is always an attraction. Further, for those that work in the oil business, it is great to see the early period of offshore exploration of oil. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): Not Available
twanurit Anthony Mann/James Stewart collaboration does not work as well here, in contrast to the successful westerns ("Bend of the River" - 1952, etc.). It's about a conflict between shrimp fisherman and oil drillers, with usual bad guy Dan Duryea playing a good guy role (he's better bad, a brilliant actor), as Stewart's business partner. Somehow blue-eyed WASP beauties Joanne Dru and Marcia Henderson are the daughters of latino Antonio Moreno. For shrimp harvesters, the women are surprisingly glamorous, well-groomed, and unfazed. Dru's character does sulk quite a bit, still dazzlingly beautiful, but not the best role for her, while Henderson is chipper, petite, and fun. Gilbert Roland is hammy and forgettable. Some of the color photography is pretty good, but it's a dull, contrived misfire. (Note to prior reviewer: the film was produced in aspect ratio 1:37 to 1 in 1953, on the cusp of widescreen, and formatted in the Academy Ratio, yet released "wide", by inadequate cropping,).
Michael O'Keefe Anthony Mann directs this drama based on a story by George W. George. An all-star cast keeps this film moving. Steve Martin(James Stewart)and his buddy Johnny Gambi(Dan Duryea)are wildcatters that have intentions of building an off-shore storm-proof oil rig off the shores of Port Felicity, Louisiana. There is strong resistance from the shrimpers led by Gilbert Roland. The shrimpers fear that the oil drilling will interfere with their livelihood. Joanne Dru and Marcia Henderson are headstrong beauties that provide love interest. Photography is crisp and vivid. Supporting cast includes: Jay C. Lippen, Robert Monet and Harry(Henry)Morgan. This adventure/drama was filmed in and near Morgan City, Louisiana.
Nazi_Fighter_David "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...