James Stewart

Joanne Dru

Gilbert Roland

Dan Duryea

Jay C. Flippen

Marcia Henderson

Robert Monet

Antonio Moreno

Harry Morgan

Fortunio Bonanova

Mario Siletti

Emile Avery

Alfredo Berumen

Fred Carson

Adrine Champagne

Frank Chase

Antonio Filauri

Donald Green

Jean Hartelle

Ted Mapes

Billy McCoy

Ernesto Molinari

Anton Northpole

Jack Perry

Allen Pinson

Emanuel Russo

Paul Stathes

Jack Tesler

Dale Van Sickel

Laurie Vining

Ben Welden

Tom Steele

Anthony Mann

Gil Doud

William H. Daniels

Frank Skinner

John Michael Hayes

Rosemary Odell

George W. George

George F. Slavin

Richard H. Riedel

Alexander Golitzen

Oliver Emert

Russell A. Gausman

William Nunley

John Sherwood

Leslie I. Carey

Joe Lapis

Joan St. Oegger

James V. Swartz

Aaron Rosenberg

Russell F. Schoengarth

Bud Westmore

Adventure

Drama

Thunder Bay

Universal International Pictures

United States of America

Boiling Oil.

Thunder Bay is directed by Anthony Mann and written by Gil Doud and George W. George. It stars James Stewart, Joanne Dru, Dan Duryea, Gilbert Roland and Jay C. Flippen. Music is by Frank Skinner and cinematography by William H. Daniels.

Offshore oil drillers set up base at Port Felicity, Louisiana and find the town’s shrimpers are not at all happy about this threat to their livelihood. Conflict and affairs of the heart do follow.

One of the eight films that James Stewart and Anthony Mann made together, Thunder Bay was relevant in topicality upon its release, and remains so today. Whilst lacking the psychological smarts that the duo’s Western productions had, it’s a handsome production with the expected qualities in front of and behind the cameras. There’s a lot of talky passages, which given the subject matter pulsing away at the core is understandable, but Mann ensures that action and suspense is never far away. It all builds to a crescendo, with loose ends and quibbles conveniently tied up in a Hollywood bow, but such is the skills of actors and director it rounds out as good and thorough entertainment. 7/10

English

1953 THUNDER BAY - Trailer - James Stewart, Joanne Dru