Thunder Bay (1953)

Set in 1946 Louisiana, an engineer (James Stewart) and his partner (Dan Duryea) have come up with a plan for off shore drilling for oil that could make them very rich. However the local fishermen who make a living from the shrimp in the gulf are distrustful of the oil men. Directed by Anthony Mann (WINCHESTER 73), this film plays out differently than it probably did in 1953. The off shore oil drillers are the heroes of the film while the villagers are portrayed as ignorant and distrustful and impeding progress. Today, I doubt there would be much sympathy for big oil. That aside, it's a rather trite action film overall with the standard fist fights and romance. The film is notable in that it was Universal's first wide screen film and first stereo film. The fourth of the eight films James Stewart and Anthony Mann made together and I'd say their least interesting collaboration if it weren't for THE GLENN MILLER STORY. There's a nice hurricane sequence in the middle of the movie. With Joanne Dru, Gilbert Roland, Marcia Henderson, Jay C. Flippen and Fortunio Bonanova.