‘Blowing Wild’: An Entertaining Melodrama

A great cast lights up a tale of striking it rich through oil.

(L–R): Jeff Dawson (Gary Cooper), Ward “Paco” Conway (Anthony Quinn), and Dutch Peterson (Ward Bond), in “Blowing Wild.” Warner Bros.

NR | 1h 30m | Action, Adventure, Drama | 1953

In 1953, Hollywood delivered two films about the quest for fortune in the oil industry. Directed by Anthony Mann, “Thunder Bay” stars James Stewart and Dan Duryea as down-on-their-luck wildcatters searching for “black gold” in Louisiana. Universal International handled distribution. At the same time, Warner Bros. released “Blowing Wild,” set in South America and featuring Gary Cooper and Ward Bond.