This is an exciting story about wildcatters, searching for oil, and the obstacles they face. It's one of 4 films from the 1940s I am aware of that deals with this subject. Although they all include a 'gusher'(not really what you want, but looks dramatic) as one climax, and a oil field fire as a 2nd climax, otherwise the stories are quite different and worthwhile seeing. Unlike the present B film, of only 70 min., the others are A pictures, of 80 to 120 min.. The best known is 1940's "Boom Town", starring Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy, in an epic treatment of the subject. Also released in 1940 is "Flowing Gold", starring John Garfield. Not an epic treatment, it deals with personalities. At the end of the decade, "Tulsa" is another epic treatment, and the only one shot in color. It stars feisty Susan Hayward. I have seen all of these multiple times. I found a copy of the present film at YouTube. It has many momentary skips, which I didn't find too distracting..........The main character is Johnny Maverick, played by frequent B movies leading man Richard Arden. Amazingly, his film career started with a bang, when he hit the gate of Paramount Studios with his motorcycle. While helping to patch him up, executives noted that he might make a good leading man for silent movies.......The leading lady is Arline Judge, who switches from a bad girl to a good girl near the end. Initially being paired with con man Oliver Westbrook(William Frawley, of later fame in the "I Love Lucy" TV show). Arline was attractive enough to land 8 husbands during her life!.........Buster Crabbe took time out from his "Billy the Kid" series, where he was the hero, to play the chief villain here, in Mike Rawlins, who headed a rival drilling team right next to Johnny's drill site..........This was the first of many film roles for charismatic 'down home' Arthur Hunnicutt. Just the distinctive sound of his voice was enough to tell you of his presence. Here, he has both humorous and serious roles. The distinctive Elisha Cook has a prominent role in the first half, as Johnny's partner, Chicopee, but dies in a oil rig 'accident' engineered by Rawlins.........The screenplay has Jimmy and Chicopee, two broke oil prospectors who meet accidentally, form a pair in searching for hints of oil below. They smell oil in a creek, near Antril Bend, which has posted a $25,000. reward for the first commercially successful well in its general vicinity. Johnny goes through some financial wizardry to buy a lease and get equipment to get started. In the process, he has to sell a half interest in the lease to Gus Sloane(John Dilson). Sloan picks as his foreman, an old enemy of Jimmy: Mike Rawlins, who will use fair and fowl methods of trying to stay ahead of Johnny. Rawlins stages several things to sabotage Johnny's progress. Johnny experiences another financial crisis and supply crises, mostly due to Rawlins getting the limited local supplies first. Rawlins buys the note Johnny gave to supplyman (Joe Campbell) and threatens to call it at midnight. Johnny can't meet that deadline unless his well produces oil before. Thus, he comes up with the(crazy) idea of dropping dynamite down the well, in hopes it will dislodge the water and sand above the oil. Incredibly, it works, and Johnny has a gusher! But, Rawlins sets fire to the oil and derrick. Johnny makes Rawlins try to put out the fire, but an explosion knocks him unconscious. Thus, Johnny, himself, tries, using a crane to try to cap the well. But, a pipe on the crane falls and pins him. Fortunately, Nan(Arline Judge) comes to his rescue, and he is able to maneuver the cap on the well. As Westbrook had guessed, she had changed her loyalty from Westbrook to Johnny. Since Johnny had previously made her his financial partner, she claiming to be the dead Nevins' sister, things were now set to make her his marriage partner, as their wells grew in number.
Review of Wildcat
