The prime-time soap operas, "Dallas" and "Dynasty" took place in the big corporate skyscrapers, but on occasion would visit the fields where the literal dirty work took place. Mentions of the days of wildcatting did occur (more on "Dallas" than "Dynasty"), but they took place long after the glory days of that part of the oil business.
This B programmer takes its audience into the world of the real wildcatters, here lead by Richard Arlen, a veteran actor who was playing leads in second features during World War II, mostly at the Pine-Thomas division of Paramount. These are enjoyable no nonsense men's films, missing nothing but the cursing and really rough behavior that the censors would allow.
Arline Judge, sounding like a young Barbara Stanwyck, is a femme fatal who pretends to be the sister of a deceased partner, laying claim to his estate. William Frawley is amusing as her partner in crime who is more interested in gambling and cheating the other wildcatters, than oil. Buster Crabbe is a shell of his handsome younger self and is lost among the antics of Frawley, the feistiness of Judge and the machoism of Arlen. Elisha Cook Jr. makes the most of a small role of the man tragically killed whose estate Judge tries to claim. Some gripping scenes of the dangers of this profession are documented, and it becomes very clear that people in the business wouldn't have it any other way.
This B programmer takes its audience into the world of the real wildcatters, here lead by Richard Arlen, a veteran actor who was playing leads in second features during World War II, mostly at the Pine-Thomas division of Paramount. These are enjoyable no nonsense men's films, missing nothing but the cursing and really rough behavior that the censors would allow.
Arline Judge, sounding like a young Barbara Stanwyck, is a femme fatal who pretends to be the sister of a deceased partner, laying claim to his estate. William Frawley is amusing as her partner in crime who is more interested in gambling and cheating the other wildcatters, than oil. Buster Crabbe is a shell of his handsome younger self and is lost among the antics of Frawley, the feistiness of Judge and the machoism of Arlen. Elisha Cook Jr. makes the most of a small role of the man tragically killed whose estate Judge tries to claim. Some gripping scenes of the dangers of this profession are documented, and it becomes very clear that people in the business wouldn't have it any other way.