IMDb RATING
7.0/10
2.2K
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Attempting to find his lost dog in a vast Georgia swamp, Ben Ragan stumbles upon wanted murderer Tom Keefer who convinces Ben he was framed for the murder by the real killer.Attempting to find his lost dog in a vast Georgia swamp, Ben Ragan stumbles upon wanted murderer Tom Keefer who convinces Ben he was framed for the murder by the real killer.Attempting to find his lost dog in a vast Georgia swamp, Ben Ragan stumbles upon wanted murderer Tom Keefer who convinces Ben he was framed for the murder by the real killer.
Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams
- Bud Dorson
- (as Guinn Williams)
Joe Sawyer
- Hardy Ragan
- (as Joseph Sawyer)
Paul E. Burns
- Tulle McKenzie
- (as Paul Burns)
Audley Anderson
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
Nora Bush
- Townswoman
- (uncredited)
- Directors
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaLinda Darnell was originally cast in the female lead, and never hid her disappointment after finding out that she had been replaced by Anne Baxter.
- GoofsThe first shot has the camera backing up behind a skull marker in the swamp to reveal a few hunting canoes beyond it, and in front of the shot you can see the ripples made from the boat holding the camera: And this is not a perspective of someone else as it takes place behind the skull marker, where no one's allowed to pass.
- Quotes
Tom Keefer: If you can learn to live with cotton-mouths and 'gators and panthers, on places where there ain't a solid bit of ground to stand on, why I reckon you're welcome to your life.
- ConnectionsReferenced in M*A*S*H: The Moon Is Not Blue (1982)
Featured review
When Ben (Dana Andrews) heads into the dangerous Okefenokee Swamp to search for his missing hunting dog, he finds fugitive Tom Keefer (Walter Brennan) living like a wild man. After a rough beginning, Ben and Tom grow to trust each other, and Tom reveals that he was falsely convicted of murder, which is why he's hiding out. Ben promises to look in on Tom's daughter Julie (Anne Baxter), which leads to romance, but when townsfolk begin to suspect that Ben's frequent trips into the swamp may be connected to Keefer, everyone is put in jeopardy.
This was one of the few American films that French master Renoir worked on, and it wasn't a pleasant experience. He and producer Darryl F. Zanuck fought over everything, particularly location shooting, which Renoir preferred, versus studio shooting, which the cost-conscious Zanuck wanted. Most of the film ended up being shot in the studio, but some location shots were done in the real Okefenokee by dialogue director Irving Pichel. The movie is okay as far as films about "backwoods simple folk" subgenre movies go.
The cast is good, especially Brennan, but Walter Huston is wasted as Andrews' disapproving father. Anne Baxter replaced the fired Linda Darnell, and while I normally prefer Darnell, I don't think she would have been right for this part. Baxter has a certain feral look to her eyes that fit the wild-child role, even if her perfectly drawn eye brows don't. As for director Renoir, he accused Zanuck of butchering the film in the editing process, and canceled his Fox contract as soon as he was able.
This was one of the few American films that French master Renoir worked on, and it wasn't a pleasant experience. He and producer Darryl F. Zanuck fought over everything, particularly location shooting, which Renoir preferred, versus studio shooting, which the cost-conscious Zanuck wanted. Most of the film ended up being shot in the studio, but some location shots were done in the real Okefenokee by dialogue director Irving Pichel. The movie is okay as far as films about "backwoods simple folk" subgenre movies go.
The cast is good, especially Brennan, but Walter Huston is wasted as Andrews' disapproving father. Anne Baxter replaced the fired Linda Darnell, and while I normally prefer Darnell, I don't think she would have been right for this part. Baxter has a certain feral look to her eyes that fit the wild-child role, even if her perfectly drawn eye brows don't. As for director Renoir, he accused Zanuck of butchering the film in the editing process, and canceled his Fox contract as soon as he was able.
- How long is Swamp Water?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $601,900 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 28 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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