Two buddies who rise from fly-by-night wildcatters to oil tycoons over a ten-year period, are in love with the same woman.Two buddies who rise from fly-by-night wildcatters to oil tycoons over a ten-year period, are in love with the same woman.Two buddies who rise from fly-by-night wildcatters to oil tycoons over a ten-year period, are in love with the same woman.
- Nominated for 2 Oscars
- 2 nominations total
- Director
- Writers
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- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaClark Gable was anxious to do the film because his father had been an oil rigger, and Gable himself had worked on oil rigs in Oklahoma before becoming an actor.
- GoofsWhen Big John rides the donkey at the rodeo, he is holding a balloon. In the first wide shot, the balloon is gone, but it reappears in the next closeup.
- Quotes
Big John McMasters: I'm not blaming you, maybe. But you aren't walking out with him or anybody else, understand?
Elizabeth Bartlett McMasters: Him? What are you...?
Big John McMasters: Sand. He told me all about it. I had to give him a licking to show him that's out. You're my girl, see? And you always will be. Even if I have to lick you to prove it.
Elizabeth Bartlett McMasters: I'm your girl. You can lick me if it'll help.
Big John McMasters: Well, I'll save it for when you need it.
- Crazy credits[Opening title] This is the story of a hard driving breed of Americans - oil prospectors - "wildcatters". Made of the bone and blood of pioneers - men born of the lasting miracle that is America - they probed the Earth from early Pennsylvania to California's Kettleman Hills to bring forth America's greatest treasure, the life blood of today's world - oil!
- Alternate versionsAlso available in a computer colorized version.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Hollywood: Style Center of the World (1940)
- SoundtracksPolly Wolly Doodle
(uncredited)
Composer unknown
Played over the opening credits and as background
Sung and hummed at various times by Clark Gable, Chill Wills and Claudette Colbert
Gable has a role he owned, that of Big John, a tough guy, a man's man, kind of Rhett Butler goes wildcatting. Tracy is Jonathan Sand, his buddy, with a girl back home.
Big John meets a lady and falls for her - except it's Sand's girlfriend Elizabeth (Colbert) who's just arrived in town. Well, she had to choose between Clark Gable, matinée idol, and Spencer Tracy, a character actor whose talent gave him leading man status. She chooses Big John. Sand accepts it as best he can.
By now the two have struck oil and are in the big money. Eventually, Big John loses his part of the business to Sand, and he and Elizabeth leave the area in order to rebuild - and they do, big time. The couple end up in New York, where Big John meets a Big Beauty named Karen (Lamarr) and goes for her, threatening his marriage.
Everyone is very good in this absorbing movie, with Lamarr's knockout beauty a real asset. This is nothing against Colbert, who is stunning as well and excellent as Elizabeth. Gable and Tracy have good chemistry - in the end, this is really a buddy movie, and they're a good match. Gable is very sexy and at his peak here.
Very enjoyable, with great special effects - no expense spared for the four huge stars.
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Details
Box office
- Budget
- $1,614,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 59 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1