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Boom Town ()

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Two buddies who rise from fly-by-night wildcatters to oil tycoons over a ten-year period both love the same woman.
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Photos and Videos

54 photos | 1 video

Cast verified as complete

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Big John McMasters
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Square John Sand
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Betsy Bartlett
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Karen Vanmeer
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Luther Aldrich
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Harry Compton
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Harmony Jones
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Whitey
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Spanish Eva
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Ed Murphy
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Tom Murphy
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McCreery
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Ass't. District Attorney
Casey Johnson ...
Little Jack
Baby Quintanilla ...
Baby Jack
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Judge
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Miss Barnes
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Barber
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Deacon
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Ferdie
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Walter Bacon ...
Townsman (uncredited)
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Nurse (uncredited)
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Hank - Man in Dance Hall (uncredited)
Charles D. Brown ...
U.S. Marshal Stebbins (uncredited)
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Man with Nitroglycerine (uncredited)
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Karen's Maid (uncredited)
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Parker (uncredited)
James Conaty ...
Man Working in McMasters' Office (uncredited)
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Compton's Secretary (uncredited)
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Hiring Boss (uncredited)
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Mrs. Summers (uncredited)
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Townsman (uncredited)
Ray Dixon ...
Townsman (uncredited)
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Wildcatter (uncredited)
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Alarmed Townsman (uncredited)
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Man at Dice Table (uncredited)
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Worker in McMasters' Office (uncredited)
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Geologist (uncredited)
Sam Garrett ...
Rider / Roper (uncredited)
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Baggage Man (uncredited)
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Man Abandoned by Whitey (uncredited)
William Halligan ...
McCreery's Associate #2 (uncredited)
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McMasters' Defense Attorney (uncredited)
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Racetrack Announcer (uncredited) (voice)
Harry Hayden ...
Smith - the Architect (uncredited)
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Doctor (uncredited)
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McCreery's Associate #1 (uncredited)
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Rodeo Barker (uncredited)
Shep Houghton ...
Saloon Brawler (uncredited)
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Oilman at Producers' Convention (uncredited)
Sheldon Jett ...
Oil Man at Meeting (uncredited)
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Oilman in New York (uncredited)
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Venezuelan Foreman (uncredited)
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Sheriff Harris (uncredited)
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Man in Hotel Lobby (uncredited)
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Townsman (uncredited)
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Saloon Hostess (uncredited)
Philip Morris ...
Oil Man (uncredited)
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Mr. Springtime (uncredited)
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Juror (uncredited)
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Oilman at Producers' Convention (uncredited)
Ted Oliver ...
Man Asking 4 Bits to Cross (uncredited)
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Venezuelan Officer (uncredited)
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Aldrich's Assistant (uncredited)
Lee Phelps ...
Man Fighting Oil Fire (uncredited)
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Mr. Summers (uncredited)
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McCreery's Associate #3 (uncredited)
Allen D. Sewall ...
Juror (uncredited)
Cap Somers ...
Townsman (uncredited)
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Lawyer at Prosecution's Table (uncredited)
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Hotel Lobby Extra (uncredited)
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Hotel Desk Clerk #1 (uncredited)
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Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
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Townsman (uncredited)
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Man in Saloon (uncredited)
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Oil Man at New York Meeting (uncredited)
Katherine Yorke ...
Dance Hall Girl (uncredited)

Directed by

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Jack Conway

Written by

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John Lee Mahin ... (screen play)
 
James Edward Grant ... (based on a story by)

Produced by

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Sam Zimbalist ... producer

Music by

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Franz Waxman

Cinematography by

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Harold Rosson ... director of photography
Elwood Bredell ... (uncredited)

Editing by

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Blanche Sewell ... film editor
Paul Landres ... (uncredited)

Art Direction by

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Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by

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Edwin B. Willis ... (set decorations)
Henry Grace ... (uncredited)
Hugh Hunt ... (uncredited)
Jack D. Moore ... (uncredited)

Costume Design by

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Adrian ... (gowns)

Makeup Department

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Sydney Guilaroff ... hair stylist
Robert J. Schiffer ... makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Horace Hough ... assistant director (uncredited)
John Waters ... second unit director (uncredited)

Art Department

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Eddie Imazu ... associate art director

Sound Department

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Douglas Shearer ... recording director

Special Effects by

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A. Arnold Gillespie ... special effects (as Arnold Gillespie)
John Hoffman ... montage effects

Stunts

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Yakima Canutt ... stunts (uncredited)
George DeNormand ... fight double: Spencer Tracy (uncredited)
Frank Hagney ... stunts (uncredited)
Joe Hickey ... fight double: Clark Gable (uncredited)
Herbert Holcombe ... stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department

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Samuel Cohen ... assistant camera (uncredited)
Ray Ramsey ... assistant camera (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser ... assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Gile Steele ... wardrobe: men
Eugene Joseff ... costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department

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Daniele Amfitheatrof ... composer: additional music (uncredited)
Paul Marquardt ... orchestrator (uncredited)
Charles Maxwell ... orchestrator (uncredited)
Leonid Raab ... orchestrator (uncredited)

Additional Crew

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Ford Alexander ... technical advisor (uncredited)
Howard Dietz ... general press representative (uncredited)
Crew verified as complete

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

Buddies Big John McMasters and Square John Sand are fast-talking, wisecracking wildcatters who manage to con enough equipment and capital to develop their own oil fields, but their friendship is put to the test when Big John inadvertently falls in love with Elizabeth, Square John's longtime girlfriend. Eventually their friendship and partnership comes to an end on the flip of a coin. Years later, when Big John's interest in the beautiful Karen Vanmeer threatens his marriage too, Square John intervenes in an effort to save the marriage of his former friend - even if it means ruining him financially. Written by G. Taverney (duke1029@aol.com)

Plot Keywords
Taglines Where Men Are Rough And Tough . . . And Like Their Women The Same Way ! See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • La fièvre du pétrole (France)
  • Der Draufgänger (Germany)
  • Fruto dorado (Spain)
  • El fruto dorado (Spain)
  • Fruto dorado (Venezuela)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 119 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Box Office

Budget $1,614,000 (estimated)
Cumulative Worldwide Gross $12,147,700

Did You Know?

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Trivia Clark 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. See more »
Goofs When 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. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in Hollywood: Style Center of the World (1940). See more »
Soundtracks Polly Wolly Doodle See more »
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! See more »
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.
See more »
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