Boom Town (1940) on Netflix
Passed19401h 59mDramaRomanceWestern
Oil wildcatters Big John McMasters and Square John Sand take drilling gear from Luther Aldrich and cut him in on a second well. Betsy Bartlett arrives, and McMasters marries her.
- Netflix3.5/5
- IMDb7.0/104,182 votes
- Rotten TomatoesNot available
Trailer
Plot summary
Big John McMasters and Square John Sand are oil wildcatters without much money behind them. The two pool their efforts, take drilling equipment belonging to Luther Aldrich, and when their well comes up dry they slip out of town ahead of the sheriff. They earn enough between them to pay Aldrich part of what they owe, and to win his backing for another attempt they give him a share of the well, which comes in. Betsy Bartlett then reaches the oil fields, and McMasters courts her and marries her, unaware that Sand has been counting her as his own girl.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Boom Town (1940)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Spencer Tracy insisted on the same top-billing clause in his MGM contract that Clark Gable enjoyed, a demand that effectively ended the two actors' on-screen pairing even though they liked each other and enjoyed working together.
- Myrna Loy was the actress originally considered for the female lead in Boom Town, a part written for her. The role went instead to Claudette Colbert, making the film the second and last pairing of Colbert and Clark Gable, who had starred together in It Happened One Night.
- Spencer Tracy brooded over his second-billing status behind Clark Gable while filming Boom Town and was reportedly unpleasant to deal with, especially because he did not get along with either of the film's female leads.
