Intro.
I had no intention of watching Boom Town when it aired on television a few nights ago. However, I had just turned off Doctor Zhivago and was casually channel surfing when I saw it about fifteen minutes into the film. I almost changed the channel when I realized that this was the original plot line for the film North to Alaska (1960). My jaw dropped, I laughed out loud and sat riveted as I watched the rest of the movie (which after the first half hour stopped being like North to Alaska).**Overview
Big John McMasters (Clark Gable, handsome as ever) is an oil driller in Texas when he meets and becomes partners with Square John Sand (Spencer Tracy). Together they start their own drilling and hit oil. Finally able to support a wife, Sand sends for his long-waiting girlfriend from back East, Betsy (Claudette Colbert). McMasters meanwhile goes into town for some fun and winds up meeting Betsy. While she figures out who he is, he doesn't know who she is, and a few drinks and crazy stunts later, they are married. The next morning they have to tell Sand, who comes to tell McMasters that they've hit a bigger well and that they are millionaires. Fortunes go from good to bad though when the men later have a falling out and decide to flip for the entire multi-million dollar operation. McMasters loses, and packs up with Betsy and hits the road. Each man has his fortunes rise and fall and we watch them handle it differently. Meanwhile Betsy is strong, adventurous and most of all, happy when McMasters isn't a millionaire because that's when he needs her. Finally McMasters gets back on top of the oil industry and winds up in a huge office in New York. He and Sand meet up several times, but never do they bury the hatchet. When they meet for the last time, Sand sees that Betsy is unhappy in New York, mainly because McMasters is spending so much time with his pretty employee Karen (Hedy Lamarr). Sand decides to take action - first by proposing to Karen to get her away from McMasters, and then by joining a rival oil company and trying to put McMasters out of business. What follows is a great turn of events including a trial, a big night of drunken fighting and of course a happy ending. Highlights
There wasn't a single person in this film that was anything less than entertaining and talented. It was great to see two actors of equal reputation against each other - it kept me (and I'm sure also audiences of 1940) from really choosing sides because one actor was more well known than the other. And Gable and Tracy make a great team. All in all, this film isn't about oil or business or the fortunes and failures of life, it's about friendship, and these two men act their parts beautifully.At the heart of the film (both plot-wise and character-wise) is Claudette Colbert. I always love watching her because she is so sure of herself. Take this film for instance: imagine marrying a guy you've only known for a day - and you still haven't told him who you are! Betsy is happiest when she is needed, but won't complain when she's put aside either because she worries about her son (although she does consider leaving McMasters before she's pregnant). Her character is not only charming and warm, but gracious, forgiving and strong. It takes quite a woman to cause such a long fight between two best friends, and it takes an even better woman to end it. Not many actresses could pull the role off convincingly, but Claudette does.
Review
What I really loved about Boom Town was how the film played with the audience. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, another twist of plot threw the whole thing off course and we had to start over. It was engaging, fun, humorous and a bit sad but with good pacing. The writing was good, the acting superb and the whole picture was just plain enjoyable. And Frank Morgan, just one year after playing the title role in the Wizard of Oz, is just as upbeat and fun to watch here. I would definitely recommend watching Boom Town anytime you want a great old-fashioned comedy/drama/buddy movie (and unlike North to Alaska, the theme song won't get stuck in your head for days and days!).
**North to Alaska, I should mention, is a Western parody starring John Wayne in Clark Gable's role. He and Stewart Granger (in Spencer Tracy's role) have a gold mine in Alaska instead of an oil rig in Texas, and when John Wayne goes to Seattle to get Stewart Granger's girlfriend, he finds that she's married. In desperation, he hires a call girl to come as a "replacement" girlfriend, only to wind up falling for her himself. It is a parody, so you get to see the Duke making fun of himself, which is hilarious. It also has a great (although way too addictive) theme song. So if you watch it, don't blame me if you find yourself humming it in the elevator at work a few days later.
