Thunder Bay (1953) was the first Hollywood movie to focus on the subject of offshore oil drilling. This may not sound like the most thrilling fact, but in 1953 offshore drilling was very topical indeed, with congressional hearings and controversies surrounding it. The movie is a brawny, testosterone-charged action flick, with James Stewart and Dan Duryea as oil riggers convinced there is black gold at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. They in turn convince Jay C. Flippen, a wealthy financier, who funds their risky, storm-proof oil platform. The construction of the rig, however, disrupts a local Louisiana fishing community, and tensions build to the breaking point.

This picture may be a minor credit for both Stewart and director Anthony Mann, but even a minor film from these artists is well worth watching. Stewart and Mann had just made three outstanding westerns together - two of them produced by Aaron Rosenberg, who also produced this one. Thunder Bay was described by many at the time (including Stewart) as a modern western with boats and oil standing in for horses and guns. Even Variety made the comparison in its review: "A modern plot that deals with offshore oil drilling, instead of being a costumed, western-localed story, gives this regulation outdoor actioner an interesting switch." Certainly Stewart's character of an obsessive entrepreneur is a variation on his edgy and neurotic cowboys in Bend of the River (1952) and The Naked Spur (1953). His costume may be different, but the character is fairly similar. Stewart's and Mann's next collaboration would be The Glenn Miller Story (1953), definitely not a western in any way, after which they returned to the genre they did best with The Far Country (1954).

Excerpt from TCM located HERE