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      Boom Town

      Released Aug 30, 1940 1h 59m Adventure List
      Reviews 66% 500+ Ratings Audience Score Two rogue Texas oil men, "Big John" McMasters (Clark Gable) and "Square John" Sand (Spencer Tracy), drill oil wells in fields where there is no known oil. These wildcatters team up with a local drilling equipment owner, Luther Aldrich (Frank Morgan), and strike it rich -- but the ups and downs of the oil business, the whims of South American politics, and the love of Elizabeth "Betsy" Bartlett (Claudette Colbert) threaten to tear the two friends apart. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered May 14 Buy Now

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      Audience Reviews

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      Genesis A Great cast, but rather dry acting, the screenplay and scenes look disconnected - trying hard and fast to get to the climax point right from the start - Rated 3 out of 5 stars 11/18/23 Full Review Steve D Not normally my taste but it kept me engaged the entire time with a great cast. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/25/23 Full Review Audience Member Boom Town 1934 film Clark Gabel, Spencer Tracy, Eddie Lamar I love the line. I was just trying to arrest him. Why can’t people be more law abiding? A film about oil. It’s a counterfeit dollar coin. It is the only dollar I can hold on to. Gamboling, strip clubs, oil wells, Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/10/21 Full Review Audience Member Clark Gable has outstanding rapport both with Claudette Colbert, whom he was with in It Happened One Night, and Spencer Tracy, whom he had acted with before in the disaster flick San Francisco, in this fine film which would make an excellent double-bill with There Will Be Blood, for the price of being a prospector of black gold in early 20th-century America. Very enjoyable and thoroughly recommended. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member Okay story is elevated by a strong cast, although I'm still not a big Clark Gable fan. Gable and Spencer Tracy are a couple of cowboy/would be oilmen looking to strike it rich. There's also Claudette Colbert to add a love triangle to the plot and also Hedy Lamarr as a high powered big city businesswoman the two meet up with after they strike it rich and move to the big city. There's really nothing original about the ups and downs in the story, but cat makes the film entertaining enough, although I wish there was more Lamar in the film. I still wish that Lamar had appeared in better films. Her filmography seems littered with films like this, which featured major stars and quality behind the scenes talent, but were often of lower quality and none of which are considered classics, just like this film. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member just love to see Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert reunited on screen again :) Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Boom Town

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      Critics Reviews

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      John Kinloch California Eagle Boom Town is a good motion picture that might have been a great one. Oct 29, 2019 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews It's fine in the oil fields, but is a mess when indoors. Rated: B Aug 12, 2015 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com A fun comedy-adventure, starring MGM's top talent, Clark Gable and Spence Tracy, not to mention Claudette Colbert Rated: B+ Apr 2, 2011 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Two rogue Texas oil men, "Big John" McMasters (Clark Gable) and "Square John" Sand (Spencer Tracy), drill oil wells in fields where there is no known oil. These wildcatters team up with a local drilling equipment owner, Luther Aldrich (Frank Morgan), and strike it rich -- but the ups and downs of the oil business, the whims of South American politics, and the love of Elizabeth "Betsy" Bartlett (Claudette Colbert) threaten to tear the two friends apart.
      Director
      Jack Conway
      Screenwriter
      John Lee Mahin
      Distributor
      Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
      Production Co
      Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
      Genre
      Adventure
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Aug 30, 1940, Original
      Release Date (Streaming)
      May 23, 2016
      Runtime
      1h 59m
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