Uranium Boom (1956)
Uranium Boom (1956)
„Uranium Boom“ is a 1956 adventure film directed by William Castle based on the story by George W. George and George F. Slavin.
Cowhand Brad Collins forsakes his footloose life to try his luck deep in the badlands of a uranium boom in Colorado. When Brad arrives in the rough-and-tumble boom town known as Uraniumtown, he discovers that newcomer Grady Mathews has rented the last available room in the local hotel. Brad challenges Grady to a fistfight, the winner of which will be awarded occupancy of the room. After making a shambles of the hotel lobby, they call the fight a draw and decide to share the room. Grady, who has been trained as a mining engineer, and Brad, who has extensive knowledge of the territory, soon realize that their talents complement each other and agree to become partners in their quest for uranium.
While buying their equipment one day, Brad confides that he hopes to make a fortune to pursue a life of adventure, while Grady confides that he is in love with a girl in Denver whom he plans to marry once he strikes it rich. When their jeep is loaded with supplies, the two men drive into the Colorado wilderness. On a dusty back road, they encounter Navajo Charlie, an Indian who claims he can lead them to the yellow outcropping of uranium described by his late father. Although Brad and Grady discount the Indian’s story of the yellow rock, they hire him as their guide.
After several weeks of futile prospecting, the partners finally decide to take a chance on Charlie’s yellow rock. The Indian leads them to a large outcropping of yellow carnonite, a mineral that contains a high concentration of uranium. As Brad and Grady are laying out their claim, two claim-jumping brothers, Phil and Chuck McGinnus, appear, and at gunpoint, sabotage their jeep. When the brothers leap into their truck and drive off to beat Brad and Grady to the government claim office in Uraniumtown, Charlie tells Brad and Grady that he drained the water from the truck’s radiator. After repairing the jeep, Brad leaves Grady behind to organize the mining operation while he speeds off, passing the brothers’ overheated jeep on the road.
Once Brad files his claim, he runs into Jean Williams, who is visiting from Denver. Unaware that Jean is Grady’s fiancée, Brad marries her. Upon returning to the mine with his bride, Brad learns the truth when a furious Grady denounces him, then bitterly leaves the mine for Brad to run, even though he still retains half-ownership. While Grady is away, Brad becomes power-hungry and tries to displace the under-financed prospectors by taking over their claims when they are unable to pay the annual improvement obligations demanded by mining law.
To win Jean back and wreak revenge on his partner, Grady determines to destroy Brad. To accomplish this, he decides to prove is love to Jean by giving her his half-share of the mine. Next, Grady sets up a ruse with confidence man Floyd Gorman and his sexy accomplice, Gail Windsor, to trick Brad into thinking that a new spur railroad is coming into the area. Believing their story, Brad heavily mortgages his interests to buy new claims near the proposed rail line. When Grady informs Brad that there is no railroad, Brad realizes he has been ruined. When the angry prospectors who lost their claims to Brad try to sabotage his mine, Brad placates them by giving back their claims. Grady finally realizes that Jean will always love Brad, and now that he and Brad are both broke, they decide to renew their partnership and try again.
A 1956 American Black & White adventure B-Movie directed by William Castle, produced by Sam Katzman, screenplay by George F. Slavin, George W. George and Norman Retchin, story by George and Slavin, cinematography by Fred Jackman, Jr., starring Dennis Morgan, Patricia Medina, William Talman, Tina Carver , Philip Van Zandt, William Henry, Gregg Barton, Mel Curtis, and Henry Rowland.
This came at the height of the Atomic Age in the 1950s.
Sam Katzman (1901 – 1973) was an American film producer and director. At Monogram, a „budget“ studio, Katzman partnered with Jack Dietz (Banner Productions), to produce 22 East Side Kids features, two musicals, and thrillers with Béla Lugosi.
William Talman would go on to lasting fame as District Attorney Hamilton Berger in the long running TV series „Perry Mason“. Dennis Morgan was a popular song and dance man for Warner Bros. in the 1940s. This was his final feature film, finishing his career in television.
This is pure „B“ movie material with sturdy production values. If you’re looking for some sort of hard-hitting drama then you’ll probably be disappointed but if you’re looking for fun but ultimately forgettable entertainment for an hour or so, this cast is sympathetic and keeps you glued to what’s happening.
Cast:
- Dennis Morgan – Brad Collins
- Patricia Medina – Jean Williams
- William Talman – Grady Mathews
- Tina Carver – Gail Windsor
- Philip Van Zandt – Navajo Charlie
- William Henry – Joe McGinnus
- Gregg Barton – Phil McGinnus
- Mel Curtis – Chuck McGinnus
- Henry Rowland – Harry
- S. John Launer – Mac Lunch
- Michael Bryant – Peterson
„Uranium Boom“ ist ein Abenteuerfilm aus dem Jahr 1956 unter der Regie von William Castle nach einer Geschichte von George W. George und George F. Slavin.
Der Cowboy Brad Collins verlässt sein lockeres Leben, um sein Glück tief in den Badlands des Uranbooms in Colorado zu versuchen. Als Brad in der rauen Boomtown Uraniumtown ankommt, entdeckt er, dass der Neuankömmling Grady Mathews das letzte freie Zimmer im örtlichen Hotel gemietet hat. Brad fordert Grady zu einem Faustkampf heraus, bei dem der Gewinner das Zimmer bekommt. Nachdem sie die Hotellobby in Schutt und Asche gelegt haben, endet der Kampf unentschieden und sie beschließen, sich das Zimmer zu teilen. Grady, der eine Ausbildung als Bergbauingenieur absolviert hat, und Brad, der sich in der Gegend bestens auskennt, stellen bald fest, dass sich ihre Talente ergänzen, und vereinbaren, bei ihrer Suche nach Uran Partner zu werden.