Wildcat (1942 film)

1942 film by Frank McDonald

Wildcat

Theatrical release poster

Directed by| Frank McDonald
Screenplay by| Richard Murphy
Maxwell Shane
Based on| story "Roaring Gold" by North Bigbee
Produced by| William H. Pine
William C. Thomas
Starring| Richard Arlen
Arline Judge
William Frawley
Buster Crabbe
Arthur Hunnicutt
Elisha Cook, Jr.
Ralph Sanford
Cinematography| Fred Jackman Jr.
Edited by| William H. Ziegler
Music by| Freddie Rich

Production
company

Pine-Thomas Productions

Distributed by| Paramount Pictures

Release date

* September 3, 1942 (1942-09-03)

Running time

| 70 minutes
Country| United States
Language| English

Wildcat is a 1942 American drama film directed by Frank McDonald and written by Richard Murphy and Maxwell Shane. The film stars Richard Arlen, Arline Judge, William Frawley, Buster Crabbe, Arthur Hunnicutt, Elisha Cook, Jr. and Ralph Sanford. The film was released on September 3, 1942, by Paramount Pictures.[1][2][3]

## Plot

[edit]

Oil man Johnny Maverick dubs a young hitchhiker "Chicopee" after the name of his hometown, then makes him a full partner, digging for oil. Chicopee is killed in a rig accident, however, and rival Mike Rawlins then sabotages the rig.

Things get worse for Johnny when con artists Nan and Oliver turn up. She pretends to be Chicopee's sister, so Johnny gullibly gives her the half-interest in his oil rig.

Rawlins buys up Johnny's outstanding debts and intends to take over. In an act of desperation, Johnny uses nitroglycerine to blast open an oil well, resulting in a gusher. An explosion ends up knocking Rawlins unconscious and pinning Johnny beneath the wreckage, but Nan, having fallen in love with Johnny, comes to his rescue.

## Cast

[edit]

* Richard Arlen as Johnny Maverick
* Arline Judge as Nan Deering
* William Frawley as Oliver Westbrook
* Buster Crabbe as Mike Rawlins
* Arthur Hunnicutt as 'Watchfob' Jones
* Elisha Cook, Jr. as Harold 'Chicopee' Nevins
* Ralph Sanford as 'Grits' O'Malley
* Alec Craig as Joseph D. Campbell
* John Dilson as Gus Sloane
* Will Wright as John 'Paw' Smithers
* Jessica Newcombe as Martha 'Maw' Smithers
* William Benedict as Bud Smithers

## Production

[edit]

The film was based on a story by North Bigbee, a journalist who had worked in the oil industry, which was purchased by Pine-Thomas Productions. They assigned it to star Richard Arlen, after he did Torpedo Boat for the studio.[4]

Pine-Thomas wanted a "Jean Harlow type" for the female lead and even tested Harlow's stand in.[5] Jean Wallace was originally announced for the role[6] but did not appear in the final movie. She was replaced by Arline Judge who signed a three picture deal with Pine-Thomas.[7]

The film reportedly had Pine-Thomas' biggest budget yet to date.[8]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Wildcat (1942) - Overview". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 2015-03-22.
2. ^ Hal Erickson (2015). "Wildcat - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on 2015-04-03. Retrieved 2015-03-22.
3. ^ Wildcat Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 9, Iss. 97, (Jan 1, 1942): 118.
4. ^ 20th Signs Laughtons to Play Married Pair Los Angeles Times 23 Oct 1941: A10.
5. ^ Gold-Rush Days Epic Will Star John Wayne: 'Wildcat' Lead Elusive Berlin Revue Plans Told Training Films Praised 'Tarzan' Vamp Selected Feldary Cast in 'Bell' Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 13 Dec 1941: 9.
6. ^ Of Local Origin New York Times 24 Oct 1941: 27.
7. ^ DRAMA: Unique Stories Again Prevail in Filmdom Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 10 Jan 1942: 7.
8. ^ Jessie Matthews Will Sparkle Here at Last Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 8 Dec 1941: A11.

## External links

[edit]

* Wildcat at IMDb
* Wildcat at TCMDB
* Review at Variety
* Complete film at Internet Archive

* v
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Films directed by Frank McDonald

* Broadway Hostess (1935)
* The Big Noise (1936)
* Isle of Fury (1936)
* Smart Blonde (1937)
* Her Husband's Secretary (1937)
* Reckless Living (1938)
* Flirting with Fate (1938)
* They Asked for It (1939)
* In Old Missouri (1940)
* Flying Blind (1941)
* No Hands on the Clock (1941)
* Wildcat (1942)
* Wrecking Crew (1942)
* Submarine Alert (1943)
* O, My Darling Clementine (1943)
* Alaska Highway (1943)
* Take It Big (1944)
* Gambler's Choice (1944)
* Lights of Old Santa Fe (1944)
* One Body Too Many (1944)
* Timber Queen (1944)
* Scared Stiff (1945)
* Tell It to a Star (1945)
* The Man from Oklahoma (1945)
* Along the Navajo Trail (1945)
* Bells of Rosarita (1945)
* My Pal Trigger (1946)
* Song of Arizona (1946)
* Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back (1947)
* Linda, Be Good (1947)
* French Leave (1948)
* Gun Smugglers (1948)
* Mr. Reckless (1948)
* The Big Sombrero (1949)
* Ringside (1949)
* Call of the Klondike (1950)
* Snow Dog (1950)
* Sierra Passage (1950)
* Texans Never Cry (1951)
* Father Takes the Air (1951)
* Yukon Manhunt (1951)
* Yellow Fin (1951)
* Northwest Territory (1951)
* Sea Tiger (1952)
* Yukon Gold (1952)
* Son of Belle Starr (1953)
* Thunder Pass (1954)
* The Big Tip Off (1955)
* Treasure of Ruby Hills (1955)
* The Underwater City (1962)
* Gunfight at Comanche Creek (1963)
* Mara of the Wilderness (1965)

* v
* t
* e

Films of Pine-Thomas Productions

Feature Films|

* Power Dive (1941)
* Forced Landing (1941)
* Flying Blind (1941)
* No Hands on the Clock  (1941)
* Torpedo Boat (1942)
* I Live on Danger (1942)
* Wildcat (1942)
* Wrecking Crew (1942)
* Tornado (1943)
* Aerial Gunner (1943)
* High Explosive (1943)
* Alaska Highway (1943)
* Submarine Alert (1943)
* Minesweeper (1943)
* Timber Queen (1944)
* The Navy Way (1944)
* Gambler's Choice (1944)
* Take It Big (1944)
* Dark Mountain (1944)
* One Body Too Many (1944)
* Double Exposure (1944)
* Dangerous Passage (1944)
* High Powered (1945)
* Midnight Manhunt (1945)
* Follow That Woman (1945)
* Scared Stiff (1945)
* People Are Funny (1946)
* Tokyo Rose (1946)
* They Made Me a Killer (1946)
* Hot Cargo (1946)
* Swamp Fire (1946)
* Seven Were Saved (1947)
* Big Town (1947)
* I Cover Big Town (1947)
* Fear in the Night (1947)
* Danger Street (1947)
* Adventure Island (1947)
* Jungle Flight (1947)
* Big Town After Dark  (1947)
* Albuquerque (1948)
* Caged Fury (1948)
* Mr. Reckless (1948)
* Speed to Spare (1948)
* Big Town Scandal (1948)
* Shaggy (1948)
* Waterfront at Midnight (1948)
* Disaster (1948)
* Dynamite (1949)
* Manhandled (1949)
* Special Agent (1949)
* El Paso (1949)
* Captain China (1950)
* The Eagle and the Hawk (1950)
* The Lawless (1950)
* Tripoli (1950)
* The Last Outpost (1951)
* Passage West (1951)
* Hong Kong (1951)
* Caribbean (1952)
* The Blazing Forest (1952)
* Tropic Zone (1953)
* Jamaica Run (1953)
* Sangaree (1953)
* The Vanquished (1953)
* Those Redheads from Seattle (1953)
* Jivaro (1954)
* Run for Cover (1955)
* The Far Horizons (1955)
* Hell's Island (1955)
* Lucy Gallant (1955)
* Nightmare (1956)
* The Big Caper (1957)
* Bailout at 43,000 (1957)

Short Films|

* A Letter from Bataan (1942)
* We Refuse to Die (1942)
* The Price of Victory (1942)

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