''Uranium Boom'' is a 1956 American
adventure film directed by
William Castle
William Castle (born William Schloss Jr.; April 24, 1914 – May 31, 1977) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor.
Orphaned at 11, Castle dropped out of high school at 15 to work in the theater. He came to the attenti ...
and starring
Dennis Morgan and
Patricia Medina
Patricia Paz Maria Medina (19 July 1919 – 28 April 2012) was a British actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles in the films ''Phantom of the Rue Morgue'' (1954) and ''Mr. Arkadin'' (1955).
Early life
Medina was the daughter of Laure ...
.
Plot
Becoming mining partners after first getting into a fistfight, two men strike uranium pay dirt in remote
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...
. Grady (
William Talman) guards the claim while Brad (
Dennis Morgan) returns to town to register their find. Unfortunately, Brad is distracted by a young beautiful woman from
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
and quickly marries her, before he realizes she has a past with his partner, who doesn't take the news well.
Vowing to ruin Brad any way he can, Grady begins by giving his half-share of the mine to Jean Williams (
Patricia Medina
Patricia Paz Maria Medina (19 July 1919 – 28 April 2012) was a British actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles in the films ''Phantom of the Rue Morgue'' (1954) and ''Mr. Arkadin'' (1955).
Early life
Medina was the daughter of Laure ...
), his former sweetheart, in an attempt to win her back. When that fails, Grady spreads a rumor that the railroad is erecting a spur near the uranium mine. The greed-driven Brad sinks all his money into preparing for the train, then ends up broke when he discovers the truth.
But when he realizes Jean won't leave Brad no matter what, Grady shrugs it off and agrees to become partners with him once again.
Cast
*
Dennis Morgan as Brad Collins
*
Patricia Medina
Patricia Paz Maria Medina (19 July 1919 – 28 April 2012) was a British actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles in the films ''Phantom of the Rue Morgue'' (1954) and ''Mr. Arkadin'' (1955).
Early life
Medina was the daughter of Laure ...
as Jean Williams
*
William Talman as Grady Mathews
*
Tina Carver as Gail Windsor
*
Philip Van Zandt
Philip Van Zandt (October 4, 1904 – February 15, 1958), sometimes billed as Phil Van Zandt, was a Dutch-American actor of stage, film, and television. He made nearly 250 film and television appearances between 1939 and 1958.
Life and career
...
as Navajo Charlie
*
William Henry as Joe McGinnus
*
Gregg Barton
Gregg Barton (Born Harold Wilson Barker, June 5, 1912 – November 28, 2000) was an American actor, who played various roles in feature films and television series.
Career
Born in Oswego, New York, Barton is possibly best remembered for having ...
as Phil McGinnus
*
Mel Curtis as Phil McGinnus
*
Henry Rowland as Harry
*
S. John Launer as Mac
* Michael Bryant as Peterson
*
Frank Wilcox
Frank Reppy Wilcox (March 13, 1907 – March 3, 1974) was an American actor. He appeared in numerous films and television series, as well as Broadway plays.
Background
Wilcox was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Roger V. Wilcox. He was born in De Soto ...
as Floyd Gorman
*
Ralph Sanford
Ralph Dayton Sanford (May 21, 1899 – June 20, 1963) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 180 films and in at least 200 episodes on television between 1930 and 1960, mostly bit parts or supporting roles. Sanford frequently ...
as Old Timer
* Carlyle Mitchell as Mr. Aldrich
*
Nick Tell as Reporter
*
Tina Carver as Gail Windsor
Reception
The ''Los Angeles Times'' said the cast "prove themselves good troupers in the melodramatic situations."
[Jane Russell and Wilde Do Stunts Romany Style
Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 8 Mar 1956: B11.]
References
External links
*
Turner Classic Movies pageReview of filmat ''Variety''
1956 films
Films directed by William Castle
Columbia Pictures films
1956 adventure films
American adventure films
1950s English-language films
1950s American films
American black-and-white films
{{adventure-film-stub