Flowing Gold

I've mentioned Rex Beach in the past, as he's the writer responsible for the story that gave us several versions of The Spoilers. A different movie that's based on the work of Rex Beach is Flowing Gold. It aired a few months back on TCM, and I recorded it and recently watched it.

The movie opens with a scroll about oil, also known as "black gold", and its importance to modern-day civilization. Cut to some town in Oklahoma that's sprung up as part of the state's oil boom. Several people are waiting in front of a building with a help wanted sign, even though it's the middle of the night. Just as the bosses are about to take on new men for the day, a couple of policemen show up with a "wanted" poster, causing one of the men, Johnny Alexander (John Garfield) to flee. He should know, since he's the guy on the poster.

He gets in a truck that's going to another oil field, run by foreman Hap O'Connor Pat O'Brien. It's a tough place to work, especially since on of the men has been drinking on the job, which is even more dangerous. The man's drinking comes to light and Hap tries to fire him. The man responds by trying to attack Hap, but Johnny, now taking the name "Blake" to avoid discovery, saves Hap. Johnny then reveals that he's on the lam for a murder rap, although he insists it was in self-defense, something that's important because of the Production Code constrictions.

Eventually Johnny flees to a town called Eagle Rock, which is booming even more thanks to some new oil fields. Hap also goes there, finding that an old wildcatter friend of his, Chalmers (Raymond Walburn) is there, together with his daughter Linda (Frances Farmer), who is now all grown up and looking very nice indeed. Johnny comes across Linda one day when she gets her car stuck in the mud, and helps her out. It eventually results in a romance, but it takes some time.

That's because Johnny has gotten a job with Chalmers' mortal enemy, who holds most of the leases, and is trying to squeeze Chalmers out, by any means necessary, including blocking roads and keeping the bankers from lending money to Chalmers. Johnny does wind up working for Hap again, however, and the plot leads to two main conflicts: will the oil well ever come in, and will Johnny be able to continue outrunning the law?

Flowing Gold is another of those movies that fits what Warner Bros. was quite good at doing, and giving the lead role to John Garfield is a move that works quite well. Once again, he's very appealing in a blue-collar role. Pat O'Brien is a bit miscast, but does fine with his part. The movie also packs both a surprising number of twists and turns, and a surprising amount of action, into its programmer-length running time of a shade over 80 minutes.

Flowing Gold is definitely worth watching for anybody who's a fan of the Warner Bros. programmers.