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Hudson's Bay (film)

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Hudson's Bay
Directed byIrving Pichel
Screenplay byLamar Trotti
Based onPierre-Esprit Radisson
(Incidents from the life of)
Produced byDarryl F. Zanuck
StarringPaul Muni
Gene Tierney
Laird Cregar
John Sutton
CinematographyGeorge Barnes
J. Peverell Marley
Edited byRobert L. Simpson
Music byAlfred Newman
Color processBlack and white
Production
company
Distributed by20th Century-Fox
Release dates
  • December 24, 1940 (1940-12-24) (Kansas City)
  • January 3, 1941 (1941-01-03) (United States)
Running time
95 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$869,600[1]
Box office$1,395,300[1]

Hudson's Bay is a 1941 American historical western adventure film directed by Irving Pichel and starring Paul Muni, Gene Tierney, Laird Cregar and John Sutton. Produced and distributed by 20th Century-Fox, the film is about a pair of French-Canadian explorers whose findings lead to the formation of the Hudson's Bay Company. In Canada, the film was heavily promoted by the Hudson's Bay Company through its retail stores.[2]

Plot

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A trapper, Pierre Esprit Radisson, and his friend, nicknamed "Gooseberry," hope to open a trading post in the Hudson's Bay region of northeastern Canada in the year 1667.

They meet the jailed Lord Edward Crewe, a nobleman from England who has been banished from that country by Charles II of England. They manage to free Edward, who funds their expedition, beginning in Montreal, designed to further free trade with the Indians and make Canada a more united land.

Barbara Hall is the sweetheart of Edward and her brother, Gerald, is thrust upon them after the explorers travel to England to seek the king's favor. Prince Rupert helps get Edward back in the king's good graces. Charles II is open to the idea of a trading post, provided he is personally brought 400,000 pelts.

Gerald creates trouble in Canada as soon as the new Fort Charles trading post is established. His actions incite violence among the Indian natives, who demand he be punished. Over the king's objections and to Barbara's horror, Radisson and his associates permit Gerald to be sentenced to death by a firing squad.

But once the gravity of her brother's misdeeds become clear to her, and with the flourishing of the Hudson's Bay trading post, Barbara forgives her love Edward while his partners Radisson and Gooseberry celebrate their success.

Cast

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Reception

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George MacDonald Fraser wrote in 1988, "Hudson's Bay paid the penalty for being ahead of its time; critics found it boring, and one described it as 'a cock-eyed history lesson' which, overall, it certainly is not." MacDonald goes on to say of Vincent Price in the role of the King, "Here was an actor who looked reasonably like Old Rowley, and combined the languid style with the athletic presence - one could imagine Price walking ten miles a day for the fun of it as King Charles did."[3]

Box office

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The film earned a profit of $88,500.[1]

Radio

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The same story was serialised for Australian radio in 1946 as Hudson's Bay starring Grant Taylor and Max Osbiston.[4][5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Mank, Gregory William (2018). Laird Cregar: A Hollywood Tragedy. McFarland.
  2. ^ Google Books
  3. ^ Fraser, George MacDonald (1988). The Hollywood History of the World. London: Michael Joseph Limited. pp. 115–116. ISBN 0-7181-2997-0.
  4. ^ "Advertising". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 33, 885. New South Wales, Australia. July 31, 1946. p. 7. Retrieved March 28, 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "Radio Roundup". The Sun. No. 11, 394. New South Wales, Australia. July 31, 1946. p. 6 (LATE FINAL EXTRA). Retrieved March 28, 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
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