Originally called White Thunder, American producer Varick Frissell's 1931 film was inspired by his love for the Canadian Arctic Circle. Set in a beautifully black-and-white filmed Newfoundland, it is the story of a rivalry between two seal hunters that plays out on the ice floes during a hunt. Unsatisfied with the first cut, Frissell arranged for the crew to accompany an actual Newfoundland seal hunt on The SS Viking, on which an explosion of dynamite (carried regularly at the time on Arctic ships to combat ice jams) killed many members of the crew, including Frissell. The film was renamed in honor of the dead.
Directed by Varick Frissell and George Melford
newfoundland and labrador
seal (animal)
seal hunting
IMDB
N/A
Cast
Charles Starrett
Luke Oarum
Louise Huntington
Mary Joe
Arthur Vinton
Jed Nelson
Crew
George Melford
Director
Popular Reviews
1 review
David lynch
5.6★ · 05/27/25
the real life context to this is heartbreaking and insane. a lot of disaster could’ve been prevented, but this film resulted in the largest on-set crew death count of all time during the filmmaking. when ambition kills success. and life.
the real life context to this is heartbreaking and insane. a lot of disaster could’ve been prevented, but this film resulted in the largest on-set crew death count of all time during the filmmaking. when ambition kills success. and life.
