A 1937 disaster film that sparked a real-life riot in a post-war camp
In short: The Hurricane, a 1937 South Seas drama, is remembered for its groundbreaking special effects. Yet, its most surreal moment occurred in a Soviet transit camp, where the film’s climactic storm triggered a chaotic brawl among displaced survivors and soldiers, forcing the projectionist to cut the movie short before the finale.
Directed by John Ford and produced by Samuel Goldwyn, The Hurricane tells the story of Terangi, a Polynesian man whose life is dismantled by a rigid French governor. After striking a racist man in Tahiti, Terangi is imprisoned; his subsequent escape attempts lead to a sixteen-year sentence. The film culminates in a massive, island-destroying storm, a spectacle created by James Basevi that critics at the time hailed as a visceral, heart-clutching cinematic achievement.
The film’s impact extended far beyond the box office. In his 1963 memoir, Primo Levi described watching the movie while interned at a Soviet camp at Starye Dorogi following World War II. The audience, a volatile mix of former prisoners, Holocaust survivors, and Soviet soldiers, grew increasingly agitated as the story unfolded. When the hurricane finally struck the screen, the tension erupted into a frenzy. The theater descended into a chaotic scene where men scrambled up poles toward the women's quarters, prompting a defensive counter-rush by Italian prisoners.
The 1937 production earned three Academy Award nominations, winning for Best Sound. While Frank S. Nugent of The New York Times praised the technical mastery of the storm sequence, he noted uneven pacing and gave a lukewarm reception to Jon Hall’s performance. Despite these critiques, the film remains a landmark in stunt work, with The Hollywood Reporter naming it a standout in 2025 for its action sequences. It stands as a testament to the power of film to both captivate audiences and, in extreme circumstances, mirror the volatility of the world outside the theater.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: The Hurricane (1937 film)
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