Swamp Fire (1946): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1946, Swamp Fire is an action, drama and adventure film directed by William H. Pine, running about 69 minutes. “WILD SAVAGE LAW...Tough Flaming Adventure!!” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Highlights in this one include a fist-fight between Johnny Weissmuller and Buster Crabbe (I won't give away the winner, but check the cast order); a cat-fight between Virginia Grey and Carol Thurston that the male cast of Sienfeld would pay to see and, just to keep things moving, Weissmuller wrestles an alligator, and there are two mid-water collisions between small-craft boats, a big ship wreck and a blazing swamp fire finale. Toss in a plot that has Weissmuller as a psycho-neurotic war veteran who, because he piled up his Navy destroyer on the rocks, now dreads returning to his pre-war occupation of a pilot guiding ships through the channels at the mouth of the Mississippi. Throw in icy Virginia Grey as a spoiled heiress out to take Johnny away from his job, his friends and the girl he loves (who knows why), and you have enough plot and action for two Pine-Thomas jewels.

Who’s in it. Swamp Fire stars Johnny Weissmüller as Johnny Duval, Virginia Grey as Janet Hilton, Buster Crabbe as Mike Kalavich and Carol Thurston as Toni Rousseau, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.1/10, Swamp Fire has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo and YouTube TV and rent or buy it from Amazon Video. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Swamp Fire page.

If you liked it. Fans of Swamp Fire tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.