Hudson's Bay
A FABULOUS FIGURE WHO SAVED A NEW WORLD-FOR THE RULER WHO HAD ORDERED HIM HANGED!
1940 | 95m | English
Popularity: 3 (history)
| Director: | Irving Pichel |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Lamar Trotti |
| Staring: |
| Highly fictionalized early history of Canada. Trapper/explorer Radisson imagines an empire around Hudson's Bay. He befriends the Indians, fights the French, and convinces King Charles II to sponsor an expedition of conquest. | |
| Release Date: | Dec 24, 1940 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Irving Pichel |
| Writer: | Lamar Trotti |
| Genres: | Adventure, History |
| Keywords | canada, fur trapping, historical fiction, 18th century, fur trade |
| Production Companies | 20th Century Fox |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Jan 30, 2026 Entered: Apr 29, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Paul Muni | Pierre Esprit Radisson |
| John Sutton | Lord Edward Crewe |
| Laird Cregar | Gooseberry |
| Gene Tierney | Barbara Hall |
| Vincent Price | King Charles II |
| Nigel Bruce | Prince Rupert |
| Virginia Field | Nell Gwyn |
| Morton Lowry | Gerald Hall |
| Robert Greig | Sir Robert |
| Chief Thundercloud | Orimha |
| Frederick Worlock | English Governor |
| Montagu Love | Governor D'Argenson |
| Ian Wolfe | Mayor |
| Chief John Big Tree | Chief |
| Jody Gilbert | Germaine |
| Florence Bates | Duchess (scenes deleted) |
| Don Ackerman | (uncredited) |
| Eugene Borden | Sentry (uncredited) |
| David Cavendish | Councillor (uncredited) |
| Sonny Chorre | Indian (uncredited) |
| Iron Eyes Cody | Indian (uncredited) |
| Robert Cory | Orderly (uncredited) |
| Dorothy Dearing | Girl (uncredited) |
| Jean Del Val | Captain (uncredited) |
| Constant Franke | Sentry (uncredited) |
| Denis Greene | John Randall (uncredited) |
| Lumsden Hare | Capt. Alan MacKinnon (uncredited) |
| Boone Hazlett | Indian (uncredited) |
| Keith Hitchcock | Footman (uncredited) |
| Lilyan Irene | Maid (uncredited) |
| Bob Lugo | Indian (uncredited) |
| Bob Milton | (uncredited) |
| Joe Molina | Indian (uncredited) |
| Lionel Pape | Groom of the Chamber (uncredited) |
| Andrew Pena | Indian (uncredited) |
| John Rogers | Sailor (uncredited) |
| Reginald Sheffield | Clerk (uncredited) |
| Jay Silverheels | Indian (uncredited) |
| Jimmy Spencer | Indian (uncredited) |
| Tony Urchel | Indian (uncredited) |
| Eric Wilton | Councillor (uncredited) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Irving Pichel | Director |
| Alfred Newman | Original Music Composer |
| Robert L. Simpson | Editor |
| Wiard B. Ihnen | Art Direction |
| Thomas Little | Set Decoration |
| Alfred Bruzlin | Sound Editor |
| Roger Heman Sr. | Sound Editor |
| Richard Day | Art Direction |
| J. Peverell Marley | Director of Photography |
| George Barnes | Director of Photography |
| Clifford Wilson | Technical Advisor |
| Lamar Trotti | Writer |
| Travis Banton | Costume Design |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Darryl F. Zanuck | Producer |
| Kenneth Macgowan | Associate Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 1 |
| 2024 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 2 |
| 2024 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| 2024 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 2 |
| 2024 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 1 |
| 2024 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 2 |
| 2024 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
| 2024 | 11 | 3 | 10 | 1 |
| 2024 | 12 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 2025 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 2026 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
Trending Position
This is quite a fun pioneering romp through the pages of the early history of the British in Canada. Centred around the exploits of Pierre Radisson (Paul Muni), his larger than life sidekick "Gooseberry" (Laird Cregar) and the somewhat discredited Lord Crewe (John Sutton), the story depicts their ef ... forts to export hundreds of thousands of extremely valuable pelts to Europe, Muni is on great form as the intrepid entrepreneur who manages to fall in and out with just about everyone from the locals, the French and finally King Charles II (Vincent Price) in London - who grants them a charter to form the now legendary Hudson's Bay Trading Company. The dialogue is quickly paced and quite funny at times, though a bit on the wordy side, and the three gents manage to keep the action coming thick and past - with (perhaps only a scant) nod to history as they go. Gene Tierney only fleetingly provides the love interest for Crewe and Virginia Field is also on hand to demonstrate that Nell Gwynn had more than a little influence on her Sovereign. The photography is suitably grand in the wilderness and sumptuous at King Charles' court, and Alfred Newman's score helps this adventure story to entertain.