Louisiana Story
| Louisiana Story | |
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| Directed by | Robert J. Flaherty |
| Produced by | Robert J. Flaherty |
| Written by |
Robert J. Flaherty Frances H. Flaherty |
| Starring |
Joseph Boudreaux Lionel Le Blanc E. Bienvenu Frank Hardy |
| Music by | Virgil Thomson |
| Cinematography | Richard Leacock |
| Edited by | Helen van Dongen |
| Distributed by | Lopert Films |
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Release date
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Running time
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78 min. |
Louisiana Story (1948) is a 78-minute black-and-white American film. Although the events and characters depicted are fictional, it is often misidentified as a documentary film, when in fact, it is a docufiction. The script was written by Frances H. Flaherty and Robert J. Flaherty, directed by Robert J. Flaherty, and was commissioned by the Standard Oil Company.
The film deals with the adventures of a young Cajun boy and his pet raccoon, who live a somewhat idyllic existence playing in the bayous of Louisiana. A sub-plot involves his elderly father's allowing an oil company to drill for oil in the inlet that runs behind their house.
A completely assembled miniature oil rig on a slender barge is towed into the inlet from connecting narrow waterways. Although there is a moment of crisis when the rig strikes a gas pocket, most of this is dealt with swiftly and off-camera, and the barge, rig, and friendly drillers depart expeditiously, leaving behind a phenomenally clean environment and a wealthy Cajun family.
Conflict and action for the plot is provided by the presence of a giant alligator in the area, which is believed to have eaten the pet raccoon and which is hunted in revenge. There is no individual or organized resistance to the incursion of the oil seekers, even after the (brief, offscreen) disaster, who are unequivocally portrayed as friendly, progressive humanitarians.
The boy, named in the film as Alexander Napoleon Ulysses Le Tour but in the credits just identified as "the boy", was played by Joseph Boudreaux. The film was photographed by Richard Leacock and edited by Helen van Dongen, who were also the associate producers. Original release was through independent film distributor Lopert Films.
The film was shot on location in the Louisiana bayou country, using local residents for actors. However, none of the members of the Cajun family (boy, father and mother) were actually related, and the film does not deal with Cajun culture, the reality of the hard lives of the Cajun people, or with the mechanics of drilling for oil. The story itself is completely fictional. It is therefore unclear why, other than for publicity purposes or out of respect to the then-near-forgotten Flaherty, the film was ever referred to as a documentary, much less why it continues to be.
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Wikipedia