In a devastating tragedy, 27 people, including the film’s director and a dog named Cabot, died in a catastrophic explosion on a movie set.
In 1931, a Hollywood production team traveled to Canada to film The Viking, which follows the story of Luke, a young Newfoundland fisherman who reluctantly joins a sealing expedition, convinced he is cursed. The woman he loves persuades him to embark on the voyage. But the harrowing reality unfolding behind the cameras turned out to be far more devastating than anything shown on screen.
Director Varick Frissell attended a Yale lecture by Sir Wilfred Grenfell, a British medical missionary operating in Newfoundland, and was moved to document Grenfell’s work through film. He created two documentaries – The Great Arctic Seal Hunt (1928) and The Lure of Labrador (1928), according to Product of Newfoundland. This comes as Pinocchio has been branded “nightmare fuel.”
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Frissell saw potential for a feature film and proposed to Paramount Pictures the creation of an epic-style documentary about the Newfoundland seal hunt, reports the Express US.
To genuinely capture the region’s character, the production hired local actors and crew members, with audio and dialogue recorded on site – representing a first for a Hollywood feature film. Filming began with a script called White Thunder, with most scenes shot in Quidi Vidi before the crew went aboard an actual ship to film scenes at sea.
The Viking (1931) has cemented itself in the history books -Credit:Library and Archives Canada
The stark visuals effectively depicted the brutal existence of sealers. To add excitement to the project, Frissell welcomed some bold casting decisions. Captain Bob Bartlett, a native of Brigus, appeared in the film as Captain Barker of The Viking.
By then, Bartlett had already made a name for himself. He had undertaken several Arctic voyages and been awarded the National Geographic Society’s Hubbard Medal.
The fatal moment came in March 1931 when Varick Frissell came back to Newfoundland to screen the initial cut of White Thunder. Unhappy with what he saw, Frissell believed additional action scenes were essential to strengthen the film, so he set out to shoot more dramatic footage and departed with a small team aboard the SS Viking, under the command of Abram Kean Jr. and manned by local fishermen.
The film showed the brutal existence of selaers -Credit:Library and Archives Canada
The SS Viking had arrived at White Bay on Newfoundland’s northern coastline, where it met heavy ice conditions. Eight miles off Horse Island, the Viking seemed safe.
Then disaster hit – the Viking exploded. The explosion was so forceful it echoed for miles, destroying the stern as fire engulfed the remainder of the vessel.
Sadly, 27 people died immediately, including Frissell, and any wounded survivors had no choice but to cross the ice to get to Horse Island. The blast was thought to have been set off by blasting powder — a common material carried aboard sealing vessels of that period.
The remaining men were forced to scramble over the ice to safety -Credit:Library and Archives Canada
Controlled explosions were routinely used to break through ice, allowing ships to forge a path forward. It is believed the Viking’s supply of explosives was ignited, possibly due to careless handling, with reports suggesting someone had been smoking a pipe near the blasting powder.
Despite the devastating loss of life, the film was released the following summer and renamed as a tribute to the ill-fated ship. The final cut included an opening narration by Sir Wilfred Grenfell, detailing the events that had brought Frissell to Newfoundland and the tragic circumstances of his death.
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