Oklahoma! (1955)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Fred Zinnemann

Writers:

Lynn Riggs (play)
Oscar Hammerstein II (play)

Release Date:

9 January 1956 (Brazil)

Genre:

Musical | Romance | Western

Tagline:

Now a motion picture as big as all outdoors! (first run Todd-AO version)

Plot:

A couple of young cowboys win the hearts of their sweethearts in the Oklahoma territory at the turn of the century...

Plot Keywords:

Cowboy | Oklahoma | Peddler | Love | Ranch Hand

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 3 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sat. Nov. 14

2:00 PM

TCM

Cast

Gordon MacRae	...	Curly McLain
Gloria Grahame	...	Ado Annie Carnes
Gene Nelson	...	Will Parker
Charlotte Greenwood	...	Aunt Eller Murphy
Shirley Jones	...	Laurey Williams
Eddie Albert	...	Ali Hakim
James Whitmore	...	Andrew Carnes
Rod Steiger	...	Jud Fry
Barbara Lawrence	...	Gertie Cummings
Jay C. Flippen	...	Ike Skidmore
Roy Barcroft	...	Marshal Cord Elam
James Mitchell	...	Dream Curly
Bambi Linn	...	Dream Laurey
Jennie Workman	...	Dancer
Virginia Bosler	...	Dancer

Runtime:

145 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Sound System) (CinemaScope version) (35 mm magnetic prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Mono (Western Electric Sound System) (35 mm optical prints)

Certification:

Canada:F (Ontario) | Canada:G (Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | West Germany:12 | Australia:G | New Zealand:G | Finland:K-12 | UK:U | USA:G (1982)

Filming Locations:

Amado, Arizona, USA

Company:

Magna Theatre Corporation

Trivia:

Betty Hutton turned down the role of Ado Annie, a role that could have revived her screen career. She instead chose to do a TV special called Satins and Spurs (1954) (TV).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Jud wakes Laurey from her dream sequence, to tell her it's time to go to the party, night has fallen and it's dark. She goes inside to change. In the next scene, they're heading off to the party with everyone else, in broad daylight.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Curly: [singing] There's a bright golden haze on the meadow, There's a bright golden haze on the meadow. The corn is as high as a elephant's eye, And it looks like it's climbin' clear up to the sky. Oh, what a beautiful mornin', Oh, what a beautiful day! I got a beautiful feelin' Everything's goin' my way.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Comic Relief: Red Nose Night Live 05 (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

All 'er Nothin'

Nice, Old-Fashioned Fillm But Too Long

I really liked the first part of this movie, with all the famous songs and great color that looks even better on DVD....and just a great feel of old-fashioned wholesomeness.

The rest of the film doesn't live up to that first part as the songs aren't as good and the thin storyline is stretched out too long. They didn't need to make this 145 minutes. Two hours would have been plenty.

The story is just about two romances: the main "contest:" Gordon McCrae and Rod Steiger both vying for Shirley Jones, and the minor one with Gloria Grahame and two suitors. Grahame, with her humor as "Ado Annie Carnes" is the best character in the film, at least to me. Eddie Albert also chips in with some humor as the "peddler" and Charlotte Greenwood was good as "Aunt Eller."

Jones and McCrae are about as "All-American" as you can get and Steiger is the lone "villain" of the film. The most colorful segment of the movie was the dream scene that featured a great set. The dancing didn't do much for me, but the bright colors sure did.

Overall, a refreshing nice old-fashioned musical and a visual treat as well. If it's a little long, well, so be it.