Back To Index Oklahoma!
 Barnes & Noble One of the most eagerly anticipated films of its time, this flamboyant adaptation of the classic Rodgers & Hammerstein stage musical -- filmed in the then-new Todd AO process -- wowed moviegoers when it hit theater screens in 1955, more than a decade after the original show took Broadway by storm. Handsome, husky Gordon MacRae made a perfect Curly, and young, fresh-faced Shirley Jones entranced audiences as Laurie. Veteran stage and screen star Charlotte Greenwood was a thorough delight in the role of Aunt Eller, with Gene Nelson contributing vigorous hoofing as Will Parker and Gloria Grahame nearly stealing the show as Ado Annie. Rod Steiger, very much out of place in a musical, was suitably unlikable as Jud Fry, the nominal villain. The film’s story hewed fairly closely to that of the stage incarnation; simply put, it involves the efforts of two cowboys to win the hearts of two young ladies they meet in the Oklahoma territory at the turn of the 20th century. The rest was movie-musical magic, from the lush orchestrations by Robert Russell Bennett to the dynamic choreography of Agnes De Mille (who’d performed the same chore for the stage show). And then there were those unforgettable songs -- “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning,” “Surrey with the Fringe on Top,” “People Will Say We’re in Love,” “Many a New Day,” “I Cain’t Say No,” and, of course, the title tune. Somewhat out of his element, High Noon director Fred Zinnemann still manages to present and stage the material inventively. To some of today’s home viewers, Oklahoma! will seem at best quaint and at worst extremely silly. It represents a magnificent accomplishment in a genre that is, sadly, out of favor. But fans of the form still revere this marvelous musical, which after 50 years remains a treat for both eye and ear. Ed Hulse Interested in the song lyrics? - Check out themostlyrics.com! Looking For A DVD? - Check out dvd-a-rama.com! |
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