Cimarron (1960)

Director:

Anthony Mann

Writers:

Arnold Schulman (screenplay)
Edna Ferber (novel)

Release Date:

December 1960 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Western

Tagline:

Story of a VAST and VIOLENT LAND!

Plot:

The epic saga of a frontier family, Cimarron starts with the Oklahoma Land Rush on 22 April 1889. The...

Plot Keywords:

Oklahoma | Newspaper | Hostage | Hanging | Old Flame

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win

Cast

Glenn Ford	...	Yancey 'Cimarron' Cravat (editor, 'Oklahoma Wigwam')
Maria Schell	...	Sabra Cravat born Venable
Anne Baxter	...	Dixie Lee (owner, Dixie's Social Club)
Arthur O'Connell	...	Tom Wyatt
Russ Tamblyn	...	William Hardy / The Cherokee Kid
Mercedes McCambridge	...	Mrs. Sarah Wyatt
Vic Morrow	...	Wes Jennings (Cherokee Kid gang)
Robert Keith	...	Sam Pegler (owner, 'Oklahoma Wigwam')
Charles McGraw	...	Bob Yountis
Harry Morgan	...	Jessie Rickey (printer) (as Henry {Harry} Morgan)
David Opatoshu	...	Sol Levy (shopkeeper)
Aline MacMahon	...	Mrs. Mavis Pegler
Lili Darvas	...	Felicia Venable (Sabra's mother)
Edgar Buchanan	...	Judge Neal Hefner
Mary Wickes	...	Mrs. Neal Hefner

Also Known As:

Edna Ferber's Cimarron (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

147 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Certification:

West Germany:12 (f) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #19510) | Argentina:13 | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Arizona, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Director Anthony Mann was fired near the end of filming and replaced by Charles Walters.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the scene where Jessie Rickey is using a letterpress to print "wanted" posters of the Cherokee Kid and his gang, even though he handed a "fresh" copy to Yancey Cravat, he is running the press dry which would yield no printed impressions - on letterpresses of that type, ink would be applied to the lead type with a roller before the paper is laid down to be run through the press. Plus, he is taking the finished copies off and without looking placing them face down - any printer worth his salt would inspect every print for quality before setting it aside.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Long Ranger and Tonton (Shooting Stars of the West) (1989)

Soundtrack:

Cimarron

Enjoyable pioneer saga

I admit to not having read the book (but will now go to abe.com to find it!) or seen the earlier film, but find it interesting to compare this enjoyable movie with 'Giant'(Stevens, 1956), which incidentally also had Mercedes McCambridge in it, also concerned an essentially ill-matched couple, prejudice, mixed-race marriage, early oil-barons, and also takes in a number of years in which we see the characters grow older.

Unlike the other reviewers here, I did NOT find Maria Schell's accent annoying in the least. She makes a wonderfully believable pioneer (note: the accent is genuine, which also sets her apart from many other Hollywood 'foreigners') and she has a pleasingly natural acting style. She shines beautifully when she is interacting with other women, be it the wildcat and part-time prostitute Anne Baxter in one of the finest scenes of the film (smouldering and feisty but underused I think) or the earthy and magnificent McCambridge, whose subtle but hilarious Southern accent is expertly modulated and a joy to the ear. So many scenes between women in Westerns of this time are somewhat flat and stagey, but I think they're superb here and set this film apart.

Glenn Ford is good, and although the film rather tries to do too much (as does Giant, in my opinion), it's really a fun way to spend a rainy afternoon or even a hot afternoon. Plenty happens along the way and it has something to say.