Oklahoma! (1955)

RKO/20th Century-Fox, 1955. Directed by Fred Zinnemann. Starring Gordon MacRae, Shirley Jones, Gloria Grahame, Gene Nelson, Charlotte Greenwood, and Rod Steiger. Music score written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II.

Although most loyal fans of this irresistible 1955 musical would enthusiastically shout out each letter to the title O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A as they sing along to the upbeat score by Rodgers and Hammerstein, the words we are compelled to cheer while watching this film could only be G-O-R-D-O-N M-A-C-R-A-E! In this tale of the farmer and the cowman, and of the looming ratification of Oklahoma’s statehood, no one could fill the big screen or the vista of the golden prairie like the incomparable Gordon MacRae. The depth of his voice carries the audience from scene to scene, and during the sequences that do not feature MacRae, we often found ourselves eagerly awaiting his reappearance. Now, this is not to say that the Hollywood version of the musical does not provide any worthy match for its playful cowboy. On the whole, it offers a well-rounded cast, including the lovely and charming Shirley Jones (who here far outshines her most famous role as Shirley Partridge of “The Partridge Family”), Gloria Grahame, Gene Nelson, and Charlotte Greenwood. The film entertains throughout with sharp dancing, witty solos, and ensemble numbers to match the previous year's Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

There is another side to Oklahoma!, however, that makes the movie stand out from more typical musicals and from the typical accusation that audiences sometimes rashly hurl at the genre: that musicals are just superficial dreamworlds arranged for the showcasing of stars’ smiles and musical prowess. Jud Fry, Aunt Eller’s farmhand (who is deftly played by Rod Steiger), throws a dark edge on the sunshine of Oklahoma!. In fact, the awkward transition between songs and violence that Fry’s character creates calls attention to the dynamics of collective social judgment and other issues not often touched on in such films. One unfortunate effect of this effort for substance, however, is realized in a dream sequence halfway through the picture. Unlike the powerful dramatic exchanges between Jud and Curly or Jud and Miss Laurey, this episode reveals the director’s indulgence in the melodrama of modern ballet, pseudo-Freudian dream suggestivity, and strange double-casting of characters. First of all, why can’t Shirley Jones and the rest of the cast play their own characters in this dream within a musical dreamworld? And second, why cram the serious artistic commentary of the film down the audience’s throats with a sequence like this? It is just not necessary in our opinions. The subtle performance by Steiger is much creepier and so much more effective.

Whether you are looking for a light sing-along or a provoking take on the molding of a state’s history and identity, Oklahoma! will not disappoint – so long as you strategically break for refreshments during the ballet!

Erin&Anton.