Oklahoma (1955): Dir: Fred Zinnemann / Cast: Gordon MacRae, Shirley Jones, Gene Nelson, Gloria Grahame, Charlotte Greenwood: Corny yet festive musical set in a land where horse and carriage are still in, and cowboys and farmers attempt to live together. Gordon MacRae plays Curly, a cowboy who guides in the cattle yet really desires to take the lovely Laurey to the local dance. She is played by Shirley Jones with sunny appeal but she is also sighted by a creepy hired hand named Jud. Gene Nelson plays cowboy Will Parker who arrives back in town to marry Ado Annie with the fifty dollars he promised her father he would have. She is played with great comic flare by Gloria Grahame who is also promised to a sneaky peddler. Charlotte Greenwood oversees everything as Aunt Eller and with the local auction tied in with the dance she hopes to raise enough funds for a new school house. Directed by Fred Zinnemann who previously made High Noon and From Here to Eternity. His screenplay is flawed by pointless and overlong musical numbers, some of which are way too corny. Also the concluding court session held in a kitchen is also pathetically contrived. The villain seems unfairly outcast with even a horrid suicidal song sung to his suggestion. The musical numbers look festive with a slice of country life that drives home the theme of togetherness. Score: 7 / 10
Review of Oklahoma!
