Oklahoma!

Rating:
Summary: Grab the DVD for a color experience.
Review: I had the pleasure and good fortune to see this on TCM recently and learned for the first time that the movie was actually filmed for its theatrical release TWICE!! I viewed the film on VHS years ago from a conventional 'fullscreen' Cinemascope print and thought nothing of it. Imagine my surprise when I saw Turner's broadcast of it in the 'Todd-AO' wide-screen version!! The color saturation is positively stunning (it has been mentioned that the T-AO film process actually shot more frames per second, which accounts for that sharpness and saturation) and makes certain sequences, like the opening number "Oh What A Beautiful Morning" and sections of the "Out Of My Dreams" ballet explode on screen. The Rodgers & Hammerstein songs are magnificent (notably "Poor Jud is Dead," "I Cain't Say No," and "People Will Say We're In Love"), the color cinematography is stunning (note the crisp, blue skies), a lasso dance by Gene Nelson in a railway depot is a standout, but some of the characters and subsequent performances (like Rod Steiger's manic-depressive farmhand Jud) are more than a bit over-the-top. Accept this premise and you'll be just fine. The Todd-AO version of the film is currently available on DVD. Grab it, and fast-forward to your favorite parts.

Rating:
Summary: Oh, what a beautiful show...
Review: Considering this motion picture is some forty-six years of age, an adapation of a Broadway musical that opened in 1943, almost fifty-seven years ago, this DVD version of the 1955 film, with respect to opinions to the contrary expressed elsewhere, is simply splendid.

While declaring the timeless joy of this film, I can't help but feel disappointed that producers couldn't find locations in Oklahoma to shoot the exterior scenes, opting for the empty spaces of Arizona. That aside, what a grand adaptation of what many consider the first modern musical.

While Gordon MacRae a very good Curly, Shirley Jones is truly marvelous as Laurie the central character in a story that has been characterized as, "who will take Laurie to the dance."

As is so often the case, the filmmakers key casting decisions determine the quality of motion pictures. Eddie Albert is an excellent Peddler, Ali Hakim. Gloria Grahame's performance as Ado Annie Carnes sparkles.

Agnes De Mille dances have made this musical one of the best ever. I'm was particularly impressed with "Kansas City," "Out of My Dreams," (dream ballet) and the "The Farmer and the Cowman."

The one disappointment, as I reflect on the last few scenes, is why the producers/directors didn't utilize the Oklahoma vistas for the title production number, "Oklahoma!" The Rodgers and Hammerstein classic deserved more elaborate staging/spectacle.

This is yet another musical that should become part of the literature/fine arts curriculum. It's study would enrich senior high school social studies, literature and fine arts classes.

Rating:
Summary: Oklahoma! is Beautiful!
Review: I absoutly LOVE this movie! It is a classic musical that will never ever leave us. Shirley Jones is a beautiful Laurey Williams. I believe that is her best role. Gordon MacRae is a perfect Curly, Rod Steiger is the perfect Judd, Gloria Grahame is the perfect Ado Annie, Charlotte Greenwood is the perfect Aunt Eller, Gene Nelson is the perfect Will Parker.........everybody's perfect!!! See this movie as soon as possible, and you won't regret it at all!

Rating:
Summary: This just doesn't hit the nail on the head!!!
Review: Oklahoma! is definitely the worst film I have ever seen (...). Watching this movie is like going through two hours of torture. The music is not memorable and the plot is pretty terrible. I have always wondered what people see in this film.
Trust me. Don't waste your time watching Oklahoma!, for you are making a greivous mistake. Instead, try watching a REAL MUSICAL (...).

Rating:
Summary: Vibrant, memorable film version of musical classic
Review: "Oklahoma!" was a classic AMerican musical, groundbreaking in its seamless integration of story, score, and dance, and a highly entertaining show in its own right with a thin but delightful story and classic score, the first of many classic scores to come from Rodgers and Hammerstein. THankfully, most of that vitality, freshness, and joy, not to mention the story and score, translate accurately and brilliantly, and very entertainingly, into the splashy 1955 film version, which is perfectly cast, sung and orchestrated, and competently directed by Fred Zinneman, (of "High Noon" and "From Here To Eternity" fame) whose only movie musical this was.

The gorgeous shots of the Midwestern landscape can probably best be appreciated in the widescreen Todd-AO version. (The film was famously filmed twice, in the new process and in standard Cinemescope to accomadate theatres who did not have the new technology installed) Gordon McRae is a marvelous Curley, full of energy, sarcasm, and romantacism, and he sings those songs to perfection. He and the original Curley, Alfred Drake, are the best I've heard. The radiant Shirley Jones is perfect in her film debut as Laurey. The supporting cast is all first-rate; other reviewers have mentioned Gloria Grahame's Ado Annie, which is indeed a hilarious and unforgettable performance, but there is also Gene Nelson's wonderful Will Parker, Charlotte Greenwood's loveable and delightful Aunt Eller, and Rod Steiger's adaquately menacing Jud Fry. (That last character loses some dimension through the deletion of his solo "Lonely Room," but Steiger probably wouldn't have sung it all that well, and the rest of the film is so perfect, that this is really a minor quibble) It should be noted that, even though this cast contains quite a few actors not noted for their singing pipes, no one is dubbed, and everybody sings very well. (Though again, Steiger might not have been up to the demands of "Lonely Room," though he does a fine job on "Poer Jud Is Daid") It could be argued that these classic songs have never been better-sung then they are here, and the augmented original Robert Russell Bennett orchestrations are great. Agnes de Mille recreates her original choreogrpahy to great effect; "Kansas City" still is amazing in how casually it comes out of the situation, "The Farmer and the Cowman" and "Many a New Day" are delightful, and the famous "Laurey Makes Up Her Mind" dream ballet is still stunning. Not the best R&H musical, ("Carousel" and "The King and I" outclass it in story and score, and "The King and I" is probably a better film) but certainly one of the best film versions of one of their musicals with the makings of a highly entertaining evening for the whole family. A fine tribute to a classic of musical theatre.

Rating:
Summary: Nice for watching once, but THAT'S ENOUGH!!!!
Review: This movie was all right, but I still can't say that I truly enjoyed it. In my opinion, it was much too long for the plot and it just got exceptionally slow at times. The dancing is not so great either. The numbers are very average and mediocre.

Personally, I like 'Singing in the Rain' and 'Silk Stockings.' They also contain some ballet/dream sequences and have much more personality.

Rating:
Summary: Vibrant, memorable film version of musical classic
Review: "Oklahoma!" was a classic AMerican musical, groundbreaking in its seamless integration of story, score, and dance, and a highly entertaining show in its own right with a thin but delightful story and classic score, the first of many classic scores to come from Rodgers and Hammerstein. THankfully, most of that vitality, freshness, and joy, not to mention the story and score, translate accurately and brilliantly, and very entertainingly, into the splashy 1955 film version, which is perfectly cast, sung and orchestrated, and competently directed by Fred Zinneman, (of "High Noon" and "From Here To Eternity" fame) whose only movie musical this was.

The gorgeous shots of the Midwestern landscape can probably best be appreciated in the widescreen Todd-AO version. (The film was famously filmed twice, in the new process and in standard Cinemescope to accomadate theatres who did not have the new technology installed) Gordon McRae is a marvelous Curley, full of energy, sarcasm, and romantacism, and he sings those songs to perfection. He and the original Curley, Alfred Drake, are the best I've heard. The radiant Shirley Jones is perfect in her film debut as Laurey. The supporting cast is all first-rate; other reviewers have mentioned Gloria Grahame's Ado Annie, which is indeed a hilarious and unforgettable performance, but there is also Gene Nelson's wonderful Will Parker, Charlotte Greenwood's loveable and delightful Aunt Eller, and Rod Steiger's adaquately menacing Jud Fry. (That last character loses some dimension through the deletion of his solo "Lonely Room," but Steiger probably wouldn't have sung it all that well, and the rest of the film is so perfect, that this is really a minor quibble) It should be noted that, even though this cast contains quite a few actors not noted for their singing pipes, no one is dubbed, and everybody sings very well. (Though again, Steiger might not have been up to the demands of "Lonely Room," though he does a fine job on "Poer Jud Is Daid") It could be argued that these classic songs have never been better-sung then they are here, and the augmented original Robert Russell Bennett orchestrations are great. Agnes de Mille recreates her original choreogrpahy to great effect; "Kansas City" still is amazing in how casually it comes out of the situation, "The Farmer and the Cowman" and "Many a New Day" are delightful, and the famous "Laurey Makes Up Her Mind" dream ballet is still stunning. Not the best R&H musical, ("Carousel" and "The King and I" outclass it in story and score, and "The King and I" is probably a better film) but certainly one of the best film versions of one of their musicals with the makings of a highly entertaining evening for the whole family. A fine tribute to a classic of musical theatre.

Rating:
Summary: You Have Got To Be Kidding Me!
Review: I would have given Oklamhoma! no stars at all, however, one was a low as I could get.
I don't know what people see in this film. It is one of the worst things I have ever seen followed by Carousel. However, this is much, much worse. I love musicals, but this is terrible, absolutely terrible! Every second of this film made me want to scream.
If you want to see a REAL and ENTERTAINING musical, go check out some of the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies from the thirties. Then you'll see what you have been missing!

Rating:
Summary: This film ain't the berries, the roses, OR the cherries
Review: My distant memories of this film were from the night when Jimmy Carter was elected president...back in the late 70's when you had only the 3 network channels, PBS, and 2 local channels. The networks were covering the election, and this must have been all that was playing because I watched it that night. I was about 13 yrs. old. I definitely remember the opening where Curly is singing "Oh, what a beautiful morning", and the tune stuck in my head all these years. But I also remember being very aggrivated that all they did was sing and sing and sing and sing, and it was so so so boring!!! Yes, I know it was a musical, but it seemed more like an opera to me. I was 13 mind you, and so as I looked back, I thought perhaps because of my youth and inexposure to good film, I had misjudged this film.

Fast forward 29 years or so, to the other night. I have since studied classic film and appreciate it very much. To be honest,I am still not very fond of musicals in general, unless they are good. Meaning, they do some acting and talking too, not just sing, sing, sing, and if the singing fits with the story. Musicals I enjoy are The Sound of Music, some of the Nelson Eddy ones like I Married an Angel (because it is fun and silly!) and The Chocolate Soldier, Elvis' GOOD movies- King Creole and Jailhouse Rock ( I like his songs in his not-so-great Love Me Tender too), White Christmas, and Mary Poppins can be fun every now and then. But other than that, musicals in general do nothing for me because they are too weird. Here in Oklahoma!, well, yes, the photography and color ARE beautiful. But it certainly isn't enough to carry the whole picture. I felt it did have a very good opening, and I do like that song. And the song about the surrey was okay too. But most of the others were just plain silly. And I kept thinking, well can these folks just start talking and acting and quit singing all the time?? Just get on with the story please!!! In the beginning I was interested to see what the social was going to be like, but they had to sing and sing and sing, on and on and on and on...that it put me to sleep and I missed the social, the part I was waiting for!! I did wake up again, only to hear MORE singing, and by then it was the same aggrivating experience I had when I was 13 years old. I don't care to watch tap dancing cowboys, or girls who play hard-to-get and thus cause a bunch of trouble. The Laurey character should have just gone with the Curly character to the social instead of using Judd as a token in her little game of playing hard-to-get. The film was so fluffy and lightweight and empty, and what weird turn into darkness it took when Curly and Judd had a chat in the smokehouse. No serious thing could fit in this film. It is like covering a Twinkie, in all its artificial sickeningly sweet fluffiness, with gravy and trying to make it a meal. Yuck! Nothing of this story ended up being of any interest to me. Well, this is my opinion folks. I know lots of people absolutely adore this film, and that's just fine. But I don't. But still, I will always enjoy listening to Nelson Eddy on my daughter's CD as he sings, "Oh, what a beautiful morning..."

Rating:
Summary: I'd rather go to the State Fair than be in Oklahoma
Review: I finally broke down and watched this movie last night. I have always made a point of avoiding it, knowing full well it was a corny melodydrama. The melody proved to win out over the drama.

Anyway, last summer I found Nelson Eddy's record of the Oklahoma score. Nelson or no Nelson, I was only able to get through it a couple of times. As a rule, I don't go for tap-dancing cowmen and hick folks singing about everything being up to date in Kansas City.

OK, now about the movie. If nothing else, it held my attention for the eternity it seemed to play. I did fast forward the overture, the entr'acte, and Ado Annie's songs. But I watched the rest.

Gordon MacRae wasn't bad; neither was Shirley Jones. I think she was quite pretty in her pre-Partridge days. Not half bad as a singer, either. The man who played Jud was suitably creepy and disgusting. In fact, I think the most powerful element of the story was Jud's stalking Laurie. However, that element kinda got lost in between songs. I did not go for the ballet in the boudoir. I found it a little difficult to swallow that rural Oklahoman females would all be so gloriously accomplished at pliés and pirouettes. I did like Shirley Jones' dresses. Ado Annie, Ali Hakim, and Will were incredibly annoying. The scenery was beautiful - a pity they didn't show more of it. I did not like the short-haired bleach blonde dancer. She disturbed my tranquillity.

Now, the dream sequence was probably the most interesting part of the movie. Not a word spoken or sung, if I remember correctly - but how much was said with gestures and the surreal lighting, backdrops, and sparse sets. Very, very powerful. I liked also the way they cut off for the entr'acte, when she wakes up to see Jud standing there.

I found the end to be incredibly hokey. Oh, if only it had ended when the last strains of Oklahoma, OK! wafted away into silver screen space. But no, we are compelled to sit through a weak resolution to the conflict with Jud, a few appearances by Ado Annie, and a corny court session held in Aunt Eller's kitchen. Not to my particular liking. It was late and I was so incredibly ready for it to be over.

I really doubt I'll ever watch this again. Of the four or so R&H musicals I've seen, The Sound of Music is my enduring favourite. State Fair is also very sweet, if not particularly deep. Oklahoma has not increased my desire to see more of their work-on-film, but perhaps someday I shall.

It's not that I hate musicals (I used to, but Nelson Eddy changed my mind). It's just that I prefer the escapist type à la 1930's and early 40's M-G-M: New Moon, Rose-Marie, Sweethearts, The Chocolate Soldier... The mood and style of musicals had drastically changed by the 50's and the ones made then just don't appeal to me.

My advice: Watch this movie if you're a fan of 1950's musicals or Rodgers and Hammerstein, or just for the experience, if you're a classic film fan who has to see all the "classics". I wouldn't class this as a classic because it ain't classy - but, each to his own.