CIMARRON
US, 1961, 147 minutes, Colour.
Glenn Ford, Maria Schell, Anne Baxter, Lili Darvas, Russ Tamblyn, Henry Morgan, David Opatoshu, Charles Mac Graw, Aline Mac Mahon, Edgar Buchanan, Arthur O'Connell, Mercedes Mc Cambridge, Vic Morrow, Robert Keith, Mary Wickes, Royal Dano, Vladimir Sokoloff.
Directed by Anthony Mann.
Cimarron is a lavish M.G.M. 1961 remake of the Oscar-winning 1931 western, Cimarron. Based on a novel by Edna Ferber (Showboat, So Big) it shows the history of Oklahoma from the late 1880s to the time of World War One.
The film originally starred Irene Dunne and Richard Dix. Their roles are taken here by Glenn Ford and Maria Schell. Ford is an ambiguous American hero - a man of the West, yet abandoning his wife and family for years at an end. Glenn Ford combines his kind of heroism and weakness. Maria Schell is a curious piece of casting for the strong-minded Sabrah. Arthur O'Connell is very good as a down and out farmer who turns into one of the most ruthless of the oil tycoons. Mercedes Mc Cambridge is his wife. There is a strong supporting cast which includes Anne Baxter, Russ Tamblyn.
The film is interesting as the history of the state of Oklahoma. It was directed by Anthony Mann, who was noted for small black and white thrillers in the '40s, made a number of features with James Stewart, especially westerns, in the '50s and moved to spectacles like El Cid and The Fall of the Roman Empire in the '60s.
1.A big, sprawling western? Edna Ferber and her perspective on American history? A remake of the '30s classic? The work of Anthony Mann?
2.A re-creation of the period, Oklahoma, the 1880s and growth, the '90s and the turn of the century, World War One? Costumes and decor? The musical score by Franz Waxman, the title song?
3.The length of the film, its scope? History, a piece of Americana?
4.The background of the 19th century, the respectable families, the contrast with the gunfighters and the pioneers, the hopes of the settlement of the West?
5.The 1889 run: Yancey and Sabrah going from the settlement, their hopes, lining up with the group? The families? The group of people there, Sam and Mavis and the Texas paper? Tom and his large family and the hope for land? Dixie and her plans for the land? The Indians and those hostile to the Indians? Sol, the Jewish seller? Ike and his photos? The army? Those on bicycles? The visualising of this historic run? The start-off, the race, the number of wagons collapsing, success and failure?
6.Yancey and Dixie and the run, Dixie getting the land? Yancey's return to Sabrah, Sam's death and his grieving wife? Yancey taking on the paper, settling in the town? The friendship with Jesse and his continued work over the decades? The success of the paper? The birth of the son? Racial prejudice and the Indian lynchings? Yancey and his confrontation of the group, shooting the main man hostile to the Indians? Standing up for values? Taking the Indian girl to the school and her being rejected? His friendship with the Kid and the memory of his father? The Kid urging him not to have faith in him? The bond with Sabrah, the marriage? Dixie in the background, her style, wanting to sell and getting him to draw up the legal documents? Her visit to the office? She seeing through him? His restlessness, going away, being away for five years, the fighting in Cuba? His return, reconciliation, wanting to make it up to his family? The renewal of friendships, the discovery of oil, Tom and his good fortune, socialising? The clash with Tom and his exploitation of the Indians? Using the paper to condemn him? The request that he be governor? Going to Washington, his decision not to take the job after meeting with the pressure group? His disappearing for another 10 years? His letter to Sabrah, the story of World War One, his fighting, his death? Sabrah suggesting him for the statue of the pioneer? The ambiguities of the character of the American pioneer?
7.Sabrah and her personality and background, hopes, participation in the rush, supporting the paper, her pregnancy, the help from Sarah? The birth of her son? Her prejudice against the Indians, her fears? Taking in the Indian girl, the Indian servant? The clash with Dixie? Standing by Yancey? His disappearance, the passing of the years, the parcel with the bear skin? Swallowing her pride and asking Dixie where he was, the confrontation between the two, the greater sympathy between the two - and Sabrah swaggering down the street? Her friendship with Sol, people's gossip? The condition for the loan, his friendship? The return of Yancey and everybody waiting at the station, the reconciliation, his settling down, the paper, her support of Tom, society? Her clash with her son, with the Indians - and her harsh treatment, yet their preparing the afternoon tea? Her wanting Yancey to be governor, the pressure on him? Her reaction to his refusal after the joy of the Washington ball? His disappearance for ten years? Her friendship with Sol, getting the money, building the skyscraper, keeping the paper going? Alienating her son and his wife? The passing of the years, her friendships, the 25 year celebration and the surprise, her son and his wife coming back? The reconciliation? The letter from Yancey? The pioneer woman - and what she achieved?
8.Tom and his poverty, his wife and children, the help from Yancey, the dreams? Not getting the land? Experimenting with oil exploration? The striking of oil, becoming rich? The double deal with Indians? His becoming a wheeler-dealer, wealthy in society, Washington friends, the pressure on Yancey to become governor? Sarah and her friendship, the help with the birth of the child? In high society?
9.Sol as the young seller, prejudice against him, the shooting of the bottles in his hand, giving Sabrah the loans, business? Help and devoted?
10.Sam and the spirit of the journalist at the West, Mavis and the bond between them? In the rush, his death? Mavis's return for the tribute to Sabrah?
11.The Kid, his past, his companions, about town, shooting things up, shooting at Sol? The robbing of the banks, the siege in the school? The death of himself and his friends? The story of his background, injustice to his father, the bond with Yancey, not wanting people to trust him?
12.Dixie, her background, getting the land, her wealth, selling her property, buying the club, the woman of the town, the meeting with Sabrah, her love for Yancey, helping Sabrah?
13.The prejudice against the Indians? The ugly violence, in the rush? In the prejudice in the town, the lynchings?
14.The history of a territory, of a state? The run of 1889, the role of the government, the army? More people than land? The later Cherokee run? The establishment of a state? A portrait of the history of the development of this period and the transition to the 20th century world?
