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Oklahoma!
In the Oklahoma territory at the turn of the twentieth century, two young cowboys vie with a violent ranch hand and a traveling peddler for the hearts of the women they love.
Release : | 1955 |
Rating : | 7 |
Studio : | RKO Radio Pictures, Magna Corporation, |
Crew : | Art Direction, Production Design, |
Cast : | Gordon MacRae Gloria Grahame Gene Nelson Charlotte Greenwood Shirley Jones |
Genre : | Western Music Romance |
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Reviews
Overrated
It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.
While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.
Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.
My wife, a foreign national, is quite a fan of English-language musicals. As we watched "Oklahoma!" together, I occasionally saw her fidgeting in her seat and checking her watch. At the end, I asked, "How did you like it?" Straight out of her mouth came the words "I've seen better".The problem lies in its plot, precisely described elsewhere as "The story can be boiled down to a single sentence: a girl must decide between the two suitors who want to take her to a social." Too, too simplistic. Not much to challenge the viewer's intellect here.Moreover, production quality appears painfully low budget. Several "outdoor" shootings scream "sound stage", and I often felt like I was watching a theater version recorded to film.
I came across this movie recommendation as I was looking for works by the duo, Rodgers & Hammerstein after seeing their greatest work 'the sound of music' so many times.True to my expectations, the music throughout this musical drama was fantastic. On first listen itself most of the songs registered in my mind.Though I guess no movie or work of theirs can ever make a impact like 'The Sound of Music' did, still it is worth spending couple of hours watching this musical.Not much to say about the plot that's there... not very strong, none of the characters really registered in my mind from start to end, but having said that, it never really bothered me that the plot or characterizations were too simple or too scope-less, because the frequently occurring songs just compensated for the same.I highly recommend this musical to all those who enjoy the works of Rodgers & Hammerstein.My rating is just for the music only.March 1st: UPDATE -Just revisited this movie for just listening to the songs again & boy, did I enjoy!! It was just mind blowing......... amazing music & lyrics. Great performance by the lead actors to act & sing along. Now along with 'Sound of Music' I have one more musical which I revisit whenever I want to listen to some wonderful music.
A cowboy and a ranch hand vie for the affections of a young woman in this overlong and lackluster Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. As with most musicals, there is a bare bones plot to keep things going. The songs are not particularly memorable, although there are a couple of good ones. The ballet sequence is impressive. Coming off his Oscar for "From Here to Eternity," this was an odd undertaking for Zinnemann, known mainly for dramas. MacRae and Jones, who sounds like Marilyn Monroe in her film debut, are OK in the leads, as is Albert as a slick salesman. However, Grahame and Steiger have no business doing a musical. Steiger looks especially out of place and is just awful here.
Referring to a member's review that the acting was a bit stiff.....this wonderful MUSICAL was made when they cast singers in the lead roles instead of big name stars who have to have their voices dubbed. Referring to another member's review that felt the dream sequence was too scary for children....not any scarier than Snow White or Bambi. Life has frightening moments in it; children shouldn't be sheltered from all of them. I saw this movie for the first time when I was seven or eight and yes, the dream sequence was a bit disturbing, as it was meant to be, but I was more aware of the sheer artistry of it. Rogers and Hammerstein didn't feel that because they were making a musical that it had to be sugar coated. All of their musicals have a serious side which makes them more complex and all the better for it. With their transcendent melodies and insightful lyrics and incredible choreography Rogers and Hammerstein raised the bar for musicals to come. Oh What a Beautiful Movie!