In Old Oklahoma [War of the Wildcats] *** (1943, John Wayne, Martha Scott, Albert Dekker, George ‘Gabby’ Hayes, Marjorie Rambeau, Dale Evans, Grant Withers, Sidney Blackmer) – Classic Movie Review 8540

‘Wildcat Men and their Wildcat Women!’

Director Albert S Rogell’s 1943 romance Western In Old Oklahoma [War of the Wildcats] stars John Wayne as nice cowboy Dan Somers, who takes on Albert Dekker’s bad oil tycoon Jim ‘Hunk’ Gardner over oil lease rights on Native American land in Oklahoma, as well as over schoolteacher Cathy Allen (Martha Scott).

This rumbustious, formulaic oilmen saga is set in the momentous, challenging period of adventure and change when the 19th century gives way to the 20th. It was nominated for two Oscars; Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture (Walter Scharf) and Best Sound, Recording (Daniel J Bloomberg).

The Republic Pictures studio cooked this up using time-honoured ingredients – tough words, fisticuffs and dollops of romance and comedy. The result may be familiar Western stuff, but the capable cast and the busy screenplay are the main assets – and they are very useful ones.

Wayne’s old Western pardner George ‘Gabby’ Hayes is along for the ride as the stage driver Despirit Dean and so too are Roy Rogers’s marriage pardner Dale Evans, as a saloon singer called Cuddles Walker, and Wayne’s other old pal Yakima Canutt (best remembered as the stunt genius from Stagecoach) who is doing the impressive stunts here too (along with 10 other well-known stuntmen and plays Brawler (uncredited).

The workaday script by Ethel Hill and Eleanore Griffith is based on the original story War of the Wildcats by Thomson Burtis. It seems to cry out for Technicolor, but Jack A Marta shoots in good old black and white.

In Old Oklahoma was released in the US on 6 December 1943 and in the UK on 3 April 1944, and is also known as War of the Wildcats, its reissue title.

In Old Oklahoma stars John Wayne, Martha Scott, Albert Dekker, George ‘Gabby’ Hayes, Marjorie Rambeau, Dale Evans, Grant Withers, Sidney Blackmer.

It was shot at Zion National Park, Utah; Kaibab National Forest, Arizona; and other locations in Utah, Arizona and California, as well as at the Republic Studios, Hollywood.

In Old Oklahoma [War of the Wildcats] is directed by Albert S Rogell, runs 102 minutes, is made and released by Republic Pictures, is written by Ethel Hill and Eleanore Griffith, based on the original story War of the Wildcats by Thomson Burtis, is shot in black and white by Jack A Marta, is produced by Robert North, is scored by Walter Scharf and is designed by Russell Kimball.

Also in the cast are Paul Fix, Cecil Cunningham, Irving Bacon, Byron Foulger, Anne O’Neal, Richard Graham, William B Davidson, Stanley Andrews, Charles Arnt, Hooper Atchley, Roy Barcroft, Charles Bates, Bill Borzage, Dick Botiller, Linda Brent, Wesley Brent, Yakima Canutt,  Jess Cavin, Eddy Chandler, Lane Chandler, Wade Crosby, Myrna Dell, John Dilson, Kenne Duncan, Pearl Early, Rhonda Fleming, Edward Gargan, Bud Geary, Gus Glissmire, Fred Graham, Bonnie Jean Hartley, Al Hill, Pat Hogan, Charles Jordan, Jack Kenney, Jack Kirk, Mike Lally, Arthur Loft, Tom London, LeRoy Mason, Frank McCarroll, June Pickerell, Rebel Randall, Jack Raymond, Bob Reeves, Dick Rich, Harry Shannon, Charles Sherlock, Larry Stewart, Emmett Vogan, Robert Warwick, Slim Whitaker, Harry Woods and Will Wright.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8540

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