The Oklahoman ** (1957, Joel McCrea, Barbara Hale, Brad Dexter) – Classic Movie Review 8026

The sturdy 1957 Western film The Oklahoman stars Joel McCrea, Barbara Hale and Brad Dexter. It is attractively shot in CinemaScope and DeLuxe colour.

Director Francis D Lyon’s sturdy 1957 Western for Allied Artists, The Oklahoman, stars Joel McCrea, Barbara Hale and Brad Dexter. It is attractively shot in CinemaScope and DeLuxe colour by Carl E Guthrie.

A town’s waspish tongues wag when widowed Doctor John Brighton (McCrea) treats the sick child of a Native American named Charlie (Michael Pate), meets his teenage daughter Maria (Gloria Talbott), and brings her in as his housekeeper and carer of his little daughter Louise (Mimi Gibson).

The doctor has to go on red alert when the bad guys (Brad Dexter, Douglas Dick) gather for the kill. Rich rancher brothers Cass Dobie (Dexter) and Mel (Dick) scheme to get the oil they think is on Charlie’s property and Charlie kills Mel in self-defense and Cass confronts John.

Maria tells John she loves him but John is in love with attractive widow Anne Barnes (Barbara Hale).

This down-home Western has plenty to offer with bursts of action for Western buffs and romantic chatter for soap-opera fans. Alas for the entertainment value of the film, there is more of the latter, but McCrea and Dexter make excellent antagonists, the support cast is stalwart and the handling sturdy.

Esther Dale appears in her last film as elderly Mrs Fitzgerald, who initially provides a home for the doctor and helps raise him his new daughter Louise. Also in the cast are Michael Pate, Verna Felton, Anthony Caruso, Adam Williams, Ray Teal, Diane Brewster, Sheb Wooley, Harry Lauter, I Stanford Jolley, Mimi Gibson, Earle Hodgins, Peter J Votrian, John Pickard, Gertrude Astor, Kermit Maynard, Dorothy Neumann and Scotty Beckett.

The Oklahoman is directed by Francis D Lyon, runs 81 minutes, is made by Allied Artists Pictures, is released by Allied Artists Pictures, is written by Daniel B Ullman, is shot in CinemaScope and DeLuxe colour by Carl E Guthrie, is produced by Walter Mirisch and Richard Heermance (associate producer), is scored by Hans J Salter, and designed by Dave Milton.

It was released on 19 May 1957. There was a colour comic book adaptation in June 1957.

The cast are Joel McCrea as John Brighton, Barbara Hale as Anne Barnes, Brad Dexter as Cass Dobie, Verna Felton as Mrs Waynebrook, Douglas Dick as Mel Dobie, Michael Pate as Charlie, Gloria Talbott as Maria, Esther Dale as Mrs. Fitzgerald, Ray Teal as Jason, Anthony Caruso, Adam Williams, Diane Brewster, Sheb Wooley, Harry Lauter, I Stanford Jolley, Mimi Gibson, Earle Hodgins, Peter J Votrian, John Pickard, Gertrude Astor, Kermit Maynard, Dorothy Neumann and Scotty Beckett as Messenger at Ranch.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8026

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