Oklahoma Crude *** (1973, George C Scott, Faye Dunaway, John Mills, Jack Palance, William Lucking) – Classic Movie Review 11,707

Director Stanley Kramer’s 1973 American comedy-drama Western adventure film Oklahoma Crude is set in the early 20th century and stars George C Scott, Faye Dunaway, John Mills, Jack Palance and William Lucking.

Rip-roaring drunkard Noble Mason (Scott) tames shrewish Lena Doyle (Dunaway) and brings oil to her derrick in this crudely-done but amusing knockabout action adventure film from miscast director Kramer. Lena decides to fight back when she is threatened by tough businessmen who want to take her land that has crude oil.

Mills is rather oddly cast as Faye Dunaway’s father Cleon, who turns up after he has studiously ignored her, but Palance enjoys himself as the oil-grabbing bad guy, Hellman. Lena accepts the help of her father and the hired gun Mason.

There are lots of good actors, and there is plenty of good acting, but everyone is upstaged by Scott’s boisterous portrayal, which is the best thing about the movie, though Robert Surtees’s widescreen cinematography and Henry Mancini’s score are classy.

Also notable in the cast are William Lucking, Harvey Jason, Cliff Osmond, Ted Gehring, Rafael Campos, Woodrow Parfrey, John Hudkins, Harvey Parry, Bob Herron, Jerry Brown, Jim Burk, Henry Wills, Hal Smith, and John Dierkes.

Oklahoma Crude is directed by Stanley Kramer, runs 111 minutes, is made  by Stanley Kramer Productions, is released by Columbia, is written by Marc Norman, is shot in Panavision widescreen by Robert Surtees, is produced by Stanley Kramer, is scored by Henry Mancini, and designed by Alfred Sweeney.

It was entered into the 8th Moscow International Film Festival where Kramer won the Golden Prize for Direction.

The featured song ‘Send a Little Love My Way’, sung by Anne Murray, was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song in 1973.

Despite the title, Oklahoma Crude was filmed in Stockton, California, where mild weather was expected during the shoot. The movie takes place in summer but, in filming from September to November, the temperature went from so hot at 110 degrees to so cold that the actors had to put ice cubes in their mouths to keep their breath from appearing on screen.

The cast are George C Scott as Noble Mason, Faye Dunaway as Lena, John Mills as Cleon, Jack Palance as Hellman, William Lucking as Marion, Harvey Jason as Wilcox, Ted Gehring as Wobbly, Cliff Osmond as Massive Man, Rafael Campos as Jimmy, Woodrow Parfrey as Lawyer, John Hudkins as Bloom, Harvey Parry as Bliss, Bob Herron as Dulling, Jerry Brown as Rucker, Jim Burk as Moody, Henry Wills as Walker, Hal Smith as C. R. Miller, Cody Bearpaw as Indian, James Jeter as Stapp, Larry D. Mann as Deke Watson, John Dierkes as Farmer, Karl Lukas as Hobo #1, Wayne Storm as Hobo #2, and Billy Varga as Cook.

William Lucking died at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 18, 2021, aged 80. He is especially remembered for Wild Rovers (1971), The Magnificent Seven Ride! (1972), Oklahoma Crude (1973), Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze (1975), The Return of a Man Called Horse (1976), K-PAX (2001) and The Rundown (2003).

 © Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,707

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