In Oklahoma, several farmers, cowboys and a traveling salesman compete for the romantic favors of various local ladies.In Oklahoma, several farmers, cowboys and a traveling salesman compete for the romantic favors of various local ladies.In Oklahoma, several farmers, cowboys and a traveling salesman compete for the romantic favors of various local ladies.
- Won 2 Oscars
- 4 wins & 4 nominations total
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaTone-deaf Gloria Grahame sang without dubbing. Her songs had to be edited together from recordings made almost literally note by note.
- GoofsWhen the words "The End" appear a square section of the sky/clouds directly behind "The" suddenly moves upward. However, It is fixed in the Blu-ray release.
- Alternate versionsTheatrical versions -- The Todd-AO 70mm version and the CinemaScope 35mm version are completely different, with different opening credits, each scene being shot twice and with different sound mixes. In the Todd-AO version, the titles appear against a black background; then, the black background fades out to reveal two rows of giant cornstalks, through which the camera tracks, until it finds Gordon MacRae singing "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin". In the CinemaScope version, we first see the cornstalks, the camera tracks through them; then, as the words "Rodgers and Hammerstein present" appear on-screen, Gordon MacRae appears and rides up to the camera and then past it off left, as the title "Oklahoma!" appears. The rest of the opening credits in this version are shown against, first, a background of a barn, then, a meadow with a tree nearby. As the credits end, the camera cuts back to MacRae and he begins singing. At the end of the Todd-AO version, we see the words "A Magna Release". At the end of the CinemaScope version, we see the words "A Magna Production - Distributed by RKO Radio Pictures".
- ConnectionsFeatured in All You Need Is Love: Introduction (1977)
- SoundtracksOverture
(uncredited)
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Performed by the 20th Century-Fox Studio Orchestra
Conducted by Jay Blackton
[Played over opening title card]
Featured review
The sexiest film of the 1950's
`Oklahoma' is the sexiest film of the 1950s. The film is all about sex, (well, it's about romance, as well, but what does that lead to?). Curley keeps finding different ways to woo Laurie. Jud, who lives in a dug-out surrounded by pictures of naked women, has plans for her, too. Will and Ado Annie have plans of their own, if they can ever stop both their wandering eyes. Annie's father knows what they are up to and figures to use his shot gun to set things right. Those spyglasses with the interesting pictures keep showing up. Women dance around in their underwear and we visit a dance hall where they are similarly dressed except for the colors. Finally there is Laurie's skinny dipping sequence. I assume Shirley Jones had a flash-colored bathing suit, but who knows? Deep Throat isn't any more about sex than this film is. Yet it's Rogers and Hammerstein so it's shown constantly as a family film. Well, I guess that's how families get made!
Other comments: I see nothing in the choreography that Gordon McRae and Shirley Jones couldn't have done, at least in the close-ups. We see Rod Steiger in the dream sequence and to see two other faces as Laurie and Curly kind of shatter the illusion.
While many sequences are clearly shot on a sound stage, the beautiful outdoors photography in Todd-AO adds so much to the spectacle. When I saw the recent tape of a British stage play of this, it had no where near the impact and this was one of the reasons.
Another was the casting, which was dead-on perfect. Gordon McRae is the picture of the singing cowboy, (which was not a Hollywood invention). He more than holds his own with Rod Steiger, a year after Steiger was holding his won with Brando. Shirley Jones is the image of Laurie. She has all the physical endowments of a Marilyn Monroe but with the added qualities of sweetness and intelligence that make her marvelously sexy and appealing. Steiger gives the piece dramatic weight. He also shows surprising singing ability, (this site says he had an operatic voice but no sense of key), Gloria Grahame is the ideal Ado Annie. I saw a clip of Celeste Holm, of whom I am a big fan, doing `I Can't Say No' on the Ed Sullivan show. She doesn't hold a candle to Grahame, who underplays the lines but has the sex coming out of her eyes, right along with the innocence. Gene Nelson is a wonderfully easy going dancing cowpoke and his songs with Ado Annie have unending charm. Charlotte Greenwood is a wonder as Aunt Eller, all arms and legs and home spun philosophy. James Whitmore makes a meal of shotgun toting Dad. Eddie Albert has one of his best roles as Ali Hakim. It's hard to imagine anyone being better in these roles.
Of course, Roger's and Hammerstein's music and lyrics are timeless. The title tune, `Oh What Beautiful Morning `, `Surrey With the Fringe on Top', `People Will Say We're in Love', `Everything's Up-to-Date in Kansas City', `I can't Say No', and the others keep playing in your memory long after you've heard them.
But that story, (you can't really call it a plot). Have you ever seen a musical like it?
Other comments: I see nothing in the choreography that Gordon McRae and Shirley Jones couldn't have done, at least in the close-ups. We see Rod Steiger in the dream sequence and to see two other faces as Laurie and Curly kind of shatter the illusion.
While many sequences are clearly shot on a sound stage, the beautiful outdoors photography in Todd-AO adds so much to the spectacle. When I saw the recent tape of a British stage play of this, it had no where near the impact and this was one of the reasons.
Another was the casting, which was dead-on perfect. Gordon McRae is the picture of the singing cowboy, (which was not a Hollywood invention). He more than holds his own with Rod Steiger, a year after Steiger was holding his won with Brando. Shirley Jones is the image of Laurie. She has all the physical endowments of a Marilyn Monroe but with the added qualities of sweetness and intelligence that make her marvelously sexy and appealing. Steiger gives the piece dramatic weight. He also shows surprising singing ability, (this site says he had an operatic voice but no sense of key), Gloria Grahame is the ideal Ado Annie. I saw a clip of Celeste Holm, of whom I am a big fan, doing `I Can't Say No' on the Ed Sullivan show. She doesn't hold a candle to Grahame, who underplays the lines but has the sex coming out of her eyes, right along with the innocence. Gene Nelson is a wonderfully easy going dancing cowpoke and his songs with Ado Annie have unending charm. Charlotte Greenwood is a wonder as Aunt Eller, all arms and legs and home spun philosophy. James Whitmore makes a meal of shotgun toting Dad. Eddie Albert has one of his best roles as Ali Hakim. It's hard to imagine anyone being better in these roles.
Of course, Roger's and Hammerstein's music and lyrics are timeless. The title tune, `Oh What Beautiful Morning `, `Surrey With the Fringe on Top', `People Will Say We're in Love', `Everything's Up-to-Date in Kansas City', `I can't Say No', and the others keep playing in your memory long after you've heard them.
But that story, (you can't really call it a plot). Have you ever seen a musical like it?
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Oklahoma
- Filming locations
- Elgin, Arizona, USA(train station musical number scene)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $5,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross worldwide
- $16,133
- Runtime2 hours 25 minutes
- Color
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