Cimarron
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Movie Reviews of Cimarron
Movie Review: Cimarron 1930
Summary: 5 Stars
Horizont-Stretching etertaiment from the Author of GIANT (1956) Edna Ferber (1887-1968) .Spaces were neither wide nor or open in most early Sound Western . Not so in CIMARRON , It starts with one of the most renowed giddy-ups in Cinema history : a thundering recreation of the 1889 Oklahoma land Rush . From there CIMARRON , based on the bestselling epic by Ginat (1956) and Show Boat (1951) novelist Edna Ferber , traces the generations-spaning saga of that land . There rugged Yancey Crvat ( Richard Dix 1893-1949) and resourceful pioneer wife Sabra ( Irene Dunne 1898-1990) sink roots , persevere, give shape to their dreams . It's a saga of change , told with an authenticity that moviegoers wha had lived through that era recognized -and told with a skill that eraned it three Academy Awards including Best Picture . High Quality Transfer. Highly Recommended .Movie Review: Nothing beats the original
Summary: 5 Stars
I saw this film a few years back. It amazed me. Way ahead of its time. Irene Dunne is phenominal and a perfect counterpoint to her Yancy. I have not seen the film since. I was compelled to order the original DVD today after watching the 1960 remake with Glen Ford last night on TCM. Although specatular in cinemascope, I wound up just hating Ford as much as his whining, domineering wife. The film did touch on all the issues and heartaches, but I can still rememeber the exhilarating feelings I got from the original film, even after all these years. I never wanted the film to end because of Dunne's performance. To me, that is the test of a great film. If you want it to go on forever, it's a winner. The Academy thought so too. Get this DVD and enjoy!Movie Review: When the Old West was much less Old
Summary: 4 Stars
I decided that I wanted to watch all the Best Picture Academy Award-winning films from the very first one. Unfortunately, like many of my generation, the older a movie is, the less I can tolerate it. This is not something I'm proud of, but it's just the way it is. But I was pleased that CIMARRON was an exception. It is in fact the oldest film (talkie) I have ever seen all the way through.
When I first sat down to watch it, I didn't even know how to pronounce it: SIMMER-ON. At the risk of sounding cliché, CIMARRON is a grand, sweeping epic that spans the time of over forty years. The plot revolves around Yancey Cravat (Richard Dix) and his wife Sabra (Irene Dunn) and their adventurous life together picking up stakes in Kansas to settle in Oklahoma after the massive land rush. This part of the film, along with many, many other scenes, was incredibly filmed, especially when one remembers that this was several decades before what we now call computer graphic imagery (something which in my opinion is working very hard on ruining the movie industry).
Yancey Cravat is the quintessential Dudley Do-right. He reminds me of a mixture of Charles Ingalls, Rocky Balboa, and Roy Rogers. He's the tall, buff, proud man in the White Hat. He can draw a six-shooter in a blink, fire it with dead aim, print and edit a picture-perfect newspaper, present a jury-convincing impromptu defense argument, deliver a standing-room only church sermon, and stand up for the poor, needy, and under-privileged in a way that would have made Father Flanagan blush.
The movie does have a few slow moments, as any great epic might. But they always pass, and the film is overall very enjoyable. One thing that struck me as very interesting is that this movie about the Old West was made only a few decades after the time of the Old West. In fact, many people from that time period were probably around (and might have even lended their advice and insight) when CIMARRON was made. It would be no different than someone making a movie today about World War II.
Many will criticize this movie as politically incorrect. But the funny thing about political correctness is what is politically correct today will be politically incorrect tomorrow. The same goes with CIMARRON. I have no doubt that when this movie first appeared in the early 1930s there were many critics who thought the film was far too-sympathetic toward black citizens and Native American Indians. It was very rare back then to have such a film. Now, the scales have tipped toward the other direction, and CIMARRON is not progressive enough.
I don't watch movies to be enlightened in a social or political manner. I watch them for entertainment and for great storytelling purposes. And for these two reasons I can call CIMARRON a four-star film.
Movie Review: Yancey Cravat - Good guy or gadabout? (contains spoilers)
Summary: 4 Stars
CIMARRON is a film that all classic cinema fans should see at least once. The opening sequence of the 1889 Oklahoma Territory Land Rush is still quite remarkable, and the early struggles of the townspeople of Osage well-rendered. This feels and looks much like a silent movie, but has the benefit of sound. You can clearly see why CIMARRON won the Best Picture Oscar, even at a distance of 75 years.
Much criticism has been given Richard Dix for his larger-than-life portrayal of this story's ostensible hero, Yancy Cravat. Leonard Maltin for one called Dix's acting "overripe." I couldn't disagree more. Dix's traveling stageshow technique is most appropriate for the times depicted. That being said, I came away disliking Yancey because he was a selfish individual who put his own wants above the needs of his family.
The story unfolds episodically in the years 1889, 1890, 1893, 1898, 1907, 1929 and 1930. Early on, Cravat fares best with viewers. He helps establish the town of Osage, saves lives with his gunslinging and kills several bad guys. But then the wanderlust takes hold and Yancey leaves behind his small family and wife Sabra, who must run the fledgling newspaper Yancey founded all alone.
The gadabout reappears five years later, and hangs around long enough to defend in court the town floozy against all the "decent womenfolk," including his own humiliated wife. Then Cravat is gone again, this time for a decade! But for some mysterious reason, his wife stays loyal, passively awaiting his return.
In 1907, the now middle-aged wanderer is back-- no explanations given. Yancey soon after clashes with Sabra over the content of an editorial, then haughtily proclaims that HE is the editor of the newspaper he hasn't been a part of for 13 years, and the editorial would read as he wants it to! Sabra gives in quietly.
Do you think this guy would stay home now that he was older? Uh-uh. THIS time, Cravat vanishes without a trace for 23 years, and still Sabra waits for him. At movie's end, the elderly Cravat performs one last heroic act and his wife finds him just as he's ready to expire. The man's good qualities hardly compensate for the bad. Had I been Sabra, the first time Yancey abandoned me would have been the last. Were women that different 100 years ago? Was there no sense of self-esteem?
The true hero of CIMARRON is Sabra Cravat, who raised two children, successfully ran and grew a newspaper and ended up in Congress only a decade after women were given the right to vote. Edna Ferber's skillful storytelling assures you could never doubt the depth of this woman's courage and dedication for even a moment.
Movie Review: Early Irene Dunne in Classic Western
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a sprawling epic version of Edna Ferber's novel. It starts with the original Oklahoma Cimmaron land rush (1889) and ends in during the height of the oil rush (1930).
This is a great movie about the a part of US history that most people have only heard breifly about. And like Ferber's more famous book Show Boat, this film takes on civil rights - this time the rights of native Americans and the rights of women (Sabra is elected to Congress.) It even touches slightly on anti-semitism.
This also marks the second film for Irene Dunne. While she will have better roles in the future, this film shows her raw talent.
My big question is why haven't they restored this film? There are constant scratches throughout the film and certain scenes are shakey. This can be corrected with today's computer technology. This film won three Academy Awards including Best Picture, Screenplay and Interior Decoration. Plus Dix, Dunne, director and cinematographer received nominations. (This was massive because there were only 8 categories that year!!)
DVD EXTRAS -
Short Subject - The Devils Cabaret (1930) - this is a sixteen minute early color short subject (actually red is the only color in it because it was the easiest to produce.) The novelty is in the color technique not the actual short.
Cartoon - Red Headed Baby (1933) - this is a six minute Merrie Melodies cartoon that takes place in a Santa-esque toy factory.