Oklahoma! By Phil Hall

One of the most ambitious inde- pendent film productions of the was the cinematic adaptation of the long-running Broadway land- mark “Oklahoma!” Perhaps the most unusual aspect of this endeavor was the decision by the show’s creators, composer Richard Rodgers and librettist/lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, to swat away offers by the major studios and take a gam- ble with the start-up Magna Theatre Corporation, which aimed to use the beloved musical as the vehicle for bringing the widescreen Todd-AO format to theatrical venues. But working outside of the studio system enabled to retain greater control of the adap- tation of their material, and this set- up assured them that any changes Gordon MacRae sings to about his dream of owning “The to the content would be made only Surrey with the Fringe on Top.” Courtesy Library of Congress Collection. with their approval.

Even more unusual was the decision to hire might have taken the film into even dark- Zinnemann as the director of the film version. er territory, as witnessed in his unusual eagerness to Zinnemann never helmed a musical before and was audition non-musical young Method actors Paul best known for his intensely riveting dramas such as Newman and for the Curly role. (Sadly, “The Search,” “The Men,” “,” “The Member their audition footage, which included the singing of of the Wedding” and the Oscar-winning “From Here to the “Poor Jud Is Dead” number with Steiger, disap- Eternity.” One would imagine that a production of peared years ago.) But under Zinnemann’s direction, this scope, which incorporated iconic songs as well Gordon MacRae, a usually bland of for- as a groundbreaking ballet centerpiece, would gettable musical comedies, tapped into hitherto un- require the guidance of a veteran musical director known dramatic abilities. MacRae’s Curly went be- such as Stanley Donen or , rather yond the one-dimensional aspect of the role as a than the creator of emotionally intense works. mischievous but lovable cowboy and located an in- souciant malevolence that clouded the character’s But Zinnemann’s predilection for the dramatic gave personality and motivation. His actions towards Jud the frothy “Oklahoma!” a sense of complex gravitas by trying to influence his suicide is not, by any that was absent from other mid-1950s musicals – stretch, a comic highlight, but a disturbing attempt to not to mention the original Broadway production. push an unstable soul into a horrible act. And When viewing “Oklahoma!” today, it seems unusual- MacRae’s Curly’s attitude towards Laurey goes so ly modern in its expression of human angst and its far beyond a harmless teasing that it dilutes much of portrayal of how minor jealousies and petulance can the character’s initial sympathy – although his inevi- metastasize into painful crises. Part of this impact table redemptive mature behavior compensates for was achieved in the off-beat casting of his early boorishness. (who transformed the character Jud Fry from a stock villain into an intellectually tortured untouchable) and Still, “Oklahoma!” is a musical and not a melodrama, diva Gloria Grahame (who played the comic and Zinnemann responded to the material with an relief Ado Annie without a trace of wink-and-nudge imaginative style that took full advantage of the farce, thus making her character’s sexual clueless- widescreen format. Actually, it took advantage of two ness more invigorating). widescreen formats: since the rollout of the 70mm Todd-AO technology was slow and expensive, the record – but being under personal contract to film was simultaneously filmed in the 35mm Rodgers and Hammerstein assured that she would CinemaScope process to ensure a wider distribution. be front and center in this endeavor. Jones was not Although Zinnemann never directed in either color or lacking in photogenic charms and she possessed a a widescreen format, the visual aspect of fine voice, and Zinnemann carefully guided her “Oklahoma!” was uncommonly vibrant, with cinema- through the role’s light comedy and difficult emotion- tographer Robert Surtees (backed by uncredited al turns, which resulted in one of the most startlingly Oscar-winner Floyd Crosby on second unit) captur- effective film debuts of the era. Laurey’s difficult rela- ing the crisp beauty of the film’s rural locations. tionship with Curly and the disastrous friendship with (Exteriors were actually shot in Arizona, as Jud was the core of “Oklahoma!” and Jones gave a Oklahoma proved oddly incompatible for the produc- mature performance that beautifully reflected the self- tion). And despite the dimensional differences be- Indulgence of her naïve young character. tween Todd-AO and CinemaScope – a 2.20:1 format versus a 2.35:1 format – the film was barely different “Oklahoma!” was first presented in a roadshow re- between the rival exhibition technologies. lease – involving limited, theatrical-style exhibition with advance-sale reserved seat ticketing and two In moving much of the story outdoors, the classic screenings a day. For its New York City premiere in score was wonderfully enhanced with boldly con- October 1955, the Rivoli Theatre underwent a ceived outdoor sequences. The songs “Oh, What a $350,000 renovation that included a new booth to Beautiful Mornin’” and “The Surrey with the Fringe on accommodate the massive Todd-AO projector and a Top” were playfully visualized as odes to a laconic $12,000 screen curtain decorated with Oklahoman farm country, while the complicated “Kansas City” motifs. “Oklahoma!” ran 51 weeks at the Rivoli and dance number was effectively staged with a large Magna Theatre Corporation handled the Todd-AO ensemble in a compact open air train depot. Working roadshow release to major cities around the U.S., within a studio, Zinnemann provided expert framing with a wider national release in the CinemaScope for Agnes de Mille’s groundbreaking dream ballet version outsourced to RKO Pictures. This was one of (with Laurey in a conflict between Curly and Jud), the final releases by RKO, which shut down in early which offered an astonishing avant-garde sequence 1957 after years of mismanagement and financial laced with a Freudian psychosexual menace that instability. Fox took over the general bore no resemblance to anything being turned out by release rights following RKO’s demise, and Rodgers the major Hollywood studios. and Hammerstein were satisfied by the studio’s work that they engaged it for the general release of the It also helped that the film brought in reliable per- 1958 film version of their musical “South Pacific,” formers to inhabit the story’s broader roles with una- with Magna again handling the roadshow distribution. pologetic hamming. Eddie Albert’s oleaginous Persian peddler Ali Hakim, Gene Nelson’s hand- The views expressed in this essay are those of the author and do not some but dim cowboy Will Parker and the sublime necessarily represent the views of the Library of Congress. Charlotte Greenwood’s earthy Aunt Eller offered a jolly presence to keep Zinnemann’s edgier elements in check, creating the cinematic equivalent of a yin- yang balance.

The biggest surprise was the film’s greatest gamble: putting unknown Shirley Jones in the central role of Phil Hall is managing editor of FilmSnobbery.com and Laurey. The young actress had never appeared in author of The History of Independent Cinema and In films before – and it is impossible to imagine that any Search of Lost Films. His film writing has appeared in major Hollywood studio would have given such a key , Wired and American Movie role to someone with no previous big screen track Classics Magazine