Based on the 1943
musical play Oklahoma!, written by
composer Richard Rodgers and
lyricist/
librettist Oscar Hammerstein II (see
Rodgers and Hammerstein), was adapted into a
musical film in 1955, starring
Gordon MacRae,
Shirley Jones (in her film debut),
Rod Steiger,
Charlotte Greenwood,
Gloria Grahame,
Gene Nelson,
James Whitmore and
Eddie Albert. The production was the first musical directed by
Fred Zinnemann. Ultimately, the film rights were bought by the Magna Theatre Corporation, a company founded by
George Skouras,
Joseph Schenck, and
Michael Todd. Magna was initially founded in order to develop a new widescreen process Todd created, called "
Todd-AO," and ended up financing the film independently after a deal with Fox fell through. The corn field in the opening number was located in a farm in
Amado, Arizona. the role ultimately went to
Gordon MacRae.
Joanne Woodward was offered the role of Laurey, which went to
Shirley Jones (who had previously performed in a stage production of
Oklahoma! were considered for the role of Jud, before
Rod Steiger was cast.
Robert Russell Bennett expanded his Broadway orchestrations, Jay Blackton conducted, and Agnes de Mille again choreographed. In the original Broadway musical, the character of Will Parker sings:
:''I could swear that she was padded from her shoulder to her heel.
:But later in the second act when she began to peel,
:She proved that everything she had was absolutely real!
:For the film, these were changed to:
:''But then she started dancing and her dancing made me feel
:That every single thing she had was absolutely real! Although the film versions of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel (1956) and The King and I (1956) did not have intermissions and cut more from the stage originals than did the film version of Oklahoma!, they also ran over two hours, followed the stage originals quite closely and retained most of their songs. South Pacific (1958), as well as most other stage-to-film musical adaptations that came after it, did have an intermission and was also quite long, as was The Sound of Music (1965). The trend of "roadshow" stage-to-film musicals lasted into the early 1970s, the last of them being the film versions of Fiddler on the Roof (1971) and Man of La Mancha (1972).
Academy Awards
The film won two
Academy Awards and was nominated for two others. The wins came in
Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture (for Robert Russell Bennett, Jay Blackton, and Adolph Deutsch) and
Best Sound, Recording (Fred Hynes). Nominations came in the categories of
Best Cinematography, Color (Robert Surtees) and
Best Film Editing (for Gene Ruggiero and George Boemler).
Distribution history
In its original theatrical releases, the Magna Theatre Corporation handled distribution of the roadshow presentaions (in
70 mm Todd-AO).
RKO Radio Pictures distributed the general release version (in
35 mm anamorphic CinemaScope), which was released after its roadshow run ended. Later, when RKO was experiencing financial turmoil, 20th Century Fox assumed distribution of the general release edition.
All rights to the film are owned by the estates of Rodgers and Hammerstein. Decades later, the major ancillary distribution rights to this film reverted to
The Samuel Goldwyn Company and re-issued both the 70 mm and 35 mm versions theatrically. However, home video rights went outside the parameters of Goldwyn.
CBS Video acquired the home video license, and later passed on to its successor
CBS/Fox Video. After CBS was bought by
Viacom in 2000, the CBS/Fox venture folded, and under contract with Rodgers' and Hammerstein's respective estates, 20th Century Fox assumed the video (and later DVD) distribution rights, as well as other underlying rights, so the Fox studio, in a way, has back some of its rights it had lost years earlier. All U.S. domestic home video versions are currently distributed by
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, while Goldwyn Company successor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer now handles theatrical and television distribution rights.
For unexplained reasons the original UK DVD release is a pan and scan version from a noticeably grainy CinemaScope print, even though the companion DVD of South Pacific was taken from a pristine Todd-AO master and presented in widescreen. The 50th Anniversary US DVD release of Oklahoma! by partial rights holder 20th Century Fox is a double-disc release that includes both the Cinemascope and original 70 mm Todd-AO versions in widescreen. Shirley Jones does audio commentary on the Todd-AO presentation.
Musical numbers
"Overture" - Orchestra (played before the film actually begins)
"Main Title" - Orchestra (played over the opening credits)
"Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'" - Curly
"Laurey's Entrance" - Laurey ("Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'")
"The Surrey With the Fringe On Top" - Curly
"The Surrey With the Fringe On Top (Reprise)" - Curly
"Kansas City" - Will, Aunt Eller, Male Ensemble
"I Cain't Say No" - Ado Annie
"I Cain't Say No" (reprise) - Will and Ado Annie
"Entrance of Ensemble" ("Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'") - Curly, Gertie, and Ensemble
"Many a New Day" - Laurey and Female Ensemble
"People Will Say We're In Love" - Curly and Laurey
"
Pore Jud is Daid" Curly and Jud
"Out of My Dreams" - Laurey and Female Ensemble
"Dream Ballet" - Ensemble
"Entr'acte" - Orchestra
"The Farmer and the Cowman" - Carnes, Aunt Eller, Ike Skidmore, Ensemble
"All Er Nuthin'" - Will and Ado Annie
"People Will Say We're In Love (Reprise)" - Curly and Laurey
"Oklahoma!" - Curly and Ensemble
"Finale Ultimo" ("Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'") - Ensemble
"Exit Music" - Orchestra
See also
Oklahoma! (soundtrack)
John Wilson Orchestra
Notes
Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones would star together again in the 1956 film adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel.
The burlesque performers who appear in Laurie's dream sequence were a motley collection of the cast, many of whom can be spotted in their other roles as respectable members of the community.
Magna Corporation, creators and licensors of the Todd-AO widescreen process, offered Rodgers and Hammerstein a substantial stake in the company to secure their cooperation. This explains why a later Rodgers and Hammerstein film, South Pacific (1958) was also photographed in Todd-AO. The Sound of Music (1965) was photographed in Todd-AO as well; however, before the film went before the cameras, 20th Century-Fox, the studio that produced The Sound of Music, purchased the Todd-AO process from Mike Todd.
References
External links
Category:1955 films
Category:1950s musical films
Category:American films
Category:English-language films
Category:RKO films
Category:Oklahoma!
Category:Films directed by Fred Zinnemann
Category:20th Century Fox films
Category:Films set in Oklahoma
Category:Films shot in 70mm
Category:Films shot in Todd-AO
Category:Films shot in CinemaScope
Category:Films shot in Arizona
Category:United States National Film Registry films
Category:Best Original Music Score Academy Award winners
