Starring Robert Dix and Irene Dunne, Cimarron is an epic tale spanning 40 years chronicling the life of Osage, a fictional town in Oklahoma from its roots as a pioneer town that exploded into a thriving metropolis following a great oil discovery.
This was the first film to be nominated in every major category of the Oscars and the first and only Western to receive an Academy award until 1990 when Dances With Wolves received the honor of Best Picture.
Yancey Cravat, a lawyer and newspaper editor, sets out under the American dream of manifest destiny to join the thousands of others hoping to settle the West. He brings his wife Sabra and son, Cimarron, to the town of Osage and transforms it through his charisma that inspires it's citizens and courage to stand against the lawless men who threaten the towns existence.
His desire for adventure, however, leads him to search for new land, leaving his wife to run the newspaper and raise their, now, two children. Years later he returns.......they find oil....so he leaves......then he returns.....aaaaaaand....then he leaves...and finally, years later, on the day Sabra is announced as the newest member to congress she finds him dying in a puddle of mud and oil after a disastrous explosion on one of the rigs. The End
Interesting Facts:
Though it was an Oscar winner, Cimarron lost money in the box office - the only film in history to do so. However this can be due to the fact that it was released during the darkest period of the Great Depression.
Irene Dunne is considered the best actress to never have won an Academy Award despite being nominated five times in her career.
The movie is based on an Edna Ferber novel who also wrote Giant and Showboat which was adapted into a Tony Award winning musical.
One theme that seems to garner much attention in this film is it's depiction of ethnicities. Although we would argue that this film is not a commentary on racism it is not without it's very stereotypical portrayals of various ethnic minorities.
Now, let's simmer on Cimarron.....
Cin: (cynical laughter) That's a good one Nicole
Nic: I know right? So I was really expecting more aliens when I first heard this title
Cin: Aliens?
Nic: Well yeah, sounds kind of sci-fi don't you think? Or maybe I'm just thinking of the Chrsysalids. What's up with the title, apart from being his son's name, it didn't really come into play
Cin: Actually it did Nicole. Sabra's mother and brother made comments that they couldn't believe he was taking her into "Cimarron country" which means wild. Apparently it was a river that flows from New Mexico into Oklahoma.
Nic: .....oh....missed that. Ssssooooooo......
Cin: Don't you want to know what I think?
Nic: Well yeah, but I didn't want us to fall into a rut
Cin: Right...cause we're not in a rut now?
Nic: I just meant that we always seem to start each entry this way. Just wanna keep it fresh ya know. We've got over 80 films to do.
Cin: Hmmm
Nic: Okay, carrying on. Cindy, what did you think?
Cin: I think this is the worst film by far. I thought it was poorly written, choppy, it was almost like an ancient soap opera, the acting was melodramatic. The only thing that was interesting was the take on history during the 40 year span.
Nic: So even worse than Wings?
Cin: Oh yes, there was a lot that I appreciated about Wings. The style and what they tried to do. This was just bad story telling. I liked Irene Dunne
Dave: Oh, was it another war movie?
Cin: No it was a western. Enough about me and David's rehearsal tonight. What did you think?
Nic: BORING!!!!
Cin: Was there anything you liked about it?
Nic: .......................I will echo your sentiment on the portrayal of the time. I have always found stories of settling the wild west intriguing. Hence my love of our Little House on the Prairie Sunday night dates.
Dave: Except when they're babies die.
Nic: Otherwise I found it was not a cohesive story and though it seemed as though it was supposed to centre around what's his face, I thought it was more about Irene Dunne's character as she struggles to keep her family and their dreams afloat while her husband is off satisfying his own wanderlust.
Cin: Yeah. I'm really looking forward to Friday actually.
Nic: What's it called again
Cin: Grande Hotel..
Nic: Oh yeah
Cin: Greta Garbo
Nic: Yes it will be interesting. We'll have to wait until the kids are in bed
Cin: I thought we did okay, I don't feel like we missed much...but then there wasn't much to miss
Nic: Exactly what I was about to say....Okay...
Cin: Until then...
*For those of you who do not know him, "Dave" is the lovely and talented spouse of "Cin". Check out his band "The Pity Dates" at www.reverbnation.com/tunepak/2520383
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