The Boy from Oklahoma (1954)

Tom Brewster, handy with a rope but not a gun, rides into town and mails his lawyer's exam. When his lack of ability with a gun is exposed, the town boss Turlock offers him the job of ... See full summary »

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Michael Fessier (story), Frank Davis (screenplay),

Stars:

Will Rogers Jr., Nancy Olson, Lon Chaney Jr.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Will Rogers Jr.	...	Sheriff Tom Brewster
Nancy Olson	...	Katie Brannigan
Lon Chaney Jr.	...	Crazy Charlie (as Lon Chaney)
Anthony Caruso	...	Barney Turlock
Wallace Ford	...	Wally Higgins
Clem Bevans	...	Pop Pruty
Merv Griffin	...	Steve
Louis Jean Heydt	...	Paul Evans
Sheb Wooley	...	Pete Martin
Slim Pickens	...	Shorty
Tyler MacDuff	...	Billy the Kid
James Griffith	...	Joe Downey

Storyline

Tom Brewster, handy with a rope but not a gun, rides into town and mails his lawyer's exam. When his lack of ability with a gun is exposed, the town boss Turlock offers him the job of Sheriff but he refuses. When the mail is robbed leaving him without a job to ride to, he changes his mind. But Turlock has misjudged Tom and Tom without a gun is soon on the trail of the former Sheriff's killer and it will lead to Turlock.

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Plot Keywords:

sheriff | lawyer | weapon | friend | murder | 

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Genres:

Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 February 1954 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der Sheriff ohne Colt

Filming Locations:

Warner Ranch, Calabasas, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Color (Warnercolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Oklahoma connection: While his parents were touring, Lon Chaney Jr. playing 'Crazy Charlie' in this film, was born in Oklahoma City, a half dozen years before his father, the "Man of a Thousand Faces" made his first film appearance.

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Goofs

When the sheriff lassos Shorty, the rope is around his arms and torso; in the next shot, it's under the arms; then back again in the next.

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Soundtracks

"Camptown Races"
(uncredited)
Written by Stephen Foster
Heard at the start of the horse race

User Reviews

Will Rogers, Jr. in a movie which spawned a '50s TV show!

After about the first ten minutes of this movie, realization dawned - the 1950s television show, "Sugarfoot" was based upon this good-natured Will Rogers, Jr., Michael Curtiz oater of a young lawyer wanna-be attending school via correspondence; the hero's name, Tom Brewster is only the beginning.

The screenplay for this movie and the pilot of "Sugarfoot," titled "Brannigan's Boots" is so close that even the co-stars of "Boy" appear as their same characters in "Brannigan!" For example, Sheb Wooley plays the foreman of the mayor's ranch, Pete Martin, in both movie and TV show. Also doing double duty is Slim Pickens as Shorty!

Some of the dialog is also word for word although the television version is somewhat annotated and a few changes are evident. The movie Tom Brewster doesn't use a gun, instead, he's quick with a rope, as was his father in real life, that wicked twine twirler and American icon, Will Rogers. In fact, this Tom can't use a gun whereas the television Tom as portrayed by Will Hutchins, can and does, when the need arises. The movie Tom gets the heroine, or at least her promise that she'll wait for him; while the TV Tom must push on, leaving the pretty young thing to pine after what might have been.

"Boy From Oklahoma" is well-filmed in color; has a likable hero in the junior Rogers and spawned a pretty darned good TV show to boot! (Uh, no pun intended)!