Cimarron (1960)

Director:

Anthony Mann
(more)

Writers:

Arnold Schulman (screenplay)
Edna Ferber (novel)

Release Date:

24 March 1961 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama | Western

Tagline:

Story of a VAST and VIOLENT LAND!

Plot:

The epic saga of a frontier family, Cimarron starts with the Oklahoma Land Rush on 22 April 1889. The...

Plot Keywords:

Oklahoma | Newspaper | Epic | Native American | 1880s

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win

Cast

Glenn Ford	...	Yancey 'Cimarron' Cravat
Maria Schell	...	Sabra Cravat
Anne Baxter	...	Dixie Lee
Arthur O'Connell	...	Tom Wyatt
Russ Tamblyn	...	William Hardy / The Cherokee Kid
Mercedes McCambridge	...	Mrs. Sarah Wyatt
Vic Morrow	...	Wes Jennings
Robert Keith	...	Sam Pegler
Charles McGraw	...	Bob Yountis
Harry Morgan	...	Jessie Rickey (as Henry {Harry} Morgan)
David Opatoshu	...	Sol Levy
Aline MacMahon	...	Mrs. Mavis Pegler
Lili Darvas	...	Felicia Venable
Edgar Buchanan	...	Judge Neal Hefner
Mary Wickes	...	Mrs. Neal Hefner
Royal Dano	...	Ike Howes
L.Q. Jones	...	Millis
George Brenlin	...	Hoss Barry
Vladimir Sokoloff	...	Jacob Krubeckoff
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Andy Albin	...	Water Man (uncredited)
Rayford Barnes	...	Cavalry Sergeant Who Breaks Up Fight (uncredited)
Mary Benoit	...	Mrs. Lancey (uncredited)
Barry Bernard	...	Butler (uncredited)
Jimmie Booth	...	Wagon Driver (uncredited)
Danny Borzage	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Janet Brandt	...	Madam Rhoda (uncredited)
Paul Bryar	...	Mr. Self - Politician (uncredited)
Robert Carson	...	Senator Rollins (uncredited)
John L. Cason	...	Suggs (uncredited)
William Challee	...	Barber (uncredited)
Mickie Chouteau	...	Ruby Red Feather (uncredited)
Fred Coby	...	Oil Worker (uncredited)
Gene Coogan	...	Butler / Townsman (uncredited)
Jack Daly	...	Wyatt's Man (uncredited)
John Damler	...	Foreman (uncredited)
Richard Davies	...	Mr. Hodges (uncredited)
George DeNormand	...	Townsman at Celebration (uncredited)
James Dime	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Phyllis Douglas	...	Sadie (uncredited)
Ted Eccles	...	Cimarron Cravat - Age 2 (uncredited)
LaRue Farlow	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Coleman Francis	...	Mr. Geer (uncredited)
Ben Gary	...	Reporter (uncredited)
James Halferty	...	Cimarron Cravat - Age 10 (uncredited)
Clegg Hoyt	...	Grat Gotch (uncredited)
Irene James	...	Townswoman (uncredited)
Jimmy Lewis	...	Hefner Boy (uncredited)
Dawn Little Sky	...	Arita Red Feather (uncredited)
Eddie Little Sky	...	Ben Red Feather (uncredited)
Buzz Martin	...	Cimarron Cravat as a Young Man (uncredited)
Kermit Maynard	...	Setter (uncredited)
Mathew McCue	...	Townsman (uncredited)
J. Edward McKinley	...	Beck (uncredited)
Walter Merrill	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Charles Perry	...	Townsman (uncredited)
John Pickard	...	Ned - Cavalry Captain (uncredited)
Ralph Reed	...	Bellboy (uncredited)
William Remick	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Gene Roth	...	Connors (uncredited)
Jack Scroggy	...	Mr. Walter (uncredited)
Charles Seel	...	Charles (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey	...	Dancer at Ball (uncredited)
Ivan Triesault	...	Lewis Venable - Sabra's Father (uncredited)
Charles Watts	...	Lou Brothers - Politician (uncredited)
Helen Westcott	...	Miss Kuye - Schoolteacher (uncredited)
Robert Williams	...	Oil Worker (uncredited)
Jeane Wood	...	Clubwoman (uncredited)
Wilson Wood	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Jorie Wyler	...	Theresa Jump (uncredited)

Directed by
Anthony Mann
Charles Walters		(uncredited)

Writing credits
Arnold Schulman		(screenplay)
Edna Ferber		(novel)

Produced by
Edmund Grainger	....	producer

Original Music by
Franz Waxman

Cinematography by
Robert Surtees		(director of photography) (as Robert L. Surtees)

Film Editing by
John D. Dunning		(as John Dunning)

Art Direction by
George W. Davis
Addison Hehr

Set Decoration by
Henry Grace
Hugh Hunt
Otto Siegel

Costume Design by
Walter Plunkett

Makeup Department
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair stylist
William Tuttle	....	makeup designer

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ridgeway Callow	....	assistant director
Carl 'Major' Roup	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Franklin Milton	....	recording supervisor
Van Allen James	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Wally Wallace	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
A. Arnold Gillespie	....	special effects
Robert R. Hoag	....	special effects
Lee LeBlanc	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Matthew Yuricich	....	visual effects artist (uncredited)

Stunts
John L. Cason	....	stunts (uncredited)
Muriel Walter	....	stunt horse rider (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
William H. Clothier	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
Charles K. Hagedon	....	color consultant

Music Department
Edward B. Powell	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Leonid Raab	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Dick Webb	....	head wrangler (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (presents)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1960) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1961) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1994) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Edna Ferber's Cimarron" - USA (complete title)

Runtime:

147 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #19510) | Argentina:13 | UK:U | West Germany:12 (f) | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Janss Conejo Ranch, Thousand Oaks, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Director Anthony Mann was fired near the end of filming and replaced by Charles Walters.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the land rush, several men lasso an Indian driving a wagon and the rope is shown tightening around his neck as they pull him off. In the next scene, they are shown dragging him on the ground, but the rope is now around his waist.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Long Ranger and Tonton: Shooting Stars of the West (1989)

Soundtrack:

Cimarron

In defense of a much maligned remake

Sorry but despite the fact that the 1931 version of this novel was the only western film to win an Academy Award for Best Picture it does not compare to the entertainment value of this version. True this is perhaps not the best adaptation of Ms. Ferber's novel, but then how many films are perfect adaptations of their source material. There are wonderful scenes missing from this adaptation, but then there are wonderful scenes missing from the adaptation of GWTW. No, I am not comparing this to a classic like GWTW. But the '31 version is not in the same class as GWTW either. This film should be taken for what it actually is, a good solid epic entertainment with spectacular scenes and good performances. Glenn Ford is perfect casting for Yancy. His performance is far superior to that of the overripe, stilted scenery chewing one delivered by Richard Dix in the original. Ford's boyish manner easily captures the charming immature nature of the character. Maria Schell is on a par with Irene Dunne. It is a pity her character was rewritten from the novel to be weaker than Ferber intended. This was obviously done to make the film Ford's but she's still gives a performance that is on the money. As so do the myriad supporting players in the film. Back in 1960, MGM obviously needed a big movie to move into the theaters that had been playing "Ben-Hur" for over a year. So this production was rushed to completion to fit the bill. The fact that it was shot in Cinemascope instead of a "Big" 70 mm process is evidence of this. It has been written that the production was shut down before the scripted ending could be filmed. This explains the rather abrupt and somewhat awkward end to the film. Perhaps a regular non "Roadshow" release might have fared better both with the critics and at the box-office. It often seems that those who praise the older version over this film have seldom actually seen the former. For many years the 1931 version was not available for viewing. During that period many film historians gushed in their praise of it. When it finally reappeared on screens most of them found it very creaky and revised their opinions but the older opinions are still in print, available and read. True, they didn't change their opinion of this version, but the older fell into proper perspective...Cinema History and rather dry history at that. While this version is not a classic it remains good entertainment. Compare it to "How The West Was Won" made by the same studio just a few years later.