Cimarron (1931 film)

Cimarron
theatrical release poster
Directed by	Wesley Ruggles
Produced by	William LeBaron
Written by	Howard Estabrook
Based on	Cimarron (novel) by Edna Ferber
Starring	Richard Dix Irene Dunne
Music by	Max Steiner
Cinematography	Edward Cronjager
Editing by	William Hamilton
Studio	RKO Radio Pictures
Distributed by	RKO Radio Pictures
Release date(s)	February 9, 1931 (1931-02-09)
Running time	123 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$1,433,000
Box office	$1,383,000

Cimarron is a 1931 Pre-Code film directed by Wesley Ruggles, starring Richard Dix and Irene Dunne, and featuring Estelle Taylor and Roscoe Ates. The Oscar winning script was written by Howard Estabrook based on the Edna Ferber novel Cimmarron.

Plot

Young and ambitious Yancy Cravat (Richard Dix) moves his wife Sabra (Irene Dunne) and their family from Wichita, Kansas to Oklahoma territory, which the U.S. government has just opened up for settlement. Cravat is a hard-driving lawyer and newspaper editor who quickly becomes a leading citizen of the boomtown settlement of Osage, but after he disappears to settle the new Cherokee Strip, his wife Sabra is left behind to fend for herself.

Cast

• Richard Dix as Yancey Cravat
• Irene Dunne as Sabra Cravat
• Estelle Taylor as Dixie Lee
• Nance O'Neil as Felice Venable
• William Collier Jr. as The Kid
• Roscoe Ates as Jesse Rickey
• George E. Stone as Sol Levy
• Stanley Fields as Lon Yountis
• Robert McWade as Louis Hefner
• Edna May Oliver as Mrs Tracy Wyatt
• Judith Barrett as Donna Cravat
• Eugene Jackson as Isaiah

Production

Despite being in the depths of the Great Depression, RKO Radio Pictures invested more than $1.5 million into their epic production of Ferber's novel. Filming began in the summer of 1930 at Jasmin Quinn Ranch outside of Los Angeles, California, where the exciting land rush scenes were shot. More than twenty-eight cameramen, and numerous camera assistants and photographers were used to capture thrilling scenes of more than 5,000 costumed extras, covered wagons, buckboards, surreys, and bicyclist as they raced across grassy hills and prairie to stake their claim. Cinematographer Edward Cronjager carefully planned out every take (which recalled the scenes of Intolerance some fifteen years earlier) in accordance with Ferber's descriptions. In order to film key scenes for this mammoth production, RKO purchased 89 acres in Encino where construction of Art Director Max Ree's Oscar winning design of a complete western town and a three block modern main street were built to represent the Oklahoma fictional boomtown of Osage. These award winning sets eventually formed the nucleus for RKO's ever expanding movie ranch, in Encino, where other RKO films were later lensed, including non RKO product, such as ""It's a Wonderful Life" (1946).

Reception

RKO Radio Pictures premiered their big budget epic picture at the RKO Palace Theatre (Broadway) in New York City on January 26, 1931, to much praise, and then on February 6 a Los Angeles Orpheum Theatre premiere followed, which also included personal appearances of Richard Dix and Irene Dunne, a huge stage show and an augmented orchestra. Three days later, the movie was released to theaters throughout the nation. Despite being a critical success, the extremely high budget and ongoing Depression combined against the film. While it was a commercial success in line with other films of the day, RKO Pictures could not at first recoup their heavy investment in the film, which ended up losing $565,000. However, it earned more money on a 1935 re-release which enjoyed yet another festive premiere in Oklahoma City at the (John Eberson design) Midwest Theatre. The movie remained RKO's most expensive film until 1939's Gunga Din (which filmed exteriors around Sierra Nevada Alabama Hills range, but had one scene shot on RKO's movie ranch in Encino.

Awards and honors

At the 1931 Academy Awards ceremony at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, Cimarron was the 1st film to received more than six Academy Awards nominations and nominated for the Big Five awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Writing). Additionally, it is one of only two films (the other being Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf?) to receive nominations in every eligible category. It won for three of them, including a special award for make-up to Ern Westmore. It is frequently cited on lists of the most undeserving Academy Award winners.

Award	Result	Winner
Outstanding Production	Won	RKO Radio (William LeBaron, Producer)
Best Director	Nominated	Wesley Ruggles Winner was Norman Taurog - Skippy
Best Actor	Nominated	Richard Dix Winner was Lionel Barrymore - A Free Soul
Best Actress	Nominated	Irene Dunne Winner was Marie Dressler - Min and Bill
Best Writing, Adaptation	Won	Howard Estabrook
Best Art Direction	Won	Max Rée
Best Cinematography	Nominated	Edward Cronjager Winner was Floyd Crosby - Tabu

References

Notes

External links

• Cimarron at the Internet Movie Database
• Cimarron at the TCM Movie Database
• Cimarron at Rotten Tomatoes