Cimarron (1931 film)

Cimarron
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Wesley Ruggles
Written by	Howard Estabrook
Produced by	William LeBaron
Starring	Richard Dix Irene Dunne Estelle Taylor Roscoe Ates
Cinematography	Edward Cronjager
Edited by	William Hamilton
Music by	Max Steiner
Distributed by	RKO Pictures
Release date	February 9, 1931 (1931-02-09)
Running time	123 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$1.5 million

Cimarron is a 1931 Pre-Code film directed by Wesley Ruggles and based on the Edna Ferber novel Cimarron.

Background

Despite America being in the depths of the Depression, RKO immediately prepared for a big-budget picture, investing more than $1.5 million into Ferber's novel Cimarron. Director Wesley Ruggles would direct stars Richard Dix and Irene Dunne with a script written by Howard Estabrook. Filming began in the summer of 1930 at the Jasmin Quinn Ranch outside of Los Angeles, California. The film was a massive production, especially the land rush scenes, which recalled the epic scenes of Intolerance some fifteen years earlier. More than 5,000 extras, twenty-eight cameramen, and numerous camera assistants and photographers were used to capture scenes of wagons racing across grassy hills and prairie. Cinematographer Edward Cronjager spent overtime planning out every scene in accordance to Ferber's descriptions.

Portrayal of ethnic minorities

Like many of the movies of its time, Cimarron has been perceived to represent blacks, Jews, and American Indians in a stereotypical fashion. However, Cimarron is notable for the conflicting attitudes of the principal characters towards non-whites. Sabra Cravat refers to American Indians as "dirty, filthy savages" and refuses to allow her son to accept a gift of feathered headgear from an Indian. Her husband, Yancey Cravat, has a more sympathetic view, acknowledging that the Indians in the back of the church are not expected to give a monetary contribution to the purchase of a white man's church organ as they have had their land stolen by the white men.

The initial church meeting also highlights his seemingly minority view towards Jews. Sol Levy, a Jewish salesman, is unsure of whether he will be allowed to stay in the church meeting but Yancey states that this will be a non-denominational meeting. We have seen earlier in the movie that when Sol is harassed and humiliated by the town gunslingers, the townsfolk watch and make no effort to intervene. Eventually, Yancey intervenes.

Isaiah, the main black character in the movie, is introduced as a smiling, whistling shoe shiner. But he plays a hero's role later in the movie when he attempts to keep the Cravat children out of harm's way. He dies in his efforts. It is one of the more subtle moments of racism in the movie when no one hears Isaiah calling out "Masser" as he is dying. Sabra and Sol knew he ran out to find the children but neither looked for him after the children returned and he lay dying outside.

Yancey's open minded view of non-whites contradicts his urges to participate in claims for newly opened land in the West bought by the government from the American Indians for far less than its market value - the "Oklahoma Land Rush". He does, however, admit the unfair results of treaties between the U.S. government and the Cherokees. This complexity of racial attitudes is augmented by the flawed natures of the main characters. Yancey is the typical western hero who seeks adventure and who demonstrates chivalry that is otherwise infrequent in the movie. Yet he is deeply flawed. He abandons his family to pursue his western ambitions. There are numerous references to his past as a gunslinger, his friendship with The Kid and the notches on his gun handle. He is patronizing to his wife and ignores all her pleas.

Reception

The film was premiered first in New York City on January 26, 1931, to much praise, and a Los Angeles premiere followed on February 6. Three days later, the film was released to theaters throughout the nation. Despite being a critical success, the high budget and ongoing Great Depression combined against the film. While it was a commercial success in line with other films of the day, RKO could not recoup their investment in the film.

Academy Awards – 1930-31

At the 1931 Academy Awards ceremony at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, Cimarron was the 1st film to get more than six Academy Awards nominations and nominated for the Big Five awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Writing). It won for three of them, including a special award for make-up, given to Ern Westmore for his work on the film. It is frequently cited on lists of the most undeserving Academy Award winners.

Award	Result	Winner
Best Picture	Won	Cimarron
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

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

External links

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