Cimarron (1960 film)

Cimarron is a 1960 western film based on the Edna Ferber novel Cimarron, featuring Glenn Ford and Maria Schell. It was directed by Anthony Mann, known for his westerns and film noirs. Cimarron was the first of three epics (the others being El Cid and The Fall of the Roman Empire) Mann directed. Despite high production costs and an experienced cast of western veterans, stage actors, and future stars, the film was released with little fanfare.

Background

The 1950s brought renewed interest in Edna Ferber's works. Show Boat was adapted in a highly successful film in 1951. So Big and Giant followed in 1953 and 1956, respectively. In 1960, MGM and Warner Bros. competed to film Ferber novels, Warner producing Ice Palace from a later novel, and MGM remaking Cimarron. These marked the end of the Ferber adaptations.

The remake of Cimarron saw many changes from both the novel and especially the 1931 film. With the Civil Rights Movement gaining momentum, the script, written by Arnold Schulman, took a kinder approach to Native Americans. Schulman gave the people more dignity and recognized that they were losing land that was rightfully theirs through the 1893 land rush that was the film's centerpiece. He also introduced several minor characters, such as journalist Sam Pegler (Robert Keith) and Wes Jennings (Vic Morrow), a prominent member of the Cherokee Kid's (Russ Tamblyn) gang.

In a twist of irony, WB now owns this adaptation of Cimarron outright, by virtue of merging with Turner Entertainment (which had bought the pre-1986 MGM library) in 1996. They also own the region 1/4 rights to the 1931 film, under license from RKO Pictures.

Reception

In 1961 the film was nominated for Best Art Direction (art directors George W. Davis and Addison Hehr) and Best Sound, but failed to win either. While the 1931 adaptation is arguably the better and more successful of the two, the 1960 remake receives more attention and is still broadcast on television.

Cast

• Glenn Ford as Yancey Cravat
• Maria Schell as Sabra Cravat
• Anne Baxter as Dixie Lee
• Harry Morgan as Jessie Rickey
• Russ Tamblyn as The Cherokee Kid
• Lili Darvas as Felicia Venable
• Arthur O'Connell as Tom Wyatt
• Mercedes McCambridge as Mrs. Sarah Wyatt
• Vic Morrow as Wes Jennings
• Robert Keith as Sam Pegler
• Aline MacMahon as Mrs. Pegler
• Charles McGraw as Bob Yountis
• David Opatoshu as Sol Levy
• Edgar Buchanan as Judge Neal Hefner
• Mary Wickes as Mrs. Neal Hefner

External links