CIMARRON (RKO 1931) Warner Home Video
Wesley Ruggles’ Cimarron (1931) holds a dubious
distinction, the only Oscar-winning Best Picture in history to have lost money
at the box office. The picture, based on Edna Ferber’s sprawling novel, and
much later, to be remade by MGM as – what else? – Cimarron (1961),
remains very much a product of its time; in this case, the dawning of the sound
era. Despite debuting at the height of
the Great Depression, RKO Radio Pictures spent profligately to the tune of $1.5
million (then, an unheard sum for which 5 substantial pictures could have been
made). RKO’s faith in the property attests to Ferber’s hallowed reputation in
the literary world. Born, Aug. 15, 1885 in Kalamazoo, MI, as a child, Edna Ferber
faced brutal antisemitism, a youth to toughen her resolve and ability to make
light caricature of her seeming impervious nature to criticism. Aspiring to
become an actress, forbidden to study elocution, and dropping out of school to
support her family, Ferber later wrote for the Milwaukee Journal. Ill-health from
anemia arguably forced Ferber into her true calling as a writer; her first
short stories, penned while convalescing and later published with her first
novel, Dawn O'Hara, The Girl Who Laughed, in 1911. Ten years later,
Ferber received a Pulitzer for So Big – a novel that she possessed
little faith in, but was wildly successful and also made into an early talkie
in 1932. But it was Ferber’s next
effort, Show Boat, that solidified her reputation as one of the foremost
female writers of her generation.
Amidst all this furor for Ferber, she
published Cimarron – a sprawling western saga. It captivated the nation
with its stark, often harrowing depiction of the civilizing of the great plains
and beyond. As Universal had already outbid RKO for the rights to produce Show
Boat – a movie, repeatedly delayed in its inception and achieving an even
greater splash on the big screen, Cimarron was rushed into production by
RKO to capitalize on its runaway success as a best seller. Ruggles began
filming the Oklahoma land rush in the summer of 1930 at Jasmin Quinn Ranch
outside of Los Angeles, employing 28 cameramen and a multitude of camera
assistants to chronicle the mass exodus of more than 5,000 costumed extras, carriages,
buckboards, surreys, and bicyclists. Under the best of circumstances today, this
sequence would be considered a logistical nightmare. But in 1931, it was
awe-inspiring and jaw-dropping audacious film-making to say the least. Nothing about this sequence is small, and
everything was a first, meticulously plotted by cinematographer, Edward
Cronjager who was familiar with gargantuan picture-making, having lensed one
the grandest spectacles in silent cinema, Intolerance (1916) for Cecil
B. DeMille. RKO also purchased 89 acres in Encino, appointing Art Director, Max
Ree to literally hew a town from the wilderness, to include a massive 3-block
stretch of main street, complete with shops, houses, a saloon and a church. Ree’s
efforts were of a scope and quality to earn him an Oscar, and, in years yet to follow,
would remain free-standing sets, seen in countless westerns.
Cimarron is essentially the tale of one man’s failed
participation in the Oklahoma land rush of 1889. We meet robust, Yancey Cravat
(Richard Dix) and his young bride, Sabra (Irene Dunne) and their son, Cim, who
have crossed the border from Kansas to partake of the land rush. In the ensuing
race, Yancey is outwitted by Dixie Lee (Estelle Taylor), a prostitute with whom
Yancey once promised a grand future. Now, she jealously steals back a prime
piece of real estate that Yancey had targeted for himself. His plans for
establishing a ranch are also thwarted. So, Yancey moves his family into the fledgling
town of Osage where he confronts and kills Lon Yountis (Stanley Fields), an
outlaw to have ruthlessly murdered the publisher of the local newspaper. Having
a background in publishing, Yancey establishes the Oklahoma Wigwam, a newspaper
and the first bastion to revolutionize Osage into a respectable town. After the
birth of their daughter, Donna (Judith Barrett), outlaws led by The Kid
(William Collier Jr.) threaten Osage’s newfound civility. The Kid just happens
to be an old acquaintance of Yancey's. Tragically, to save Osage, Yancey must
kill The Kid. Overcome by guilt, Yancey departs Osage, leaving Sabra and his
children behind to participate in settling the Cherokee Strip.
Sabra takes over the Oklahoma Wigwam, and rears their
offspring. Five long years pass. Yancey, now a successful attorney returns to
defend Dixie Lee, since declared a public nuisance. Earning her acquittal
drives a rift between Yancey and Sabra. In the interim, Osage has evolved into
a thriving community. And although Yancey supports Oklahoma in its bid for
statehood in 1907, he never benefits from the town’s prosperous oil boom. Sabra
is wounded by her husband’s lacking ability to elevate their stature in the
community. Vehemently anti-Native American, despite their son's (Don Dillaway)
romantic involvement with an Indian woman, Sabra ventures on to become the
first female congresswoman in the new state of Oklahoma. Having reformed her
lowly opinions of Native Americans, Sabra promotes the virtues of her Indian
daughter-in-law, Ruby Big Elk (Dolores Brown). Sabra and Yancey are briefly
reunited after she rushes to his side during a devastating oil rig explosion.
And although Yancey is instrumental in saving several drillers caught in the
blast, he later succumbs to his injuries and dies in Sabra’s arms.
RKO went all-out for Cimarron’s premiere with a
live stage show and appearances from its stars. Yet, seemingly in spite of its critical
success, there was very little hope for the picture to recoup its elephantine
budget. Indeed, when the dust had finally settled and the studio’s ledgers were
reconciled, Cimarron barely made back half its outlay, losing $565,000 –
a figure, recouped during its 1935 re-issue. Cimarron would remain the
most expensive movie made at RKO until 1939’s Gunga Din. Viewed today, it
remains an exemplar for what then passed as a super-colossus. Wesley Ruggles command of the epic action
sequences holds true as compelling entertainment. Unfortunately, a lot of the
melodrama that book-ends these moments of exhilaration falls flat, marginally
marred by the shortcomings of early sound recording. The chemistry between
Irene Dunne and Richard Dix is strangely off. Fair enough, the actors here, accustomed
to the over-exaggerated gestures of the newly retired silent era, perform in
overwrought gestures, mannerisms and expressions. But it is the intimacy
between these two people – always at odds in their ambitions, and yet strangely
bound to each other – that occasionally lags behind the still monumentally
impressive production values. The authenticity paid to Ferber’s novel herein is
as commendable, especially given the disastrous results exhibited by MGM’s
glossier, but incredibly cost-cutting and dull widescreen and stereophonic remake.
The original Cimarron serves as a chronicle that, like history itself,
is bereft of any known trajectory to establish its story. Instead, the movie
just goes on…and on…and on, until the events outlined in Ferber’s novel have
burnt themselves cold of all meaning.
Warner’s DVD transfer is careworn to say the least. As
Cimarron nears its 80th anniversary, the surviving elements
used here are riddled in age-related dirt, dust and other age-related damage.
Long vertical scratches plague the emulsion for nearly half of the picture’s
run time. Much of the image is poorly contrasted and very softly focused. Contrast
settles into a mid-range tonality, with indistinguishable black-ish grays and
very muddy whites. The Dolby Digital 1.0 mono audio reveals all the
shortcomings of early sound recording. Interesting that Warner Home Video should
have labeled this disc a ‘Special Edition’ since, neither has it been
afforded the proper care in mastering to ready it for this release, nor are
there ANY extra features to accompany it – not even an audio commentary. Judge
as you will. Cimarron on DVD is very disappointing. Pass, and be glad
that you did!
FILM RATING (out of 5 - 5 being the best)
3.5
VIDEO/AUDIO
1.5
EXTRAS
0
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