Cimarron (1931) is a 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 dollars 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.
Plot
Even though lawyer and newspaperman Yancey Cravat doesn’t get to plant a flag in the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889, his eager wife Sabra accompanies him to the new wild west town of Osage, along with their tiny son Cim and a stowaway in their Conestoga, Isaiah. Yancey becomes the soul and spirit of the new community, defending the weak peddler Sol Levy against hooligans like Lon Yountis, who murdered Osage’s first newspaperman. Yancey is a combination lawman, preacher and editorializing promoter of progress, especially for Indian’s rights. But he has a bad case of wanderlust, and leaves home for years at a time seeking fortunes in war and gold rushes. The less-enlightened but determined Sabra carries on Yancey’s newspaper without him, as Osage grows into a 20th century metropolis.
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.
At the 1931 Academy Awards ceremony at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, Cimarron took high honors. The film won the Academy Award for Best Picture (producer William LeBaron), as well as awards for Best Art Direction (set decorator Max Rée) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Howard Estabrook). The film was also nominated for Best Actor (Richard Dix), Best Actress (Irene Dunne), Best Cinematography (Edward Cronjager), and Best Director (Wesley Ruggles). A special award for make-up was given to Ern Westmore for his work on the film, as well.
Cast
- Richard Dix as Yancey Cravat
- Irene Dunne as Sabra Cravat
- Estelle Taylor as Dixie Lee
- Roscoe Ates as Jesse Rickey
- William Collier Jr. as The Kid
- Nance O’Neil as Felice Venable
- George E. Stone as Sol Levy
