Oklahoma!

Oklahoma! is renown as one of the top musicals that came out of the Golden Age.  However, the musical was not expected to be such a hit before its release.  Everyone involved in the production thought it would be a disaster considering that it did not have the usual elements: stars, gags, and scantily clad chorus girls.  Not only that but the story ends in the death of a main character and it relied heavily on American folk ballet, which could have also been killer.  As a result, it was very difficult to get financial backing for the production.  However, it soon became a hit when it premiered in 1943 but it wasn’t until 1955 that the film version was created.

            What’s interesting about the film version is that it was shot with two cameras.  It was shot with the more commonly used Cinemascope 35mm widescreen process but also a new 70mm widescreen process known as Todd-AO.  Todd-AO is an extremely high definition format that has only been used in about 16 feature films.   Another fun fact, Paul Newman and James Dean were up for roles in the film but ultimately did not get chosen.  Maybe they should have.  Apparently, Gordon MacRae who played Curly had very straight hair making the character’s nickname confusing.  Unhappy with the work of hairdressers, Oscar Hammerstein tried to get Gordon to get a perm.  They compromised by having his wife finger-curl his hair every morning.

            The film adaptation of Oklahoma! won several awards including Best Music, Scoring for a Musical Picture and Best Sound, Recording.   It was nominated for Best Cinematography, Color and Best Film Editing.  The quality of the songs, dance and unique story of Oklahoma! make it a classic movie musical.