The Oklahoma Kid (1939] ***

Release date: March 3, 1939

Running time: 85 minutes

Starring: James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Rosemary Lane

Director: Lloyd Bacon

The Oklahoma Kid is an interesting sort for a number of reasons but the most obvious one is its star. James Cagney didn’t do westerns. He was a gangster, a New York type who always seemed to be destined to be gunned down in a hail of bullets on the streets of the city. In his career he would only tackle westerns a coup,e more times and never again during his youth. Whether it is his inexperience in the genre or a personal choice on his part, Cagney plays the role of The Oklahoma Kid the same way he would were he driving a car through Hell’s Kitchen instead of riding a horse out in the barren country of unsettled farmland in eastern Oklahoma. It could almost play as satire but the other stars of the film keep it more grounded. 

The story takes place just as President Cleveland signs a bill allowing the sale of the Cherokee strip of Oklahoma territory. The money for the sale is loaded onto a stagecoach that is subsequently robbed by Whip McCord (Humphrey Bogart) and his gang. Jim Kincaid, The Oklahoma Kid (James Cagney) overhears the plans for the robbery and ambushes the gang, making off with the money himself. 

Meanwhile, would be farmers and settlers have gathered to stake their claims on the soon to be open land for what would be the Land Run of 1893. This entails a set time where the settlers can race off to the area they wish to farm or build a city and claim it before anyone else can. Before the set time a dance and celebration is taking place. There, The Kid meets Jane Hardwick (Rosemary Lane), the daughter of Judge Hardwick (Donald Crisp), and dances with her. 

Prior to the set time for opening the new land, McCord sneaks in and stakes an illegal “Sooner” claim in an area he knows John Kincaid (Hugh Sothern) and his son Ned (Harvey Stephens) have their eyes on to build a city, Tulsa. When John and Ned arrive once the land officially opens they know McCord had to have cheated but cannot afford to waste time and resources battling it out with him in the courts and instead accept a deal that will allow them to build Tulsa but give McCord prominent land in the city to build a saloon and gambling den. When this proves to bring in the least desirable types of people and promote violence and disorder Judge Hardwick and Ned campaign to elect John Kincaid to be mayor in an attempt to curtail it. But when a rival candidate is murdered, the evidence pointing to John as the culprit and he is arrested. News of the arrest reaches The Kid, who is son to John and brother to Ned, and he saddles up for Tulsa to rescue his father.

This could have been another in a long line of cookie cutter western films from the era. Only a decade later we would be seeing similar stories on a daily basis on shows like The Lone Ranger. Eight years before The Oklahoma Kid, Cimmaron tackled The Oklahoma Land Rush with footage of the rush that could almost have been lifted and dropped straight into this one. There is nothing in the story that is particularly unique here. Yet it never plays out like something we’ve seen time and time again. Cagney’s portrayal of The Kid is chiefly to blame here. He brings an energy to the screen that shows why he was such a big star at the time. There is a tongue and cheek quality to scenes he is in that border or parody. For instance, there is a scene early on when he rides into Tulsa and asks for directions to the jailhouse from a man who is hanging up a wanted poster with The Kid’s face on it. The man looks at him and says, “Seems like I’ve seen your face someplace.” Unruffled, Cagney just responds, “Well, I wouldn’t know that,” and rides away. A moment later the man looks back at the poster he just hung and realizes who it was he was just talking to. This type of humor surrounds Cagney throughout most of the film.

Rosemary Lane is here primarily to be the love interest. She is being wooed by Ned but has inexplicably fallen for The Kid after just her brief encounter at the dance. It is a little far fetched that she would be so enamored so quickly and it feels like some shortcuts were taken for the sake of the film. It creates some tension between her and Ned but doesn’t really go anywhere. Rosemary was part of a quartet of sisters all of whom were actresses. Her sister, Priscilla also starred with Bogart and Cagney in The Roaring Twenties the same year.

Things play out exactly as expected. There are no surprises to be found here. But that doesn’t mean the film isn’t enjoyable to watch play out. Fans of the genre are used to the same types of dramas played out with little changes to differentiate them. They can live or die on whether we enjoy seeing it done again and again. For The Oklahoma Kid we do enjoy it. Cagney is a blast to watch. Bogart is sufficiently chewing up the scenery whenever he is on screen. And the final brawl between the two leads is visceral and exciting, featuring some great stunt work and a heart break or two. 

But this film won’t dwell on the sadness and it also won’t allow it to end on a bitter note. The ending wraps things up a little too neatly and feels like it is trying too hard to make the audience smile and laugh. It succeeds but we never are unaware that it is manipulating that response. There were other, better ways it could have ended that would have made the film stronger as a whole. Yet the sentimental viewers will appreciate the easier, safer route it takes. It is a fun, inoffensive little western that is a delight to watch just to enjoy Cagney who seems to be having the time of his life in his first oat opera. It is really too bad be didn’t make more of them during this era.