The Oklahoma Kid (1939)

Absolutely brilliant

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Interesting western with an offbeat Warner Bros. cast that's more at home in a gangster picture than a cowboy shoot-'em-up. Humphrey Bogart plays the villain, a stagecoach robber turned corrupt saloon owner. He wears a black hat so we know he's no good. James Cagney plays the cocky anti-hero, as quick with his guns as he is with his fists. He also shows how good he is with babies and even gets to sing! Rosemary Lane is the pretty girl who can't resist Cagney's charms. Donald Crisp is her father. Ward Bond, Harvey Stephens, Edward Pawley, and Charles Middleton are among the others in the cast. There's drama, humor, action, and romance. Yeah, it's admittedly a corny movie but pretty entertaining, especially for fans of the two leads. This won't be confused for a John Ford western but it's fun for what it is.

As westerns go "The Oklahoma Kid" is a pretty fair western what with Warner Bros. excellent production values cast et al. It's hard to watch James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart in a western in that we were more accustomed to seeing them in gangster movies. In fact they faced off against each other in "Angels Have Dirty Faces" the previous year and in "The Roaring Twenties" later in 1939.Having said all of that, "The Oklahoma Kid" is an entertaining western set at the time of the Oklahoma land rush. We first see outlaw Jim Kinkaid (aka The Oklahoma Kid) foiling a stagecoach robbery by Whip McCord (Bogey) and his gang of monies meant to compensate the Indians for their land taken away for the land rush. The Kid takes the money for himself and unless I missed it, never returns it to the authorities.John Kinkaid (Hugh Sothern) and the town elders attempt to stake their claim on a prime piece of land on which to build their town (Tulsa). But McCord sneaks across the line before the rush begins and blackmails Kincaid in to conceding the gambling rights to the town in return for the parcel of land.The Kid meanwhile turns up in town spending some of the stolen cash and romancing at the same time Jan Hardwick (Rosemary Lane) the daughter of upstanding Judge Hardwick (Donald Crisp) and the girl friend of his brother Ned (Harvey Stephens).McCord and his gang have laid the town wide open. John Kincaid decides to run for mayor and rid the town of McCord and his cronies. McCord seeing the threat to his power pins a murder on Kincaid following which he orchestrates the man's lynching. The Kid arriving too late to save his father vows revenge on McCord and his gang and........................Cagney is his usual cocky bantam rooster self handles the ridin' and roughhousing with his usual style. I thought though, that he wore his guns a little high around the waist. I couldn't help it but Cagney evoked images of Yosemite Sam in his performance. Bogey just a couple of years away from major stardom, makes a good all in black villain. No wondering who the villain is here. There's a good bar room fight between the two to liven up the proceedings as well.Also in the cast are Charles Middleton Ming the Merciless in the Flash Gordon serials, as good lawyer Alec Martin and Edward Pawley, Ward Bond, Trevor Bardette and John Miljan as McCord's gang.Cagney wouldn't make another western until "Run For Cover" in 1955. Bogart on the other hand appeared again as the all in black villain, this time with a laughable Mexican accent in "Virginia City" (his last western) the following year.

Everyone goes on so much about how misplaced it was to place Cagney and Bogart in a western, but the characters they play are totally in line with the gangster figures they are more commonly associated with, and present compatible shadings of good and bad and lawlessness and justice that fit equally well into a western as well as a gangster picture. And Bogart and Cagney both inhabit their roles in their own, unique way. Quite frankly it is a huge treat to see them in such a setting, and there should be no need for detrimental sniggers. Some of the supporting characters are interesting in their moral shading too, especially the judge –Donald Crisp in one of his best parts. The film is extremely fast-paced. Sometimes one could wish for more depth to a scene, or a greater exploration of character development, but the narrative has a clear purpose and doesn't allow us this luxury. The film is never boring and far more interesting than its reputation would have us believe. My only complaint is to do with the hat Cagney wears. It is more than a little too big for this short actor, and though it may perhaps be a quirk of the character of the Oklahoma Kid, I think somebody in the costume department should have gently led him to another hat.

I may be in the minority here - at least with a couple of my classic-movie-buff friends, but I really liked this western. I thought it was one of the most interesting and entertaining classic westerns I've ever seen. Of course, having Jimmy Cagney in the lead didn't hurt. He's usually very entertaining and this is no exception. He plays his normal cocky self, but instead of gangster or something else modern-day, he was cowboy. To those too rigid fuddie-duddies who can't see their favorite actors trying different genres - too bad. Cagney as a cowboy?? Why not? He' still the same, great actor and entertainer. Same goes for Bogey.Humphrey Bogart, as he so often was before he became a mega-star with Casablanca, played the bad guy. He looked like he had a bad toupee, too. I hope that wasn't his real hair!This was fun to watch right from the get-go and also featured some excellent black-and-white cinematography (where is the DVD on this?), which made it all the better. At 82 minutes, this is a quick night of entertainment, but I liked that short running time.