Cimarron (1931 film)
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theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Wesley Ruggles |
| Produced by |
William LeBaron Louis Sarecky (assoc.) |
| Screenplay by |
Howard Estabrook Louis Sarecky |
| Based on |
Cimarron 1929 novel by Edna Ferber |
| Starring |
Richard Dix Irene Dunne |
| Music by | Max Steiner |
| Cinematography | Edward Cronjager |
| Edited by | William Hamilton |
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Production
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| Distributed by | RKO Radio Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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124 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1,433,000 |
| Box office | $1,383,000 |
Cimarron is a 1931 Pre-Code Western film directed by Wesley Ruggles, starring Richard Dix and Irene Dunne, and featuring Estelle Taylor and Roscoe Ates. The Oscar-winning script was written by Howard Estabrook based on the Edna Ferber novel Cimarron. It would be RKO's most expensive production up to that date, and its winning of the top Oscar for Best Production would be only one of two ever won by that studio. It is also one of the few Westerns to ever win the top honor at the Academy Awards. Epic in scope, spanning forty years from 1889 to 1929, it was a critical success, although it did not recoup its production costs during its initial run in 1931.
The Oklahoma land rush of 1889 prompts thousands to travel to the Oklahoma Territory to grab free government land; Yancey Cravat (Richard Dix), his young bride, Sabra (Irene Dunne) and their son, Cim, join the throngs. In the ensuing race, Yancey is outwitted by a young prostitute, Dixie Lee (Estelle Taylor), who takes the prime piece of real estate, the Bear Creek claim, which Yancey had targeted for himself.
His plans for establishing a ranch thwarted, Yancey moves into the town of Osage, a boomer town, where he confronts and kills Lon Yountis (Stanley Fields), an outlaw who has killed the prior publisher of the local newspaper. Having a background in publishing himself, Yancey establishes the Osage Wigwam, a weekly newspaper, to help turn the frontier camp into a respectable town. After the birth of their daughter, Donna, a gang of outlaws threatens Osage, led by "The Kid" (William Collier Jr.), who happens to be an old acquaintance of Yancey's. To save the town, Yancey faces and kills The Kid.
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