The Oklahoma Kid
| The Oklahoma Kid | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Lloyd Bacon |
| Produced by | Samuel Bischoff, Hal B. Wallis |
| Written by |
Wally Kline Edward E. Paramore |
| Starring |
James Cagney Humphrey Bogart Rosemary Lane |
| Music by |
Max Steiner Stephen Foster |
| Cinematography | James Wong Howe |
| Edited by | Owen Marks |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 85 min |
| Language | English |
The Oklahoma Kid is a 1939 western film starring James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart. The movie was directed for Warner Bros. by Lloyd Bacon. Cagney plays an adventurous gunslinger in a broad-brimmed cowboy hat while Bogart portrays his black-clad and viciously villainous nemesis. The film is often remembered for Cagney's character rubbing the thumb and forefinger of his hand together and exulting, "Feel that air!"
The supporting cast features Rosemary Lane, Donald Crisp, and Ward Bond. Rosemary Lane's sister Priscilla Lane also starred with Cagney and Bogart in The Roaring Twenties that same year.
Plot
The American government has agreed with the Cherokee Indians to purchase the rights to their land known as the Cherokee Strip (actually, the Cherokee Outlet) in the future state of Oklahoma. After the money arrives by train, it is then loaded onto a stagecoach which subsequently gets robbed by Whip McCord (Humphrey Bogart) and his gang. Jim Kincaid, aka, "The Oklahoma Kid", (James Cagney) sees the robbery, and then ambushes the gang and makes off with the money.
Settlers are arriving to stake their property claims in what would be the Cherokee Strip Land Run of 1893. At a settlers' dance, the Kid meets Jane Hardwick (Rosemary Lane), daughter of Judge Hardwick (Donald Crisp), dancing with her and awkwardly asking if she can "feel the air." Before the new territory is opened, McCord sneaks in with his cronies and stakes a "sooner" claim. When John Kincaid (Hugh Southern) and his son, Ned Kincaid (Harvey Stephens), arrive, they are swindled into granting McCord the saloon and gambling concessions in exchange for the site that they had planned to develop into a town. After the area is built and developed, it is overcome by crime and unlawful killings under McCord's influence. Hoping to bring about law-and-order, Judge Hardwick and Ned campaign to elect John Kincaid as mayor of Tulsa, but when another candidate is killed, McCord frames John Kincaid and has him arrested for murder.
While living with Indians in a small cabin, the Kid reads in a newspaper about the arrest of his father. Even though he was cast aside as the black-sheep son, he rides into town in order to free his father from jail. After the Kid raids the jail and enters his father's cell, John refuses to escape and instead wants to fight his arrest judiciously. The Kid leaves before being caught. Upon learning that the Kid is John Kincaid's son, McCord incites a mob at his saloon. Then, led by three of his own men, they break into the jail which allows McCord's cronies to lynch Kincaid over the outside balcony of the jailhouse.
In exacting vengeance, the Kid tracks down those three who murdered his father. He kills two of them when they don't surrender peacefully, but brings back Ace Doolin (Edward Pawley) in order to testify against McCord. Ned and the Kid seek out McCord at his saloon. While attempting an arrest, Ned is shot by McCord. The Kid and McCord engage in fisticuffs, and the Kid is nearly killed, but Ned shoots down McCord before dying himself.
The Kid plans to continue on with his nomadic ways, but Judge Hardwick convinces him to give up his waywardness and marry Jane. Immediately, he then officiates over the vows in front of his house.
Cast
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uncredited
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