Classic Films in Context: Cimarron 1931

First edition of the classic

In 1929, author Edna Ferber (1885 – 1968) published a colossal bestseller about the settling of what would eventually become Oklahoma. Ferber, who grew up in Appleton, Wisconsin, saw first-hand the settling and development of the West. Her parents and grandparents moved west from New York before her birth and had many tales to tell about their journey. When Cimarron was first published in 1929, it was a hot property; all the Hollywood studios wanted to adapt Feber’s epic novel for the screen. RKO outbid its rivals and purchased the film rights to the novel for $125,000, a remarkable figure today, an enormous amount of money during the Great Depression.

Over 5000 Extras!
The film and novel begin with the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889. To recreate this scene, RKO employed over 5,000 extras and 28 cameramen to capture all the action. The film had a then staggering $1.5 million budget. Cimarron was in production only three years after the introduction of talking pictures—barely 40 years after the real Land Rush—and it is a mix of acting techniques. Matinee idol Richard Dix’s performance is very theatrical and broad by today’s standards. However, when first released, The New York Times’s Mordaunt Hall praised the actor for his “fine impersonation of [Yancey] Cravat.” Irene Dunne, in only her second film, gives a more naturalistic performance as Dix’s wife Sabra. In the same review, Hall called Dunne’s performance “excellent.” The stars’ performances were good enough for both to earn nominations for Best Actor and Actress of 1931 come Oscar time.

Strong Heroines

Ferber’s novels often featured strong female heroines who dealt with complicated issues like racism, prejudice, and discrimination. Cimarron was no exception. Ferber’s father was a Hungarian-born Jew, so she understood prejudice first-hand. In Cimarron, Ferber acknowledges the raw deal the Native Americans got, and the film version acknowledges this as well. Unfortunately, by today’s standards, many of the characterizations in the film are uncomfortable for today’s viewers, although they were perfectly acceptable, if not ground-breaking, for “a keenly interested audience” as Hall noted in his January 27, 1931 review.

Amazing Production
From a production standpoint, it still impresses. The opening Land Rush scene is a wonder. There seems to be little process photography, which is remarkable. Early sound pictures often suffered from lack of movement. Such is not the case with Cimarron. The camerawork seems fluid and natural, capturing all the action, which must have impressed moviegoers not used to seeing so much activity on the big screen.

Fictional Life of Temple Houston?
The Yancy Cravat character was supposedly modeled after Temple Houston, Sam Houston’s youngest child. Yancy is a flawed hero at best who abandons his wife and children for five years while he explores the Cherokee Strip. Yet, he has a sense of fairness, going so far as defending the notorious Dixie Lee, the towns most scandalous woman in court and protecting a Jewish peddler from the outlaw Lon Yountis and his gang. Yancy is also quick to accept his son’s romantic involvement with an Indian woman in contrast to Sabra who is slower to come around.

A Movie Buff’s Delight
Film fans today will enjoy seeing Edna May Oliver providing the film some much-needed comic relief and pick out an unbilled Helen Parrish (Deana Durbin’s evil cousin in First Love) as the young Donna Cravat. Director Wesley Ruggles (brother of Charlie) would later direct a string of popular romantic comedies at Paramount, working with such major stars at Claudette Colbert, Bing Crosby, and Carole Lombard.

Irene Dunne and Richard Dix

No Box Office Mojo
Although Cimarron was a critical success, due to its exorbitant cost and being released during one of the bleakest times during the Great Depression, it was years before RKO realized a profit. Cimarron was also the first western to win an Academy Award for Best Picture, a record it would hold until Dances With Wolves won the same award in 1991.

Part of Our History
Cimarron is a piece of our history. Not always pretty, but it gives us a frame of reference for where we’ve been, where we are today, and perhaps, how we need to move forward.

For a look at this film on the big screen, consider taking the course: ELEGANT AND MADCAP: The Incredible Versatility of Irene Dunne at Facets Film School, Wednesdays, 7-10pm, November 16 to December 21, 2011.

Been There Dunne That

Today, Irene Dunne is remembered as one of the top movie actresses from Hollywood’s golden age. She was nominated for five Best Actress Oscars between 1931 and 1949. Although she never won a competitive Oscar, she excelled at both comedy and melodrama. Dunne was known for her professionalism on and off the set. As far as her personal life was concerned, Dunne was never the subject of negative press. And she was married to the same man for 37 years, practically a miracle in Hollywood.

Kentucky-Born, Indiana-Bred
Dunne was born in Kentucky in 1898, but moved to Madison, Indiana, after her father’s death when she was 12. Dunne’s mother encouraged her young daughter to study piano and voice. As an adult, Dunne won a scholarship to Chicago Musical College, now part of Roosevelt University. After she earned her degree, Dunne was determined to sing Opera at New York’s Metropolitan. While performing as Magnolia in the Chicago company of Show Boat, Dunne was discovered and signed to a movie contract with RKO. The studio wanted to groom her to star in movie musicals. The Metropolitan Opera would have to wait.

Slow Start
In the early days of talking pictures, musicals were all the rage. Dunne’s first film was the forgotten musical comedy Leathernecking (1930). Unfortunately for Dunne and RKO, the popularity of movie musicals was in decline and Leathernecking was a flop. The following year would prove to be a game-changer.

An Epic Performance

Dunne’s next role was as Sabra Cravat, the heroine of Edna Ferber’s epic novel Cimarron (1931). Still relatively unknown, it was remarkable that she was given such an important part. The film, costarring Richard Dix, was an immediate critical and financial success. It brought Dunne her first Best Actress Academy Award nomination and it set the course of her career for the next five years.

Queen of the Weepies

Instead of starring in musicals, the career path RKO originally plotted for her, Dunne was cast in a series of successful melodramas. These melodramas included Back Street (1932), This Man is Mine (1934), and Magnificent Obsession (1936). Due to her commercial successes in melodramas, she was dubbed the "Queen of the Weepies," in the trade. Dunne did make two musicals during this period: Roberta (1935) and Show Boat (1936). Both movies were hits, but they didn’t have the world clamoring for more Irene Dunne musicals.

The Reluctant Comedianne

Producers saw something in Dunne’s portrayal of Magnolia, another Edna Ferber character, in Show Boat. It was the ability to let herself go in the musical numbers. There was joy and humor in her performances. The studio suits theorized that Dunne would be perfect for the role of Theodora Lynn in Theodora Goes Wild (1936) on loan-out to Columbia. But Dunne didn’t like comedy. Plus she had an excellent career as a dramatic actress and didn’t want to damage her reputation by giving a poor performance. So adverse was Dunne to playing Theodora that she took an extended vacation in Europe, hoping the studio would assign the role to another actress. After much prodding and pleading, and a few threats from Columbia, Dunne finally relented. What happened would be a major high point in an already successful career.

This Place is Full of Aunts

In Theodora Goes Wild, Dunne plays a small-town girl raised by two maiden aunts. Unbeknownst to them and the rest of the inhabitants of Lynnfield, CT, is the secret that Theodora has written a monster best-selling novel, The Sinner, under the penname, Caroline Adams. On a visit to her publisher in New York City, Theodora meets an unhappily married artist who seems to think Theodora needs to loosen up and live a little. As the movie progresses, Theodora does loosen up, but realizes she’s not the only one whose life could use a shot of excitement. Dunne’s character eventually reveals her true identity and throws caution to the wind, while the rest of Lynnfield is left dumbstruck.

Wild Success
Theodora Goes Wild was an instant hit with film critics and audiences. For her tour de force performance, Dunne received her second Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. As the choir-singing, organ-playing, church soloist, all of Dunne’s talents were on display.

Good Company

Dunne and Theodora were in good company in 1936. Frank Capra’s Mr. Deeds Goes to Town and Gregory La Cava’s My Man Godfrey were also released that year. Dunne’s fellow Hoosier, Carole Lombard, was nominated for Best Actress. Both Dunne and Lombard lost out to Louise Rainer, who had a supporting role, if that, in The Great Ziegfeld, in one of the most controversial Best Actress races of all time.

Comedy Classics

Looking back, it’s hard to understand Dunne’s reluctance to play Theodora. She performs the role so effortlessly and is so believable. It’s a good thing too because if we don’t believe Dunne and her genuine small-town goodness, the movie doesn’t work. Perhaps Dunne realized this when she saw the script and knew if not played just right, it would be an utter failure, a failure laid entirely at her feet. Fortunately for Dunne and film history, she was more than up to the task. If there were no Theodora, chances are there would be no Lucy Warriner in The Awful Truth, no Ellen Arden in My Favorite Wife, and no Nancy Andrews in Unfinished Business. And that would have been a pity. A real pity indeed!

Sources used: Irene Dunne: First Lady of Hollywood, Wes D. Gehring, Scarecrow Press, Inc., Lanham, MD, copyright 2003
Romantic Comedy in Hollywood: From Lubitsch to Sturges, James Harvey, Da Capo Press, New York, NY, copyright 1987