This is about the 1955 film. For the original musical, see Oklahoma! (musical).
Oklahoma.
Oklahoma! is a 1955 film based on the stage musical of the same name.
Cast[]
- Gordon MacRae - Curly McLain
- Shirley Jones - Laurey Williams
- Gene Nelson - Will Parker
- Gloria Grahame - "Ado" Annie Carne
- Charlotte Greenwood - Aunt Eller
- Rod Steiger - Jud Fry
- James Whitmore - Andrew Carnes
- Jay C. Flippen - Ike Skidmore
Plot[]
Curly rides his horse through the cornfield. He arrives at Aunt Eller's farm. Laurey Williams, is Aunt Eller's niece, with whom Curly is in love. Laurey clearly feels the same way, but is loath to admit it. Curly has come to ask her to a party that night, but Laurey is offended that Curly has waited until the morning of the party to ask her. To make him jealous, she agrees to go with Jud, Aunt Eller's surly hired hand, though she is afraid of him.
Aunt Eller meets roving cowboy Will Parker at the station, who has just returned from Kansas City, and is hoping to marry Ado Annie. Meanwhile, Laurey meets up with Ado Annie, who is with another man, a traveling salesman named Ali Hakim. Laurey reminds her that Will Parker is returning from Kansas. Ado Annie is in a dilemma, unable to decide between Will and Ali. She explains to Laurey that she can never resist a romantic man, though she knows it is wrong.
Will is reunited with Ado Annie, and meets Ali Hakim, unaware that he has been spending time with Ado Annie. He reminds Ado Annie that her father has agreed to let him marry her in exchange for $50. He has managed to earn $50 – but has spent it all on presents for Ado Annie. She initially tries to resist, but Will wins her over.
Several local families arrive at Aunt Eller's ranch to prepare for the party that night. When Gertie flirts with Curly, he is uninterested, but uses the flirtation to make Laurey jealous. Laurey is hurt, but, as she and the other girls freshen up for the party, she tries to convince them, and herself, that she doesn't care.
Ado Annie's father learns that Will has spent all his money, and when Ado Annie introduces Ali, he forces him to propose to her at gun point, though Ali is a rover and has no desire for marriage. In the orchard, Laurey tells Curly to keep his distance, but Curly is quick to point out that she is as much to blame for the rumours as he is.
Curly asks Laurey if she will go to the party with him instead, and though she clearly wants to, she is too scared of Jud's reaction to turn him down now. In anger, Curly goes to confront Jud about his feelings for Laurey. At first, things seem harmless enough. Curly teases Jud about his reputation, and Jud joins in. But Jud deduces why Curly has come to see him, and angrily threatens both him and Laurey.
As the party draws near, Laurey is miserable. When she uses a bottle of smelling salts bought from Ali, which she was told was a magic elixir, she slips into a trance. In her dream, she and Curly get together and are about to marry, but Jud crashes the wedding and eventually kills Curly. Jud wakes Laurey. Laurey knows Curly is the right man for her, but it is too late to change her mind about going to the party with Jud. Curly unwilling to go with another young lady to the dance, decides to take Aunt Eller.
Jud has no intention of taking Laurey to the party. He slows down and attempts to sweet-talk her. But when he tries to kiss her, Laurey grabs the whip, and causes the horses to bolt. When they eventually stop, and Jud leaps down, Laurey whips up the horses again and leaves Jud stranded.
The party is in full swing, though the local farmers and cowmen are at loggerheads. Aunt Eller and Mr. Skidmore, the party's host, manage to make peace. Aunt Eller leads an auction of picnic hampers prepared by the local girls. Will has learned that Ali is now engaged to Ado Annie. When Ali learns that Will needs $50 to marry her, he buys the presents Will bought, some for more than twice what they're worth, allowing Will to recover the needed $50. Ado Annie's father is forced to let Will marry his daughter. Meanwhile, Curly and Jud, who has arrived just in time, vie furiously for Laurey's hamper. Curly wins, but not before he has sold his saddle, horse and gun. Jud tries to kill Curly with a "Little Wonder" – a kaleidoscope-like device with a dagger concealed inside it – but is foiled by Ali Hakim and Aunt Eller.
Will Parker tells Annie that now they are engaged, she must stop flirting with other men. Jud confronts Laurey, but she fires him. He says she will never be rid of him. She finds Curly and explains what has happened. Seizing his chance, Curly proposes to her, and she accepts. Ali bids goodbye to Will and Ado Annie and leaves.
Curly and Laurey are married, but the festivities are disrupted by Jud, who sets fire to a haystack and threatens Curly with a knife. Curly jumps on him, and inadvertently causes him to fall on his own knife, killing him.
A makeshift trial is held at Aunt Eller's house, Curly is found not guilty, and Laurey and Curly depart for their honeymoon.
Musical numbers[]
- "Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'" - Curly
- "Laurey's Entrance" - Laurey
- "The Surrey With the Fringe On Top" - Curly
- "The Surrey With the Fringe On Top (Reprise)" - Curly
- "Kansas City" - Will, Aunt Eller, Male Ensemble
- "I Cain't Say No" - Ado Annie
- "I Cain't Say No" (reprise) - Will and Ado Annie
- "Many a New Day" - Laurey and Female Ensemble
- "People Will Say We're In Love" - Curly and Laurey
- "Pore Jud is Daid" Curly and Jud
- "Out of My Dreams" - Laurey and Female Ensemble
- "The Farmer and the Cowman" - Carnes, Aunt Eller, Ike Skidmore, Ensemble
- "All Er Nuthin'" - Will and Ado Annie
- "People Will Say We're In Love (Reprise)" - Curly and Laurey
- "Oklahoma!" - Curly and Ensemble
- "Finale Ultimo" ("Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'") - Ensemble