User reviews

I was never sure about either James Cagney or Humphrey Bogart being in westerns but "The Oklahoma Kid" is not too bad. It has a brief running time, a fair measure of action and incident, the music is perfectly tolerable and at least Cagney and Bogart have a proper one on one confrontation at the end. I bought this film on video in the early 1990s and I enjoyed it then. Cagney is a "Robin Hood" type of hero who hides his true identity behind the name "The Oklahoma Kid." Bogart is a killer and dishonest businessman who wants to turn the local town into a place of sin, corruption and degradation. Cagney stated in his memoirs that he added little bits of dialogue in order to relive his boredom! What he included certainly does the film no harm.

You won't find this film on many "best westerns" lists, and it seems to be regarded mostly as an oddity, a rare chance to see Cagney and Bogart in cowboy hats. And I'll admit that it's a simple story and not one of those huge productions with outstanding cinematography (although it uses its outdoors scenes to good effect). However, I was utterly charmed by it. Mostly because of Cagney, who is simply superb.

When you have two all-time great actors, you need to make good use of them, and this movie does. Cagney is full of energy and seems to be having fun with this outlaw with a heart of gold role, and making us have fun with him. With his interpretation, he elevates this film. Bogart, in a supporting role, is humorless, cold and evil. He is not given as much to do as Cagney, but he has great presence whenever he is on screen. They may not be in their typical gangster roles, but the Old West setting allows them to do their thing. Only with horses. And cowboy hats.

We do get an Oklahoma land rush scene, certainly not as spectacular as the one we got eight years previously in Cimarron, and some nice stunts when Cagney (or his double) is riding a horse through the desolated hills in pursuit of a stagecoach. We also see him singing, and not that badly, and even singing a lullaby to a baby in Spanish. Unusually for a classic western, he also gives a speech calling the "purchase" of Indian lands a theft.

The story was simple but quite nice, with family ties between the characters to make it poignant and a fight for the soul of a new city, between those who believe in law and order and those like Bogart's character who can only thrive in corruption and degradation. With Cagney, as the Oklahoma Kid, in the middle, certainly not evil but too anarchic and cynical to be on the side of law and order.

All in all, this was not such a great movie, but it was so much fun and had such good pacing and energy that I loved it.

One of my favorite movie lines of all time is from The Oklahoma Kid where James Cagney expounds on his philosophy of life to Donald Crisp in a saloon as the land rush is starting.

The rest of the film is your usual fast paced Cagney film, just set out west instead of the big city. It was the first western for both Cagney and Humphrey Bogart. Cagney did a fine western in the Fifties Run for Cover and replaced Spencer Tracy in another one, Tribute to a Bad Man.

Bogey did one other western, Virginia City, and next to that Whip McCord of the panhandle is an Oscar winning part. I'm not denigrating his work on Oklahoma Kid, but Bogart used to cringe whenever Virginia City was mentioned and that chintzy Mexican accent he was forced to adopt for that film.

In Oklahoma Kid, he's the leader of a group of outlaws who've jumped the starting gun and put up a claim at the spot Hugh Sothern and son Harvey Stephens want to start a town. Rather than go to court which would tie them up for years, they agree to Bogart's terms to give him control of the vice industries of the town that would become Tulsa.

Bogart's actions are those of a what was called a Sooner, one who jumped the starting gun and cheated in the land rush. The term is what gave Oklahoma its state nickname of The Sooner state. Although I've never understood why the state nickname glorifies illegal activity.

So good and honest Hugh and Harvey just take it on the chin until the corruption gets way out of hand.

But Hugh has another son, a lone wolf sort of character that's taken the outlaw path. That be James Cagney who settles things in his own way, the way Cagney usually does in films.

The western after a period of doldrums in the early thirties when it was mostly B picture fare was making a comeback as a feature attraction. All the studios were starting to make them.

Warners had two big ones in 1939, this one and Dodge City. Errol Flynn in the latter scored better with the public than Cagney did, so Flynn got to do more westerns. Cagney and Bogey went back to the city streets except for Bogey's ill conceived visit to Virginia City.

But Oklahoma Kid is not a bad film and fans of the two stars will not be disappointed.

The Oklahoma Kid is a curio, more fun to think about than actually see. It is a western with James Cagney as a cowboy and Humphrey Bogart his black-clad nemesis. There is some humor in it, but it was made too early to be consciously campy; and as it was produced by Warner Brothers it has a fast, urban pace, but alas lacks the sophistication its dynamic star duo need to elevate it to clasic status, or even make it a good movie. It is not, by the way, a comedy, and is played straight much of the time. Neither star is at home on the range, and Cagney looks silly in a cowboy hat. On the other hand James Wong Howe's photography has some stunning compositions, and has about it, in its contrasting use of black and gray, a twilight quality that is very appealing but, like so much in this movie, not too appropriate for a western.

It's 1893. President Grover Cleveland proclaims the purchase of the Cherokee Strip from the Indians. It leads to a wild land rush and banditry. Whip McCord (Humphrey Bogart) and his gang rob a stagecoach transporting the Indian money. Jim "The Oklahoma Kid" Kincaid (James Cagney) follows them and robs them in turn. At a settler shindig, the Kid takes a liking to Jane Hardwick (Rosemary Lane) even though she's arm in arm with Ned Kincaid. McCord wants his money back but The Kid has other ideas. McCord cheats to steal a land stake and convinces the John Kincaid to exchange it for concessions in the new town of Tulsa.

This has Cagney and Bogie having some fun playing bad guys in a western. It's great when they are man to man facing off against each other. It should be that simple but it doesn't happen enough. This should really only about them two. There really is no need for anybody else. There are still a few great moments with the two screen legends and that's enough.

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.

Let me say at first that I am a great fan of Jimmy Cagney and have really liked most of his movies, particularly "White Heat", "Yankee Doodle Dandy" as well as most of those crime movies he made over the years for Warner Brothers. However seeing The Oklahoma Kid again after several years, he somehow does not fit the role of a cowboy. The story is quite okay, and the cast is impressive with people like Donald Crisp and Ward Bond, while Humphrey Bogart was a scream as the baddie, and Rosemary Lane just had to look pretty - which she did. You could see the very many instances of stand-ins doing the stunts and riding. The highlights for me were Jimmy dancing and even singing in-between his killing half the people of Tombstone. It was fairly short which helped a lot!

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.

After all of his movies in the asphalt jungle, Cagney came west. He acquits himself well too. He did own a ranch and was a pretty good rider. Throughout the movie his trademark mannerisms show. When you consider how you would imagine an "Oklahoma Kid" to be and act, then Cagney was perfect for the role. Always in control with a touch of humor but tough when he had to be. He was in many westerns later in his career but this was his first western.

Bogart handled himself as you would expect a tough guy to act in the west. Bogart is Bogart and he plays his role well. Two tough guys, one bad and one bad with some good points. In the end they have to settle. The ending is not what you expect.

There are so many goofy things about this movie that I can't possibly name but a few:

BOGART's character: 1. His name – Whip McCord (too easy, so I'll leave it at that. Boy, it makes `Humphrey' sound good.) 2. His long, curly hair and silly sideburns. 3. His Black Bart get-up, complete with spurs! 4. Not sure what shade of lipgloss they've got him wearing, but it ain't none too flattering.

CAGNEY's character (Jim Kincaid ): 1. His lipstick doesn't do him any favors, either. 2. The man is being swallowed by his hat during the entire film! Could they not find a hat to fit him? Even a LITTLE?!!?! 3. His pants are too tight in the rear. 4. He blows the smoke off his gun one too many times, if you know what I mean, and I think you do.

If you are a casual Bogart or Cagney fan, and figure it might be a change of pace to see them in a western, do yourself a favor and forget that thought. EVEN THE HORSES LOOK EMBARRASSED! (That is, when they don't look bored.)

In all fairness, I admit that westerns are my least favorite film genre, but I've still seen much, MUCH better than this.

On a comedy level, or as high camp, The Oklahoma Kid works. Otherwise, it's viewer beware. Therefore, see this only if a) you must see every western out there b) you are a TRUE Cagney or Bogie completist c) any of the above comments appeal to you. Woah…..

Oklahoma Kid, The (1939)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

When Warner decided to throw James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart into a Western it got headlines in 1939 and it continues to do so today among film buffs. The idea of Cagney and Bogart in a Western will always draw new people to this film but it's a shame the headlines have gotten in the way of the fact that this is an extremely good movie. The film takes place as Oklahoma is giving away free land where a father (Hugh Sothern) and son (Harvey Stephens) plans on building a city that can do good. Unfortunately for them a bad guy (Bogart) ends up getting is hands on the territory and soon the new city is full of gambling and murder. When the father is falsely accused of murder and a mob kills him, his secret son known as The Oklahoma Kid (Cagney) shows up to seek vengeance against the bad guys. The Western genre was full of revenge films even by 1939 but this one here comes off incredibly fresh for many reasons but the main one is that the movie is rather dark and doesn't pull any punches. I really think this is one of the most underrated and overlooked films from Hollywood's Golden Era and again I think the main reason is because of the two legends in a genre they aren't known for. Yes, it does take a couple minutes to get use to seeing them but after that they sink into their roles so perfectly that you'll forget who you're watching and really get sucked up in the story. I think the second half of the film works extremely well because of how dark it is and because the high drama is on full impact due to some strong direction by Bacon. The mob/hanging scene is perfectly done and there's an even better sequence with Cagney stalking one of the killers through the desert. All of this leads up to a very satisfying ending that packs a nice little punch. You'd never know Cagney wasn't a Western star by seeing him here because he's so terrific in the part. Yes, he doesn't go all out with a country voice but that doesn't matter because I enjoyed how low key he played the part instead of his normal fast-talking. I thought he was very menacing here by not saying too many words and I thought you could believe his character at every step through the picture. Bogart is also very good and extremely cold in his role. Apparently he and Cagney didn't get along too well here due to a comment Bogart made but that bitterness certainly carries over to the film and helps. Rosemary Lane is good as the love interest and Donald Crisp gets a lot of good scenes as the honest Judge. All in all, this is a very impressive little gem that continues to get new viewers but I think it's should be better known as a good film instead of just a film with two stars you wouldn't expect.

You are not sure who or what Cagney's titular Oklahoma Kid is at first. The first thing he does is rob from the robbers - Whip McCord (Bogart) and his gang - who have stolen some of the money given to the Indians in return for the two million acres that are the object of the Oklahoma land rush.

The day of the land rush the Kid is in an unoccupied bar, helping himself to a few drinks on the house when Judge Hardwick (Donald Crisp) walks in and starts conversing with him. It turns out the Kid has no use for land rushes or conventional capitalism whatsoever. As he says, the strong steal from the weak, and the smart (pointing to himself) steal from the strong. And the law seldom lifts a hand to stop it, he says. The Kid says he came from a family of "empire builders" and that he and his family parted ways years ago. Hardwick doesn't outright dislike him, but doesn't understand his viewpoint at all until later.

Meanwhile, Whip McCord and his gang have sneaked into land rush territory and staked out a claim ahead of the Kincaids, who wish to build a town based on law and order. All McCord wants in return from the group that was going to build the town is the ability to build saloons there and not be hassled. Reluctantly, the Kincaids and company agree. Well, as time progresses, McCord only gets greedier and soon civilized is grappling with uncivilized (McCord), and the Kid eagerly jumps into the fight. Why he does this, nobody can figure out, since there is a price on the Kid's head for past crimes. But the Kid does have a deep dark secret.

The funny thing is, in the end, the Kid seems to prove that to deal with the uncivilized you sometimes have to be uncivilized yourself. Whether or not Warner Brothers was trying to slip a pre war message in concerning the Germans I don't know, but the director was Lloyd Bacon and he was hardly a controversial director.

How is the film goofy? First, they have Tulsa being the town that the Kincaids found. Tulsa had been around a good long time by 1890, but Oklahoma City was founded in the land rush territory. Next there is the wardrobe. Not since the early sound westerns have I seen a wardrobe used as an obvious clue as to who the players are. The Kid is always dressed in grayish outfits, but Bogart as McCord is always dressed in all black, and in fact he is always wearing the SAME black outfit.

If you are looking for something different from the conventional western, I'd recommend this.

How did this one get past the Hays Office? James Cagney doesn't just break the law: he *denounces* the law, and work, and empire-building, and Indian-killing, and basically preaches anarchism. And not only does the screenplay support him, but he ends up getting the girl. This is hardly a great movie -- it's sometimes quite clumsy, and I'm not much of a Cagney fan anyway -- but it's fun, and it's definitely a curio.

While I am a die-hard Humphrey Bogart fan, I will be the first to admit that he could NOT play every role. After all, who can? Well, some studio dunderhead apparently though that he'd be perfect to play in a Western as some sort of heavy--complete with cheesy mustache and silly accent! Now it's nice to see an actor try to broaden his appeal, but this is ridiculous! And the sight of him looking kind of like Snidely Whiplash and a cowboy combined is amazing! Because of his poor performance (and who can blame him?), this movie sinks to mediocrity despite decent writing and direction. In fact, unless you are a fan or want a good laugh, it is a very forgettable movie that is eminently skip-able.

So many reviewers here have complained about the size of Cagney's cowboy hat, saying that it's way too big. But Cagney's hat is much more historically accurate and realistic than many of the cowboy hats you see in cowboy movies. His hat is just fine. Besides, any man who criticizes another man's hat doesn't have a leg to stand on because a man's hat is a deeply personal choice, like choosing a wife. You find one that suits you and you take good care of it and you don't give a darn what anybody else thinks. Also, there's an even bigger hat than Cagney's right in this movie at about the 36 minute mark. Now, that's a big hat. And it's just fine with me. You'll never catch me criticizing another man's hat. And if anybody criticizes my hat I'll just smile and move on. Because I know the truth of the matter.

Overall this is a good little movie. It gets pretty "hammy" at times, but the action scenes are very well done. And it's nice to watch a western that gives a nod to realism, but isn't a slave to it. And I learned a think or two about the Oklahoma land rush.

President Grover Cleveland declares some Oklahoma Cherokee land to be available for western settlers, which attracts singing cowboy James Cagney (as "The Oklahoma Kid" Jim Kincaid) and his more dastardly, dark-suited rival Humphrey Bogart (as "Whip" McCord). Mr. Bogart gains control of the burgeoning town of Tulsa's vice, crime, gambling, and murder trade. Mr. Cagney lives on the outskirts since he's "WANTED!" But, he becomes reform-minded when Bogart's gang make trouble for Cagney's estranged brother Harvey Stephens (as Ned Kincaid), who want to clean up Tulsa. Cagney is also attracted to Donald Crisp (as Judge Hardwick)'s virtuous daughter, Rosemary Lane (as Jane Hardwick). In hindsight, this is more of a novelty than a movie.

***** The Oklahoma Kid (3/3/39) Lloyd Bacon ~ James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Harvey Stephens

For a weeknight viewing this was a very entertaining film. Bogart & Cagney were well cast. It was a good story, interesting dialogue and a great cast. Engaging actions scenes and exciting fisticuffs! Highly recommend viewing. James Cagney... what couldn't he do?! He was such a versatile talent. He does show off his agility and song talents in The Oklahoma Kid, and the singing was endearing. If you love Cagney you will like this movie. Bogey was his usual dyspeptic self. Played the bad guy well, of course. And Ward Bond...who doesn't love Ward Bond?! Not a lot of dialogue from him but he played a man of few words. This is a great entertainment for a rainy day or a weeknight. You can't go wrong with this cast.

Its a Western with all the right stuff going on. Horses, saloons, whiskey, shooting, love interest, good guys, bad guys and all the wild you can stand ala shoot em ups and lynchings. Add Bogart and Cagney and what is not to like or least want to go see? Formula sure thing Western and later on to become a must see when these two stars made it famous. Meanwhile, just enjoy the shots and lore of the early West before law and order and when people were just trying to figure things out as they went sometimes at the cost of their lives. I like seeing how towns were formed, curbs, sidewalks and how the building codes were non-existent. One fire could wipe out the whole town as the buildings are so close to one another. One significant scene is the Oklahoma land rush referred to as sooners where the first to reach a parcel fair and square claimed it for their own. Who wouldn't want a nice flat piece of land next to year round water, mountains, trees etc. The rush was on and for better or worse, the West was born. Violence would continue for decades until it was tamed. Good snack movie with a tasty drink here. Mount-up and lets ride

In Hollywood in the 1930's and 1940's, I think that every studio can make a western, except Warner bros. The few times they try, it always ridiculous (except, perhaps, for They Died with their Boots on - which is a cavalery western.) I have read that Humphrey Bogart, seing James Cagney with this big cowboy hat on his head, said that he looks like a mushroom. True! Cagney and Bogart are too urban, too XXe century to be credible in a western movie. The story here had no suprise, and it did't help. Every 10 minutes, I figure I can see Bogart and Cagney drops their little guns and put hands in a machine gun to get away from the set in a 1930's black car.