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As the title might suggest, "The Oklahoman" is set in Oklahoma, although that does not automatically follow; "The Virginian", after all, is not set in Virginia. The action takes place during the 1870s, at a time when Oklahoma was still known as the Indian Territory and was officially reserved for Native Americans, although in fact it also had a sizeable white population.

John Brighton is a doctor whose wife dies in childbirth while they are on a westward-bound wagon train. Dr Brighton abandons his plans to move to California and decides to settle in the small town of Cherokee Wells. The main action takes place several years later. Brighton has established his practice in the town, but becomes embroiled in a land dispute between greedy rancher Cass Dobie and a small Indian farmer; Dobie has discovered that there is oil on the Indian's land and wants to force the rightful owner off. Another strand to the plot involves Brighton's love life. Although Joel McCrea was in his fifties when the film was made, Hollywood has never had any problems with older man/younger woman love stories, and such stories were particularly prevalent in the 1950s. Brighton therefore finds that two beautiful young women, one white and one Indian, have fallen madly in love with him.

No prizes for guessing which of the girls eventually wins out. The film's politics on racial issues are, by the standards of the fifties, mildly liberal, but that liberalism does not extend to matters of the heart. The film's attitude towards Native Americans, in fact, is that they deserve to be treated as equals by the white man, provided that they assimilate into white culture and adopt the white man's ways. Dr Brighton's friend as a young man fought for his tribe against the whites, but after being defeated has given up his traditional lifestyle and taken up farming. Most Indians in Westerns have names like "Running Bear" or "Red Eagle", but this one has the distinctly Anglo-Saxon moniker of Charlie Smith.

This film appears to have been made as a B-movie and is not, by any means, well-known today; I note that mine is only the third review it has received on this board. Before I recently caught it on television I had never heard of it or of its director Francis D. Lyon, and its star McCrea was best known to me for his role in Hitchcock's "Foreign Correspondent", even though in the latter part of his career he specialised almost exclusively in Westerns.

Yet this is a film which I feel deserves to be better known. There is a good performance from McCrea in the leading role as a peaceful, mild-mannered man whose sense of honour demands that he should make a stand against injustice. (A frequent Western theme. Brad Dexter is also good as the villain Dobie, adept at using a mask of sweet reasonableness to hide the fact that he is by nature an unpleasant bully, and Barbara Hale and Gloria Talbott make a lovely pair of young heroines. The film has a strong storyline, and moves along at a brisk pace, leading to the inevitable climax. "The Oklahoman" may not be in the same league as the great Westerns of the fifties (films like "High Noon", "Shane" or "The Big Country"), but it is a good example of a very decent second division Western. 7/10

This is a nice easy to take B western that Joel McCrea settled into doing in his later years. The Oklahoman opens with McCrea's wife dying in childbirth and McCrea making a decision to leave the wagon train he's on and settle in what was then known as Indian Territory.

Fast forward about seven years. McCrea, who is a doctor, has settled with his seven year old daughter in a small town in Oklahoma. He's got two girls interested in him, Barbara Hale who is rancher's widow, and Gloria Talbott a young Indian girl who babysits his daughter. Talbott's family has problems from the local town bully played with appropriate menace by Brad Dexter. He wants the land that Talbott's father Michael Pate owns and Dexter ain't too squeamish about his methods.

Why does Dexter want the land and who will McCrea wind up with in the end? For those questions watch The Oklahoman.

Fans of Joel McCrea and westerns in general will like this.

Its a shame there isn't a space for these kinds of movies to be made any more. Simple, yet entertaining, boosted by some exploration of equality and racism.

A nice relaxing way to spend some time at the movies.

A brief recap of the plot-- After his wife dies in childbirth, Doc decides to remain with his young daughter in the little Oklahoma town and set up practice there. Trouble is that oil is on Indian land and only bad guy Dobie knows about it, so he tries various schemes to get Indian Charlie's land away from him. Meanwhile, Doc has struck up a friendship with Charlie whose daughter Maria takes care of Doc's youngster. So there's trouble brewing between the greedy Dobie and the Doc.

Great role for McCrea as the doctor. His naturally likable demeanor is perfect for a caring physician. Of course, there's also that steely determination he can summon when needed and make us believe it. Dexter comes across as an intelligent bad guy, knowing when to strike and when to hold back, unlike most western bad guys who are too often stupidly aggressive. Barbara Hale as Anne makes a good mature counterpart to McCrea. Earlier they made The Lone Hand (1953) together, so the rapport is unforced. Then there's cult favorite Gloria Talbot as the Indian maiden Maria, Anne's rival for Doc's affections, though the Doc's too preoccupied to notice. On the whole, it's a non-scenic, rather easy-going horse opera, with some expected fisticuffs and a well-staged showdown. Nothing special, just another very watchable McCrea western, of which he made many during his productive middle years.

The Oklahoman is directed by Francis Lyon and written by Daniel Ullman. It stars Joel McCRea, Barbara Hale, Brad Dexter, Gloria Talbott, Michael Pate, Verna Felton and Douglas Dick. Music is by Hans Salter and cinematography by Carl Guthrie.

After his wife dies during childbirth, Doctor John Brighton (McCrea) stops in the small Oklahoma town of Cherokee Wells to bury her. Deciding to stay there and start a practice, he comes to run afoul of the local bad boys fronted by the Dobie brothers (Dexter/Dick).

A CinemaScope/De Luxe Color production, The Oklahoman appears to be one of McCrea's lesser known Westerns. Which is a shame, for although this isn't high on action quotas, it is however rich on characters and beats a solid worthy message heart. It's a typical McCrea characterisation, Doctor Brighton is a peaceable man, a bastion of the community, loved by all but the baddies. As the stench of racism rears its ugly head, and a secret of the land comes to the fore, Brighton is forced to stand up for values that he knows to be right, putting himself into great danger in the process.

The Native American characters are well written, showing them to be hard working and integral parts of the community. This is a town where integration clearly works, it's only when financial gain for the Dobie Brothers surfaces does race become an issue. There's a rather fanciful (sort of) love triangle in the mix, as both the Hale and Talbott (playing a young Indian character) have soft feelings for the much older doctor, but this aspect is no hindrance to the pic since it isn't overtly played. Over on the villain side of things Dexter does a nice line in gurning mistrust, and thankfully he doesn't shift into cartoon caricature.

It's not a very insightful picture, as per the themes ticking away, this is after all a second tier "B" Western. Yet some classy veneers shine bright as our characters move about the comforting surrounds of the Iverson Ranch locales. While of course McCrea is the most reassuring presence of all. 7/10

Doctor Joel McCrea buries his wife dead in childbirth on the road to California, and stays set with his daughter. Five years later, he's moderately well set, with pretty Indian girl Gloria Talbott taking care of his daughter, and in love with him, as is Barbara Hale, who owns and runs the second biggest spread around.

Every woman wants to marry a doctor, just like my grandmother told me. Into this unwalled paradise comes trouble, when Miss Talbott's father, Michael Pate, turns himself in to the sheriff. He has killed Brad Dexter's brother, but it was self-defense. Dexter has the biggest spread around. This means it's time for McCrea to take a moral stand and get into a fistfight with Dexter. But wait! There's more!

Daniel Ullman's script is an anachronistic mishmosh of eras, but it does take a nice moral stance of equal justice for all, and it has the always reliable McCrea, Miss Hale looking beautiful and sensible just before she became Della Street, and the usual assortment of actors for one of Allied Artists' Shaky-A oaters: Ray Teal, Verna Felton, Anthony Caruso, and I Stanford Jolley. It also has a great dance sequence, with Miss Talbott kicking up her heels with an assortment of partners to "Oh Dem Golden Slippers".

Ok little story. Good for an afternoon diversion...

Back when oil was discovered in Oklahoma and there was a market for it, the Natives living in Oklahoma were set to get rich. However, unscrupulous whites used a variety of techniques to legally steal the land. This film is about an early attempt to steal Indian land for oil rights...with middling results.

The story begins with John (Joel McCrea) traveling west to California to homestead. However, his wife dies along the way and he decides to stay in Oklahoma and raise his young daughter. After all, he's a doctor and they could use one there.

Several years pass and a no-goodnick named 'Dobie' is trying to get everyone's land...particularly that belonging to the Indians. This is because there's oil and he anticipates a demand for the stuff. In his way is the Doc...who insists that the Indians be treated as citizens. Additionally, two women love him (though he's too dumb to realize it)...and one is a native.

The worst aspect of the film are the so-called 'Indians'. The Aussie, Michael Pate, is an odd choice...and his accent is just strange. Additionally, Gloria Talbott plays another...which she did in quite a few films even though she looked nothing like any Native!

Despite the poor casting decision about 'Natives', the film is good and tries to portray the Indians well...perhaps too well considering attitudes about them back in the old west. It also helps that Joel McCrea is in the lead, as he made westerns seem a bit better due to his easygoing manner.

Overall, a decent western...one a bit better than average even with the screwy 'Indians'!

Widower Dr John Birghton becomes thesubject of local gossip when he takes on Maria, an Indian girl, as his housekeeper. When oil is discovered on land belonging to Maria's family, the doctor turns crusader in order to stop the greedy cattlemen.

The Oklahoman isn't a flashy, gun-toting western, though it has a little gunplay - it has a more stripped down story that covers themes such as racism. Quite an enjoyable watch with a good story and characters. There's a lot of talking but not of the pointless kind that doesn't drive the drama. Joel McCrea plays a humble doctor who settles down in a town with his daughter after losing his wife through childbirth. He isn't a gunslinger and keeps away from trouble in the form of the town bully Brad Dexter, but then he has no choice to stand up to him. Despite coming across pacifistic he still ends up as a heroic character standing up to a racist bully. He has other problems such as when the town goes against him town when he employs a sweet young Indian girl as nanny to his son. Rumour mills start to grind. Brad Dexter is good as the villain. You definitely want him to bite the dust quick.

A doctor's wife dies during childbirth on a trip to a new life in the west. The doctor(Joel McCrea) decides to make a home for his young daughter in the middle of Oklahoma Territory. A pretty young Indian girl(Gloria Talbot)moves in to help take care of the child. Of course, the square shooting doctor is forced to defend her honor.

A nice, wholesome cowboy drama set in 1870's Oklahoma Territory. A greedy rancher wants to claim oil discovered on an Indian's land. Interesting and easy to watch. Talbot, a familiar face in TV westerns, is equally attractive on the big screen. Barbara Hale plays the doctor's love interest. And Brad Dexter is the villain.

Joel McCrea delivers the goods once again with "The Oklahoman". I've been watching quite a few of McCrea's westerns over the last few years and I've become quite the fan. This movie is one of his best. McCrea delivers a solid performance. His supporting cast is also good. The story grabbed me right away. It's filled while interesting characters and it has a strong villain. The movie also is a great looking movie in its Cinemascope glory. "The Oklahoman" has a lot of drama and some well done action. It packs quite a punch. It also has a very friendly 80 minute running time. I plan on watching "The Oklahoman" again real soon.

"Oklahoma" During the Time-Set of the Movie (1870), was Known as "Indian Territory" a rather Sly way of Hiding with a "Fork-Tongue" the American Govt. Had Little if Any Regard for "Native-Americans" (Indians),

Their Culture, Home-Land, or Sincere Plan to Honor the Many Treaties that were Routinely Broken, Hedged, of Ignored when Needed.

"Charlie Smith" an Indian Forced to Farm, has Adapted and Adopted the White-Man's Ways, even Surrendering His "Name" for a New-Identity "Smith" and Peacefully as a Defeated "Warrior" gets on with His Life on a Piece of Land (significant later) with His Young-Adult Daughter.

A Doctor (Joel McCrea) is on a Wagon-Train, California Bound, when His Wife Dies Giving-Birth to a Daughter. The Grief-Stricken Good-Doctor Feels His Dreams, Hopes, and Aspirations have also Died and Decides to Stop and Settle where His Wife Stopped and Settled, "Oklahoma".

Time-Slip 5 Years to the Future, the Dr. And His Daughter have Established a Home and a Good-Life, Living with an Elderly Widow who Helps Raise His "Little-One".

Later, the Widow Retires having Grown too Old to "Keep-Up" with the Child. The Aforementioned Daughter of "Charlie" (Gloria Talbot) the Farmer, Moves in and Takes Over the Responsibilities.

She Inevitably Falls-in-Love with Not Only the Girl-Child, but the Handsome, Good-Natured Upright of a Man Dr. Joel McCrea.

Meanwhile, the Doctor's Female-Friend, a Successful Big-Rancher Barb Hale, has an Eye for Him as Well. It's a Soft-Love-Triangle where All are Polite, Respectful, and Courteous.

The Theme Runs Through the Story. These Folks are Civilized Citizens. Helping Each Other in the New-Land. Everyone Chips in.

Well, Not Everyone. There's this Other Big-Rancher, Played by Brad Dixon, the Black-Hat of the Story Discovers Oil on Charlie's Farm-Land. You Know what's Next.

It's a Sweet, Barely Known Western Filmed in Technicolor and CinemaScope.

There's Plenty of Moralizing with Messages Firmly in Place for the Eisenhower Era's Suburban Settlers. But it Never "Too-Sweet" to Swallow.

This is Joel McCrea's Bread and Butter. His Easy-Going, Pleasantness and Soft-Spoken but Firm Commitment to Man's Better Nature with the Strength and Smarts that Came from a Source that Attracted Admirers.

This One has Got it All in a Stack. Cinemascope, Technicolor, Joel McCrea, a "Movie-Message" worth Attention, the Evil Brad Dexter. 2 Female Lovelies, Barbara Hale and Gloria Talbot, both Outstanding Exuding Technicolor Brilliance. Enough Sugar to Ease the Medicine of the Message.

A Bit Pre-Fab and Calculated but Delivered as an Art-Full Entertaining Mid-50's Night at the Movies for the Budding Nuke-Families of the Post-War Multitudes Taking-Root in what Became Known as "White-Man's-Territory", Called Suburbs.

Good stuff indeed, showing a convincing Joel McCrea, in a typical role for him. I expected a gentle oater, but it is not. Brad Dexter is also exquisite in a very interesting villain - remember how he tries to avoid a duel in the beginning - , and I am also surprised to see Micheal Pate in a non bad guy character. Nothing exceptional though in this western, but excellent quality of directing and acting. Good photography and splendid Cinemascope in LBX DVD release. It takes place in Oklahoma and it speaks of oil, black gold.... I told you, there is nothing new about ranchers war and oil fields rage among settlers.... One of the best films from Francis D Lyon.

There is no earthly reason to watch this movie unless you are a huge fan or relative of one of the filmmakers/actors. It is completely inoffensive with nothing wrong and nothing right about it. It is very predictable. It has very little action. It is very boring. For example, none of the Indians were bad guys, and most of the townsfolk liked the Indians. Nice in real life, not so good for movies. I couldn't wait for it to be over.

Three small note-worthy things: (1) Brad Dexter has a pretty big part as the heavy. He is the one actor amongst "The Magnificent Seven," who remained pretty unknown.; (2) I was very impressed with the gorgeous beauty and charisma of the actress who played McCrea's good neighbor on the wagon train, who continued on to California, leaving McCrea in Oklahoma. She isn't credited in the movie. I looked her up, Diane Brewster. Yummy! Too bad she didn't star as a female lead! and (3) if they were so offended by the smutty rumors about the Gloria Talbott character, they shouldn't have let her run around in that tight red dress.

The main character played by Joel McCrea, a doctor, is asked to stay on at the home of a VERY wealthy widow as there are very few doctors in the Oklahoma Territory. Her home is a mansion compared to what ANYONE IN THAT TIME PERIOD would have owned in the Territory. The scenery is NOTHING like Oklahoma whatsoever, and the town is far too built up to be realistic. This was before statehood, and the lands were populated by outlaws and thieves. At the Land Run in the late 1800s, more white folk showed up to steal more land from Native Americans. There was nothing at all civilized about the Territory. Her home is completely incongruent with the times. It could not have existed. I could go on but the setting is so unbelievable that the movie was unwatchable.

First, an issue which bothered me throughout the film. The opening credits announce that this is CinemaScope, and the aspect of the video is certainly widescreen. But I had a feeling throughout that I was watching a rather uninspired pan-and-scan version. One constant irritation was that the lower center of virtually any scene was outside of the frame. What should be the center of the frame was actually just above the bottom, giving the unfortunate impression that the scene was shot in the traditional aspect and was then cropped into widescreen.

Aside from the camera placement issue, the remainder of the film was generally routine--a safe, inoffensive movie.

Gloria Talbot was very impressive in this done over plot. Her dancing the "Virginia Reel" was the highlight of the movie. Very hot for the time. The Doc wasn't too smart or he would have driven off her other suitors. Joel Mcrae always is the strong honorable man type and plays his part so well here as well. Barbara Hale played the hard to get type and they had different points of view concerning cattle ranching. Except for Gloria Talbott's great performance and the conflict she brought between the women for the Doc's affections, I thought the movie similar to another starring McRae and Hale, only that time he played a govt agent and his child was a boy instead of a little girl.