L'Or noir de l'Oklahoma

In 1973 I saw this film when it first came out accompanied with my father. We saw it in a movie house out in the Coney Island section in Brooklyn, and it was on a rarity these days - a double bill with a film from France (I believe it was TRAFFIC by Jacques Tati). The movies were entertaining for a change. OKLAHOMA CRUDE was an unexpectedly good film - not a great western but an unusual one.

The plot is similar to the plots of many westerns. A woman owns a small parcel of land which is the subject of interest by powerful local interests. Instead of it being land where the local water hole is located (as in THE BIG COUNTRY) it is potentially rich oil land. The woman here (Faye Dunaway) is very independent and very bitter - her father (John Mills) has always been distant and never helped her or her mother. But circumstances force her to rely on Mills and on drifter George C. Scott. Scott is quite a slippery type - out for himself. So Dunaway proceeds to keep him on a tight leash.

The local Oil Company represents the big land owner in traditional westerns. And, taking a leaf from SHANE, it's "gunslinger" is Jack Palance. But Palance is a smoother villain (and at times a funnier one) than his classic killer in SHANE. When Scott offers to sabotage Dunaway's attempts at fighting the big, bad corporation, Palance, calmly smoking a cigar motions Scott over to him. "I don't think I can use you for that.", our Jack says in a typically deadly confidential whisper of that gravelly voice of his, "but I'll tell you what. I'll give you $10.00 if you'll kiss my ass!" Scott doesn't reply immediately, but later on he gets a little back at Jack - at a particularly dark threatening moment, Scott pulls his shotgun up against Palance's groin (lower section). Caught off guard and frightened, we see a river come out of Jack's midriff. When he is "emptied out", he looks disgustedly at his ruined overcoat, strips it off him gingerly, and dumps it on the floor of Dunaway's homestead before he leaves.

The film had many choice moments - like John Mills and one of Palance's army of thugs confronting each other, both firing their guns, and both discovering that they have no ammo in their guns. They then have to race to arm their weapon first...and it becomes a really close thing.

The slapstick moments enliven the film - and even last to the last moments when (much to Palance's amazement) his bosses are ready to meet any demand to get that oil. All in all a pretty good and unusual movie, and one that should be seen by people who like western films.

Arguably the best latter-day Stanley Kramer film (i.e. made during his lean 1969-79 period); being a light-hearted romp with a mean streak, it might also be his oddest. It features an eclectic cast, with both George C. Scott (as a drifter) and John Mills (as Faye Dunaway's estranged father) shining in their comical roles; Dunaway herself (in an unflattering black wig) and Jack Palance (as a menacing thug, what else?) are also well-cast. Henry Mancini's flavorful score (and song) adds to the film's eccentricity, given its proliferation of foul language and occasional bouts of violence. In essence, patchy but generally enjoyable - and occasionally uproarious (Scott's priceless reaction to Dunaway's Third Sex speech and the second Scott-Palance confrontation). I had this on a VHS of wretched quality for years (though the quality of Robert Surtees' cinematography is still evident), but only watched it now to commemorate Palance's passing.

A neat cast and a decent script help make this unusual, romantic neo-western come alive. Dunaway is a humorless, stubborn, single woman, doggedly trying to derive oil out of her tiny homestead while a massive Oklahoma company pressures her to sell to them. The company's hired goon (Palance) will stop at absolutely nothing to secure her land. A shiftless drifter (Scott) attempts to aid Dunaway even as she resists him and goes out of her way to repel him. There is an interesting and entertaining dynamic between Dunaway and Scott and between them and Palance. Also on Dunaway's side for reasons of his own is Mills (who is as equally loathed by her as Scott is.) Scott gives a wonderfully thoughtful and delicately nuanced performance with bits of comedy strewn throughout the sometimes dark storyline. Dunaway is raw and unvarnished, completely tossing away her previous glamor-girl trappings and enjoying a vulgarity and earthiness that is startling, but effective. She has to stand as one of the most driven women imaginable. (She also, at one point, receives what has to be one of the most brutal and sustained beatings of any woman in a major studio film!) Palance discards much of the hamminess he had developed at this stage of his career and gives a strong and menacing, yet believable performance. His small army of henchman cut dashing figures in their bowlers and long coats. Mills is thoroughly winning and delightful, giving the film a dose of class and heart. Campos, as an Indian helper, couldn't possibly have a more thankless role. There is great cinematography, several memorable interchanges between Dunaway and Scott and a strong combination of character study and storyline. Grungy, frank and seemingly simplistic, this tale is surprisingly endearing and psychologically complex, showing real heart and occasionally touching emotion at times. The juxtaposition of violence and comedy is sometimes a bit hard to take, but that's the way life is.

Dismissed by critics as one of Stanley Kramer's later flops, OKLAHOMA CRUDE is not bad. It does, however, suffer from an identity crisis. Is it a comedy? Is it a drama? Is it a western? It's not really any of those. Nor, thankfully, is it one of Kramer's social issue epics. Faye Dunaway gives it her all as a demented wild-catter trying to get oil from a lone well while keeping the big time oil companies off her land. She's helped out by her ne'er do well father John Mills and a hapless drifter played by George C. Scott. Scott and Dunaway have great chemistry and Kramer wisely downplays any love story. However, although they make a scrappy team, they're not particularly likable. In fact, none of the characters in this film is very pleasant, therefore there's nobody to really root for.

Kramer, like his contemporaries Billy Wilder and Otto Preminger, seemed to have lost his way by the 1970s. OKLAHOMA CRUDE doesn't click as comedy or drama. The actors are poorly directed: Dunaway is completely humorless, while Scott plays his part as if he's in a broad farce. Jack Palance, as the villain, appears to be spoofing his own clenched jaw persona.

Faye Dunaway has guts - or, if I wasn't such a lady, I would use a different word. In Oklahoma Crude, she wears trousers, shares a shack with a scruffy drifter, holds no qualms about bursting into an occupied outhouse, and defends her land by shooting a shotgun at her own father when he trespasses. She is one tough cookie! If you're a fan of hers, you won't want to miss this quirky period piece.

If you're not a fan of hers, and if you're not a fan of George C. Scott, God help you. The studio uglied Faye up as much as possible to make her seem tough and uninterested in femininity. She's a crude woman - crude oil, that is. The drill is on her land, and despite bankruptcy, lack of help, and little hope, she's determined to strike oil. Sometimes she appears to be stupid and making bad decisions, but just keep in mind her character's primary motivation is oil, not safety. George plays a hobo and he accepts the work because he has no income and no shelter. He doesn't have much motivation besides that either. John Mills is Faye's father, and Jack Palance is (three guesses and the first two don't count) the bad guy. My favorite part of the movie was Henry Mancini's adorable, catchy theme. It does have some funny moments, though, because as much as oil drilling is a serious business, sometimes you have to take time out and laugh at your situation.