Merolliv
I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.
Neive Bellamy
Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.
Sammy-Jo Cervantes
There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.
Sienna-Rose Mclaughlin
The movie really just wants to entertain people.
Leofwine_draca
THE OKLAHOMA KID is a somewhat unusual western in that it stars the inimitable pairing of James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart, two actors best known for their roles in contemporary gangster movies. Cagney is the titular character, a Robin Hood-style lone cowboy who has a bounty on his head, while Bogart is part of a ruthless gang who use violence and murder to hold sway over a small town. The first half of this production is a little slow, but the strong production values see it through, and Cagney burns up the screen as always. It gets good in the second half when it transforms into a revenge flick with all of the showdowns a genre fan could wish for.
Richie-67-485852
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
alexandre michel liberman (tmwest)
The problem is not the actor, James Cagney (The Oklahoma Kid) but the unwritten credibility rule that this film (unlike most westerns) does not follow: a hero cannot be as good on the draw and fistfights as to place him too far above the others. Add to that a routine plot and the conclusion is that Cagney and Bogart deserved something better.The big hat does not suit Cagney well, he keeps blowing the smoke off his gun and in a cheesy scene he sings a lullaby in a poor Spanish. Bogart's physical type and costumes he wears, blend better. On the plus side is the excellent cinematography of James Wong Howe, the constant action scenes, the final brawl, and being able enjoy the great Cagney performing a musical number (not the lullaby). Only avid western movie fans like myself would care to see this film and overall it is a rewarding experience, after all we learn to appreciate even the flaws.
writers_reign
This is one for collectors; when those personifications of Urban gangsters Cagney and Bogey are transplanted to an Oklahoma territory that is so far ahead of progress that it boasts an electric door-bell Cagney rings it long and hard on two separate occasions)it shows that les freres Warner spared no expense on researching the period. Journeyman director Lloyd Bacon phones it in as do just about everyone from Cagney right on down to an uncredited Clem Bevans and the plot - you should excuse the expression - manages to hit every cliché withing shooting distance and some that should have been well out of range. Oklahoma crude would make an ideal subtitle for this snake oil but see it if you must.