Cimarron
Seen it?1931 | 123 min | Western, Drama
Sunday Safe Betearly ratingWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It won 3 Oscars, though it had middling reviews (50% on Rotten Tomatoes) and a lukewarm 49% audience score. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for fans of a good courtroom showdown and fans of newsroom stories. The best scenes are battles fought with words. Sits nicely alongside The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance or Dances with Wolves. It's about the digging, and what it costs to get the story.
- The mood
- Thoughtful and character-driven.
- The pace
- Gives its people room to develop, at 2 hr 3 min.
- What might put you off
- Made in 1931: an older pace and style.
- Not the one if you want explosions or easy laughs.
When the government opens up the Oklahoma territory for settlement, restless Yancey Cravat claims a plot of the free land for himself and moves his family there from Wichita. A newspaperman, lawyer, and just about everything else, Cravat soon becomes a leading citizen of the boom town of Osage. Once the town is established, however, he begins to feel confined once again, and heads for the Cherokee Strip, leaving his family behind. During this and other absences, his wife Sabra must learn to take care of herself and soon becomes prominent in her own right.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsBelow par
50% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesBelow par
Our audience score: 49%
- AwardsVery strong
Won 3 Oscars: Best Picture, Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay, Best Production Design. Also nominated for 4 more Oscars. Plus 1 other award.
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$2 million worldwide on a $1 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 87K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
More like this
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Friday Night FlickAnother critically acclaimed legal western.
Wyatt Earp
Weeknight WatchAnother Wild West ern, though it's more of a weeknight watch.
Dances with Wolves Friday Night FlickAnother much-loved drama.
Open Range
Saturday SpecialAnother Wild West ern, and a Saturday Special.
Silverado Saturday SpecialAnother Wild West ern, and a Saturday Special.
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Cast & crew
Directed by Wesley Ruggles
- Richard DixYancey Cravat
- Irene DunneSabra Cravat
- Estelle TaylorDixie Lee
- Nance O'NeilFelice Venable
- William Collier Jr.The Kid
- Roscoe AtesJesse Rickey (as Rosco Ates)
- George E. StoneSol Levy
- Stanley FieldsLes Yountis
- Robert McWadeLouis Hefner
- Edna May OliverMrs. Tracy Wyatt