Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:
- Donald Crisp Films
- Humphrey Bogart Films
- Jimmy Cagney Films
- Revenge
- Settlers
- Westerns
Review:
Following their co-starring roles in Angels With Dirty Faces (1938), James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart were re-paired in this western (Cagney’s first), in which Cagney’s character embodies some refreshingly progressive notions regarding white settlement of the land:
Cagney: Now, look. In the first place, the White people steal the land of the Indians, right?
Crisp: They get paid for it right?
Cagney: Paid for it? Yeah. A measly dollar and forty cents an acre, price agreed to at the point of a gun.
The storyline itself is a fairly standard western tale of corruption and revenge, with a minor romantic triangle thrown in for good measure (Lane is formally partnered with Stephens). However, it’s nicely shot by DP James Wong Howe, and features some effectively shot action sequences, making it worth a one-time look.
Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
- James Cagney as the Oklahoma Kid

- James Wong Howe’s cinematography

- Some fine action sequences

Must See?
No, though it’s worth a look.
Links:
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One thought on “Oklahoma Kid, The (1939)”
First viewing. Not must-see.
In agreement that it’s “a fairly standard western tale of corruption and revenge”. Frankly, it’s a little too standard. Even with Cagney and Bogart in the leads, overall it gets to be tiresome.