Directed by Stanley Kramer (The Defiant Ones), Oklahoma Crude boasts of a great cast featuring Faye Dunaway, George.C.Scott and Jack Palance.It is about a woman, her father and a hobo who try to extract oil while fighting off evil oil companies who are trying to take over the land. The film begins with a long establishing shot of an oil derrick, with Faye Dunaway's character hard at work. The film is upto its neck with long shots of these grand vistas. The long shots are simply amazing and beautiful to look at despite the arid landscapes.
Faye Dunaway's character is a tough and driven woman who would get at the oil, whatever it takes. She looks beautiful despite the tough demeanor. Her character reminded me of Henry Stamper (played by Henry Fonda) in Sometimes a Great Notion. George.C. Scott plays second fiddle to Faye Dunaway. But he is such a terrific actor that he holds his own. He is well known for playing tough authoritarian characters like Patton, the cunning attorney in Anatomy of a Murder or the strict conservative father in Hard Core or the ruthless gambler in Hustler. The scenes where Dunaway and Scott face off are terrific. They are very well written and contain some witty and intelligent dialog.
There is a great musical score by Henry Mancini – the title score is rollicking. Send a little love my way is a wonderful melodious song and variations of it including instrumental versions are played throughout the film. The score also includes a this hazy tune used when Scott's character walks into the enemy camp and steals food and drink. The score is what attracted me to the film.
The film is mostly a light hearted comedy with a few serious elements and action scenes. The final scene is really interesting with a Butch Cassidy like freeze frame suggesting many outcomes in the relationship between Dunaway and Scott.
It is a nice comedic Western that is seriously underrated. It has a 6.3 rating on IMDb and deserves a 7 at least. It deserves to be more well known for the star cast and the score.
Faye Dunaway's character is a tough and driven woman who would get at the oil, whatever it takes. She looks beautiful despite the tough demeanor. Her character reminded me of Henry Stamper (played by Henry Fonda) in Sometimes a Great Notion. George.C. Scott plays second fiddle to Faye Dunaway. But he is such a terrific actor that he holds his own. He is well known for playing tough authoritarian characters like Patton, the cunning attorney in Anatomy of a Murder or the strict conservative father in Hard Core or the ruthless gambler in Hustler. The scenes where Dunaway and Scott face off are terrific. They are very well written and contain some witty and intelligent dialog.
There is a great musical score by Henry Mancini – the title score is rollicking. Send a little love my way is a wonderful melodious song and variations of it including instrumental versions are played throughout the film. The score also includes a this hazy tune used when Scott's character walks into the enemy camp and steals food and drink. The score is what attracted me to the film.
The film is mostly a light hearted comedy with a few serious elements and action scenes. The final scene is really interesting with a Butch Cassidy like freeze frame suggesting many outcomes in the relationship between Dunaway and Scott.
It is a nice comedic Western that is seriously underrated. It has a 6.3 rating on IMDb and deserves a 7 at least. It deserves to be more well known for the star cast and the score.