''The Oklahoma Kid'' is a 1939

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

film starring

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor, dancer and film director. On stage and in film, Cagney was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He ...

and

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...

. The film was directed for Warner Bros. by

Lloyd Bacon Lloyd Francis Bacon (December 4, 1889 – November 15, 1955) was an American screen, stage and vaudeville actor and film director. As a director he made films in virtually all genres, including westerns, musicals, comedies, gangster films, an ...

. Cagney plays an adventurous gunslinger in a broad-brimmed cowboy hat while Bogart portrays his black-clad and viciously villainous nemesis. The film is often remembered for Cagney's character rubbing the thumb and forefinger of his hand together and exulting, "Feel that air!" The supporting cast features Rosemary Lane,

Donald Crisp Donald William Crisp (27 July 188225 May 1974) was an English film actor as well as an early producer, director and screenwriter. His career lasted from the early silent film era into the 1960s. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor ...

, and

Ward Bond Wardell Edwin Bond (April 9, 1903 – November 5, 1960) was an American film character actor who appeared in more than 200 films and starred in the NBC television series ''Wagon Train'' from 1957 to 1960. Among his best-remembered roles are Be ...

. Rosemary Lane's sister

Priscilla Lane Priscilla Lane (born Priscilla Mullican, June 12, 1915 – April 4, 1995) was an American actress, and the youngest sibling in the Lane Sisters of singers and actresses. She is best remembered for her roles in the films ''The Roaring Twenties'' ...

also starred with Cagney and Bogart in ''

The Roaring Twenties ''The Roaring Twenties'' is a 1939 American crime thriller film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring James Cagney, Priscilla Lane, Humphrey Bogart, and Gladys George. The film, spanning the periods between 1919 and 1933, was written by Je ...

'' that same year.

Plot

President Cleveland signs the bill allowing the sale of the Cherokee Strip (more often referred to as

Cherokee Outlet The Cherokee Outlet, or Cherokee Strip, was located in what is now the state of Oklahoma in the United States. It was a 60-mile-wide (97 km) parcel of land south of the Oklahoma-Kansas border between 96 and 100°W. The Cherokee Outlet wa ...

) in the

Oklahoma Territory The Territory of Oklahoma was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 2, 1890, until November 16, 1907, when it was joined with the Indian Territory under a new constitution and admitted to the Union as t ...

. After the money arrives by train, it is then loaded onto a stagecoach which subsequently gets robbed by Whip McCord and his gang. Jim Kincaid, also known as "The Oklahoma Kid", witnesses the robbery, then ambushes the gang and makes off with the money. Settlers are arriving to stake their property claims in what would be the Cherokee Strip

Land Run of 1893 Land, also known as dry land, ground, or earth, is the solid terrestrial surface of the planet Earth that is not submerged by the ocean or other bodies of water. It makes up 29% of Earth's surface and includes the continents and various isla ...

. At a settlers' dance, the Kid meets Jane Hardwick, daughter of Judge Hardwick, dances with her, and asks if she can "feel the air". Before the new territory is opened, McCord sneaks in with his cronies and stakes a "

sooner Sooners is the name given to settlers who entered the Unassigned Lands in what is now the state of Oklahoma before the official start of the Land Rush of 1889. The Unassigned Lands were a part of Indian Territory that, after a lobbying campa ...

" claim. When John Kincaid and his son, Ned Kincaid, arrive, McCord uses his illegal claim to blackmail them into granting him the saloon and gambling concessions in exchange for the site that they had planned to develop into a town. The area is built and developed, and becomes the city of

Tulsa Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region wit ...

(which in historical reality is not located within the former Cherokee Outlet and was not settled by land run). Soon it is overcome by crime and unlawful killings under McCord's influence. Hoping to bring about law and order, Judge Hardwick and Ned campaign to elect John Kincaid as mayor, but when another candidate is killed, McCord frames John Kincaid and has him arrested for murder. While living with Mexicans in a small cabin, the Kid reads in a newspaper about the arrest of his father. Even though he was cast aside as the black-sheep son because of his penchant for vigilantism, he rides into town in order to free his father from jail. After the Kid raids the jail and enters his father's cell, John remains true to his belief in law and order. He refuses to escape and instead wants to fight his arrest judicially. The Kid leaves before being caught. Upon learning that the Kid is John Kincaid's son, McCord incites a mob at his saloon. Then, led by three of his own men, they break into the jail and lynch Kincaid over the outside balcony of the jailhouse. In exacting vengeance, the Kid tracks down those who murdered his father. Worried for his safety, Jane tries to dissuade The Kid, telling him that she loves him. He suggests she would be better off with the more respectable and upstanding Ned and carries on with his mission. He kills three of the gang when they don't surrender peacefully, but brings back Ace Doolin to testify against McCord. Ned and the Kid seek out McCord at his saloon. While attempting an arrest, Ned is shot by McCord. The Kid and McCord engage in a fist fight, and the Kid is nearly killed, but Ned shoots down McCord before dying himself. Jane asks the Kid to stay, but he declares his intention to leave his unhappy memories of Oklahoma behind and head for the

Arizona Territory The Territory of Arizona (also known as Arizona Territory) was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state o ...

. Jane notes that if he plans to do any "empire-building" he won't be able to do it by himself. Judge Hardwick arrives and, despite The Kid's mild and short-lived protests, Jane has her father quickly marry the two.

Cast

Credited Cast *

as Jim Kincaid / "The Oklahoma Kid" *

as Whip McCord * Rosemary Lane as Jane Hardwick *

as Judge Hardwick *

Harvey Stephens Harvey Stephens (August 21, 1901 – December 22, 1986) was an American actor, known initially for his performances in Broadway productions, and thereafter for his work in film and on television. He was most active in film beginning in the 193 ...

as Ned Kincaid *Hugh Sothern as John Kincaid * Charles Middleton as Alec Martin *

Edward Pawley Edward Joel Pawley (March 16, 1901 in Kansas City, Missouri – January 27, 1988 in Charlottesville, Virginia) was an American actor of radio, films and Broadway. The full name on his birth certificate is Edward Joel Stone Pawley; he never u ...

as Ace Doolin *

as Wes Handley *

Lew Harvey Lew Harvey (October 6, 1887 – December 19, 1953) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 140 films between 1918 and 1950. He was born in Wisconsin, educated in Portland, Oregon, and died in Los Angeles, California. Selected f ...

as Ed Curley *

Trevor Bardette Trevor Bardette (born Terva Gaston Hubbard; November 19, 1902 – November 28, 1977) was an American film and television actor. Among many other roles in his long and prolific career, Bardette appeared in several episodes of '' Adventures of S ...

as Indian Jack Pasco *

John Miljan John Miljan (November 9, 1892 – January 24, 1960) was an American actor. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1924 and 1958. Biography Born in 1892, Miljan was the tall, smooth-talking villain in Hollywood films for almost four deca ...

as Ringo (the lawyer) *

Arthur Aylesworth Arthur Preston Aylesworth (August 12, 1883 – June 26, 1946) was an American stage and film actor. Early years Aylesworth was born in Apponaug, Rhode Island, to a military family; his father and his grandfather graduated from the United ...

as Judge Morgan *

Irving Bacon Irving Bacon (born Irving Von Peters; September 6, 1893 – February 5, 1965) was an American character actor who appeared in almost 500 films. Early years Bacon was the son of entertainers Millar Bacon and Myrtle Vane. He was born in St. Jos ...

as Hotel Clerk *

Joe Devlin Joseph or Joe Devlin may refer to: * Joseph Devlin (1871–1934), Irish journalist and nationalist politician * Joe Devlin (American football) (born 1954), American football offensive tackle * Joe Devlin (footballer) (born 1927), retired Scottish ...

as Keely *

Wade Boteler Wade Boteler (October 3, 1888 – May 7, 1943) was an American film actor and writer. He appeared in more than 430 films between 1919 and 1943. Biography He was born in Santa Ana, California, and died in Hollywood, California, from a heart ...

as Sheriff Abe Collins Uncredited cast *Whizzer as Kincaid's Horse *Ray Mayer as Professor *Dan Wolheim as Deputy *

Bob Kortman Robert F. Kortman (December 24, 1887 – March 13, 1967) was an American film actor mostly associated with westerns, though he also appeared in a number of Laurel and Hardy comedies. He appeared in more than 260 films between 1914 and 1952. ...

as Juryman *Tex Cooper as Old Man in Bar *

John Harron John Harron (March 31, 1903 – November 24, 1939) was an American actor. He appeared in more than 160 films between 1918 and 1940. Born in New York, New York, he was the brother of actor Robert Harron and of actress Mary Harron. Harron di ...

as Secretary *

Stuart Holmes Stuart Holmes (born Joseph Liebchen; March 10, 1884 – December 29, 1971) was an American actor and sculptor whose career spanned seven decades. He appeared in almost 450 films between 1909 and 1964, sometimes credited as Stewart Holmes. Biog ...

President Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in America ...

*Jeffrey Sayre as Times Reporter *

Frank Mayo Frank Mayo may refer to: * Frank M. Mayo (1839–1896), American actor and comedian * Frank Mayo (actor) Frank Lorimer Mayo (June 28, 1889 – July 9, 1963) was an American actor. He appeared in 310 films between 1911 and 1949. Biograp ...

as Land Agent *

Jack Mower Jack Mower (September 5, 1890 – January 6, 1965) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 520 films between 1914 and 1965. He was born in Honolulu and died in Hollywood. After studying at Punahou College, in Honolulu, Mower moved ...

as Mail Clerk *

Al Bridge Alfred Morton Bridge (February 26, 1891 – December 27, 1957) was an American character actor who played mostly small roles in over 270 films between 1931 and 1954. Bridge's persona was an unpleasant, gravel-voiced man with an untidy mous ...

as Settler * Don Barclay as Drunk * Horace Murphy, Robert Homans, and George Lloyd as Bartenders * Rosina Galli as Manuelita *

George Regas George Thomas Regas ( Greek: Γεώργιος Θωμάς Ρεγάκος; November 9, 1890 – December 13, 1940) was a Greek American actor. Biography Regis was born in the village of Goranoi near Sparta, Greece, the brother of actor Pedro R ...

as Pedro *

Clem Bevans Clem Guy Bevans (October 16, 1880 – August 11, 1963) was an American character actor best remembered for playing eccentric, grumpy old men. Early life Bevans was born in Cozzadale, Ohio. Career Bevans had a very long career, starting in va ...

as Postman *Soledad Jimenez as Indian Woman *Ed Brady as Foreman *

Tom Chatterton Tom Chatterton (February 12, 1881 – August 17, 1952) was an American actor and director.. Born in Geneva, New York, Chatterton was active in sports as a youth. He gained early acting experience with Ben Horning's stock theater company in Syrac ...

as Homesteader *Elliott Sullivan as Henchman *

Spencer Charters Spencer Charters (March 25, 1875 – January 25, 1943) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 220 films between 1920 and 1943, mostly in small supporting roles. Biography Charters was born in Duncannon, Pennsylvania. Until ...

* Robert Homans as Bartender

References

External links

*
The Oklahoma Kid at RottenTomatoes
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Oklahoma Kid, The 1939 films American black-and-white films Films scored by Max Steiner Films directed by Lloyd Bacon 1939 Western (genre) films Warner Bros. films American Western (genre) films Films produced by Hal B. Wallis 1930s English-language films 1930s American films