The Boy from Oklahoma
| The Boy from Oklahoma | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Oren W. Haglund (assistant director) |
| Written by |
Michael Fessier (story: The Sheriff Was Scared) Frank Davis (screenplay) Winston Miller (screenplay) |
| Starring |
Will Rogers, Jr. Nancy Olson |
| Music by | Max Steiner |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 87 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Boy from Oklahoma is a 1954 Western movie directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Will Rogers, Jr. The film became the basis for the 1957 Warner Bros. television series Sugarfoot, in which Will Hutchins replaced Rogers as lead character Tom Brewster. The movie features Lon Chaney, Jr. and includes one of future TV talk show host Merv Griffin's few theatrical film roles. In the movie version, Rogers as Brewster substitutes facility with a twirling rope, similar to Will Rogers, Sr.'s, for the usual unerring speed and accuracy with firearms typically found in cinematic cowboy heroes.
Three of the original cast members from the movie, Louis Jean Heydt, Sheb Wooley, and Slim Pickens, were transplanted directly into the subsequent TV show's pilot, "Brannigan's Boots," playing their roles from the movie; the first episode of Sugarfoot follows the film's script fairly faithfully. Dennis Hopper succeeded James Griffith as Billy the Kid in the television version, Merry Anders took over the part of Katie Brannigan from Nancy Olson, and Chubby Johnson replaced Wallace Ford as Wally Higgins for the small screen.
Reviewing the DVD release in 2013, Gene Triplett of The Oklahoman called the film an "amiable oater" with a plot that "may sound like potential corn on the cob to some" but turns out to be "unexpectedly well-crafted entertainment".[1]
Cast
- Will Rogers, Jr. as Sheriff Tom Brewster
- Nancy Olson as Katie Brannigan
- Lon Chaney, Jr. as Crazy Charlie
- Anthony Caruso as Mayor Barney Turlock
- Wallace Ford as Postmaster Wally Higgins
- Clem Bevans as Pop Pruty, Justice of the Peace
- Merv Griffin as Steve
- Louis Jean Heydt as Paul Evans
- Sheb Wooley as Pete Martin
- Slim Pickens as Shorty
- Tyler MacDuff as Billy the Kid
- James Griffith as Joe Downey
References
- ↑ Gene Triplett, "DVD review: 'The Boy from Oklahoma'", The Oklahoman, March 22, 2013.