Plot.
Poster of Cimarron

Cimarron

1931 · Film · 123 min

  • Western
  • Drama

Plot

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.

About Cimarron

Cimarron is a 1931 American pre-Code epic Western film starring Richard Dix and Irene Dunne, and directed by Wesley Ruggles. Released by RKO Radio Pictures, it won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay (written by Howard Estabrook and based on Edna Ferber's 1930 novel Cimarron), and Best Production Design (by Max Rée). It is the first of four Westerns to ever win the top honor at the Academy Awards, being followed almost 60 years later by Dances With Wolves in 1990, Unforgiven in 1992, and No Country for Old Men in 2007. Both Dix and Dunne were nominated for their leading roles, and Edward Cronjager for Best Cinematography, but did not win. Estelle Taylor, Edna May Oliver, and Roscoe Ates appeared in supporting roles. Epic in scope, spanning forty years from 1889 to 1929, Cimarron was RKO's most expensive production up to that date, as well as its first production to win the Best Picture Oscar. It was a critical success, although it did not recoup its production costs during its initial run in 1931. As the film was registered for copyright late in 1930, it and the original book entered the public domain together on January 1, 2026.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Cast

  • 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
Images