Wed 28 Jun 2017
A Western Movie Review by Jonathan Lewis: TULSA (1949).
Posted by Steve under Reviews , Western movies[8] Comments
TULSA. Eagle-Lion Films, 1949. Susan Hayward, Robert Preston, Pedro Armendáriz, Lloyd Gough, Chill Wills, Ed Begley, Harry Shannon, Lola Albright. Suggested by a story by Richard Wormser. Director: Stuart Heisler
I’m going to be honest with you. I enjoyed watching Tulsa way more than I ever expected to. And really, this surprised me. For at the end of the day, there’s nothing all that special about this Technicolor melodrama/modern Western hybrid. Directed by Stuart Heisler, who directed Humphrey Bogart in Tokyo Joe (1949) the very same year, the film stars future Academy Award winner Susan Hayward as Cherokee Lansing, an Oklahoman rancher of mixed heritage who hits it big in the eponymous city’s 1920s oil boom.
When Cherokee’s rancher father gets killed in an accidental oil rig blowout, she decides that the best way to get even with Bruce Tanner (Lloyd Gough), the oilman she holds responsible is for her to join the business herself. Joining her on her ambitious quest to make a name for herself in the oil industry is geologist Brad Brady (Robert Preston) who, to no one’s surprise, ends up falling for the headstrong redheaded beauty. Complicating matters for Cherokee is her longstanding friendship with local rancher Jim Redbird (Pedro Armendáriz), a man who wants no part in Cherokee’s increasingly ruthless and ambitious plans to become an oil tycoon.
What makes Tulsa worth watching, however, is not the rather mediocre and predictable plot. No. It’s that, for a low budget western from the late 1940s, Tulsa has surprisingly lots to say about both environmental conservation and race relations in Oklahoma. Some of it is heavy handed, but a lot of it was perhaps just subtle enough to make an impact on some moviegoers when the film first opened.
Still, if message films aren’t your cup of tea, there’s always Susan Hayward, who is a joy to watch. And there’s a rather spectacular fire sequence at the end of the film, with images of rows of oil derricks up in flames. People must have noticed that intense finale, for it was enough to earn the movie an Oscar nomination for special effects in 1950.
June 28th, 2017 at 12:53 pm
1949 was a good year for Susan Hayward. Not only did she make this movie, which I’ve not seen but I think I will, but also a near noir favorite HOUSE OF STRANGERS and MY FOOLISH HEART, for which she received an Oscar nomination.
June 28th, 2017 at 3:01 pm
Susan Hayward’s first Academy Award nomination came in 1948, for the same team’s Smash Up — The story of A Woman. By team, I mean producer Walter Wanger and Director Stuart Heisler. Tulsa did not do well at the box office and received mixed critical reception, however is was in no way a low-budget production coming in for just under a million two and a shooting schedule of eight weeks plus. Further to that, Hayward, Preston, Chill Wills and the others, while not getting Clark Gable money, did not come cheap. The low budget impression may have come from the Eagle-Lion connection which is often erroneously labeled as such, possibly because they purchased PRC but were an extension of The Rank Organization. While numerous lower budget products were produced, this was not exclusively so, and in many cases due to the adventurous nature of at least some projects. Ultimately, after roughly two years, they were absorbed by United Artists.
June 28th, 2017 at 3:34 pm
Barry
Thanks for the correction regarding the budget for Tulsa. The error was mine as editor, not Jon’s. And you’re absolutely right. I see Eagle-Lion and I think low budget.
June 28th, 2017 at 3:53 pm
Steve,
On a personal note, I mostly like this picture, and certainly the first half, but I remember reading that when Joan Crawford signed for Johnny Guitar, she said to Philip Yordan: “In this picture I’m Clark Gable.” I’ve always interpreted that to mean being at the story’s center. I don’t believe Susan Hayward said the same kind of thing, or even had that attitude, but it resonates.
June 28th, 2017 at 11:15 pm
Given a choice of companion for a dinner date, and without denigrating the movie star power of Joan Crawford one iota, I’d choose Susan Hayward ten times out of ten.
June 28th, 2017 at 6:38 pm
Thank you for an informative review. It makes me want to see TULSA.
I don’t have a good grasp of Stuart Heisler’s career. Thought DALLAS and STORM WARNING had their moments, but weren’t good enough to recommend. And actually dislike his version of THE GLASS KEY. Yes, I know many hard-boiled fans like this film.
By contrast, I like many of Heisler’s episodes of LAWMAN. THE GANG is especially terrific.
So is Heisler’s only episode of THE VIRGINIAN, THE EVIL THAT MEN DO. This is a misleading title for a film much about human connection, and little to do with evil.
Heisler has critical champions. IIRC, the distinguished French film historian Bertrand Tavernier admires Heisler.
June 28th, 2017 at 11:46 pm
Steve…?
Of course.
June 29th, 2017 at 6:31 pm
An old fashioned fun film, all absolute hogwash, but good honest hogwash well served with a fine cast and handsome to look at.
As for Hayward she was usually good, often the best thing in any movie, and seldom a disappointment.