Cimarron (1931 film)

Cimarron is a 1931 American pre-Code epic Western film directed by Wesley Ruggles, based on the 1930 Edna Ferber novel of the same name. It stars Richard Dix and Irene Dunne, chronicling the pioneering and tumultuous life of a newspaper editor and his wife in the Oklahoma Territory and later statehood, spanning from 1889 to the 1930s.

The film depicts the land rush that opened up the territory for settlement, the challenges faced by early settlers, the boomtowns that sprang up, and the changing social and political landscape of the region. Yancey Cravat (Dix) is a charismatic and restless man who establishes a newspaper, the Oklahoma Wigwam, and becomes a prominent figure in the growing community of Osage. His wife, Sabra Cravat (Dunne), initially struggles to adapt to frontier life but gradually becomes a respected and independent woman, eventually taking over the newspaper and becoming a congresswoman.

Cimarron was known for its large-scale production, including elaborate sets and a cast of thousands, especially for the land rush sequence. It won three Academy Awards, including Best Picture, making it the first Western to achieve that honor. It also won for Best Writing Adaptation and Best Art Direction. It was nominated for four additional Academy Awards: Best Director, Best Actor (Richard Dix), Best Actress (Irene Dunne), and Best Cinematography.

Despite its accolades, Cimarron has been criticized for its stereotypical portrayals of Native Americans and African Americans. The film's depiction of westward expansion often romanticizes the displacement and mistreatment of these groups.

The film was remade in 1960, directed by Anthony Mann, starring Glenn Ford and Maria Schell, but the 1931 version is generally considered the more iconic and critically acclaimed of the two.