posted 02-09-2018 05:54 PM                    

quote: The Courier-Journal; Tuesday, August 21st, 1956; Section 2, Page 4

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BOYD MARTIN’S SHOW TALK: FILM ‘OKLAHOMA!’ BEST YET

As big as all outdoors, brilliant but natural in color, extremely dramatic, and superbly directed, “Oklahoma!” was shown to the “finest of captive audiences” last night at a special preview at the Brown.

Now I had thought that I had seen just about enough of “Oklahoma!” on the stage.

But, Todd-AO gives it a closer and more intimate view than even the stage production. The close-up figures are bigger than life, but so handled by Fred Zinnemann, the director, that they make fascinating groups. In the ensemble scenes they are quite within the dimensions of the human figures.

CHOREOGRAPHY PRAISED

Just as she did for the stage production, Agnes DeMille created some rare choreography, but the over-all pattern is the same.

L.J. McGinley, general manager of The Fourth Avenue Amusement Company, opened the preview with a short welcome and introductions of D. Irving Long, the company’s youthful president, and Gale Sullivan.

Sullivan, representing Magna Theatre Corporation, which is distributing the film in some 19 cities (Louisville is the last to date to get it) told what made Todd-AO different and then left the audience to see for itself.

Long assured the spectators that they would enjoy full audience participation.

PERSPECTIVE ACHIEVED

No one mentioned that Todd-AO, in many scenes, creates a real perspective that is detected without the aid of three-dimensional lenses. Perspective is not always apparent, but it is often realized. This was indicated by some exciting shorts that were shown before the grand orchestra broke loose with the Richard Rodgers overture to his most beguiling musical.

There is a rollercoaster scene that the women in the audience laughed and screamed through. There is a trip to Sun Valley that is lovely to behold. There is a thrilling ride by automobile from the top of a familiar road right into the heart of San Francisco that ends in what appears to be quite a smash-up against a truck advertising “Oklahoma!” at a street intersection.

“Oklahoma!”, however, was what the invited audience went to see. They surely had never seen it better done even on the stage for which it was created.

It, of course, has an excellent folk drama as its springboard. This is Lynn Riggs’ “Green Grow the Lilacs,” and although “Oklahoma!” followed the original script very well, the Todd-AO production is more faithful to Riggs’ dramatic incidents.

There is a real chill running through one scene when Jud tries to injure Curly with a gadget that has the murderous-looking concealed knife blade. There is a runaway — instigated, we have to admit, by Laurey in trying to elude Jud’s advances — that keeps one on the edge of his orchestra chair.

HAS DREAM BALLET

There is also that fascinating dream ballet in which Laurey tries so hard to decipher which man is the one for her,

Gene Nelson does some mighty fancy stepping, especially in his first scene, “Everything Is up to Date In Kansas City.”

Shirley Jones, who plays Laurey, is fresh and youthful and her voice is girlish and lovely. Gordon MacRae is a virile, lusty Curly and his baritone, robust, and manly voice is just right for the various numbers. He rides his horse surprisingly well and plays with easy comedy effect.

Gloria Grahame is a new sort of Ado Annie, for she has an original interpretation that is sly and impish. Charlotte Greenwood is a dominating figure as Aunt Eller, and Eddie Albert also gives a keen interpretation as the paddler, Ali Hakim.

The surprise performance, despite the excellence of some we have seen him give lately, is that of Rod Steiger as Jus Fry. It is a menacing, evil portrait to be sure, but Steiger gains a tremendous amount of sympathy for the brute.

James Whitmore is also a surprise as Paw Carnes, especially when he bursts into song.

The denouement comes with the burning of the hay stacks, a scene that Riggs created and which was left out of the musical.

SCENERY LOVELY

The climax is a rousing finish with the theme song, “Oklahoma!”

Much of the picture has been taken outdoors and the scenery is lovely to look upon. The interiors offer something different in close-ups. There is a lovely ballet of girls in one of them.

“Oklahoma!” will remain at the Brown for an indefinite run. The management hopes to lure people from 50, 100, to 200 miles away. This should be easy, because the 65-mm. projection with six channels of high-fidelity sound track, the excellence of the production, and the newness of the system should attract people from miles around.

SEATING CUT DOWN

If you loved “Oklahoma!” on the stage, you will see it in quite a new light on the Todd-AO screen.

The Brown Theater has been cleaned up, freshened up for the occasion. The seating capacity has been cut down from 1,454 seats to 1,000 in order that every seat will be a good one. The seating begins four rows back from the original position of the first row.

The Fourth Avenue Amusement Company was always a pioneer in Louisville. It was the first organization to offer sound here. And, now after all these years, the Fourth Avenue Amusement Company is first again.

Up to now Todd-AO dwarfs all other projection techniques shown here.

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posted 02-11-2018 11:17 PM                    

quote: Louis Bornwasser

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"Print ad experts" from far away just don't have any credibility. Sorry.

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posted 02-17-2018 12:15 PM                       

quote: Steve Kraus

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With regards to Raintree County did it ever play anywhere in 70mm? Because every source I've looked at from Wiki to Marty Hart (Widescreen Museum) says they never released it in 70mm.

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