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Special Features
- Disc 1
- 1955 Cinemascope feature (2.55 aspect ratio)
- Commentary by Ted Chapin and Hugh Fordin
- Theatrical teaser
- Sing-along subtitles
- Separate chapter list for songs only with Play All feature
- Disc 2
- 1955 Todd AO Version (2.20 aspect ratio)
- Commentary by Shirley Jones and Nick Redman
- Cinemascope vs. Todd AO featurette
- Vintage stage excerpts: Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin' performed by Gordon MacRae, People Will Say We're in Love performed by Gordon MacRae & Florence Henderson
- Theatrical teaser and theatrical trailer
- Still galleries: Behind the Scenes
- Lobby cards and one-sheets
- The Miracle of Todd-AO
- The March of Todd-AO
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The hit Broadway musical from the 1940s gets a lavish if not always exciting workout in this 1955 film version directed by old lion Fred Zinnemann (High Noon). Gordon MacRae brings his sterling voice to the role of cowboy Curly, and Shirley Jones plays Laurie, the object of his affection. The Rodgers and Hammerstein score includes "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top," "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'," and "People Will Say We're in Love," and Agnes DeMille provides the buoyant choreography. Among the supporting cast, Gloria Grahame is memorable as Ado Annie, the "girl who cain't say no," and Rod Steiger overdoes it as the villainous Jud. --Tom Keogh
Product Description
Set in the Oklahoma Territory in the early 1900's, this joyous celebration of frontier life is a story of tender romance and dangerous passion. Gordon MacRae is Curly, a sunny, good-natured ranch hand, and Shirley Jones is Laurey Williams, the farmer's daughter he loves. Rod Steiger is he menacing Jud, who tries to comes between them. The first Rodgers and Hammerstein collaboration, this Academy Award winner for Best Score features the classic songs "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'," "The Surrey With The Fringe On Top" and "People Will Say We're In Love."
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
335 of 344 people found the following review helpful
By dooby
Format:DVD
This is a review of only the Todd-AO version of the movie included in the recent 50th anniversary edition of Oklahoma. The main Cinemascope version on Disc One is outstanding and deserves 5 stars and more. However the accompanying Todd-AO version on Disc Two looks abysmal in comparison.
For those who are unaware, the producers filmed two versions of Oklahoma simultaneously, the one commonly seen which is the Cinemascope version and the other, the Todd-AO version which is the one that Rodgers and Hammerstein preferred. It is seldom seen because theaters did not possess the special equipment to project these Todd-AO movies (extremely widescreen with curved edges to give an enveloping effect). The 2 movies are not the same. They did not just use different cameras or lenses to film the same scene. The films are different in that every scene is restaged specifically for either Cinemascope or Todd-AO. This is obvious in a side by side comparison - the individual scenes are subtly different. Some scenes are shot at slightly different angles, some scenes are shot at different times of the day, some scenes include cast members seen in one version but not the other while all scenes show subtle variations in performances between one version and the next. But the most obvious difference is that only the Todd-AO version includes the Oklahoma Overture as well as the Intermission, En'tracte and Finale (Exit Music) which Richard Rodgers wrote for Oklahoma but never included in the Cinemascope version. The end result is that the Todd-AO version runs for 147mins while the Cinemascope version runs for just 139mins, a fact that Fox fudges by giving the runtime of the movie as 145mins.
The Todd-AO version presented here is virtually unrestored. It is so dark you can barely read the opening credits. It is grimy. Todd-AO is shot on 70mm film (Cinemascope is on 35mm), so it should reveal exquisite detail. Instead the transfer is so soft and blurry, it is like watching a second-generation VHS tape. And although Todd-AO is shot at 30fps, as opposed to 24fps in standard film, for the express purpose of reducing film flicker, there is more flicker on the Todd-AO transfer than on the main Cinemascope version. This is a very sorry presentation of what should have been the definitive edition.
If you are buying this solely for the Cinemascope version, you won't be disappointed. It is indeed a sight to behold. If you are thinking of buying this for the Todd-AO version which few audiences today would have had the chance to see, I'd recommend waiting till Fox reissues a properly restored edition of it. In fact the Todd-AO version looks better on the old laserdisc from more than 10 years ago.
A sidenote to Fox: Please do not harangue your customers with those extremely loud, obnoxiously noisy anti-piracy messages placed at the front of all your DVDs. People who buy these DVDs are not the ones pirating your movies. I inserted this DVD into the player expecting to be greeted by the lovely music of Oklahoma only to be assailed by the abrasively loud banging, thumping and thudding of your aggravatingly annoying anti-piracy message. Do not punish your legitimate customers or you'll find us all going to the side of the pirates.
For those who are unaware, the producers filmed two versions of Oklahoma simultaneously, the one commonly seen which is the Cinemascope version and the other, the Todd-AO version which is the one that Rodgers and Hammerstein preferred. It is seldom seen because theaters did not possess the special equipment to project these Todd-AO movies (extremely widescreen with curved edges to give an enveloping effect). The 2 movies are not the same. They did not just use different cameras or lenses to film the same scene. The films are different in that every scene is restaged specifically for either Cinemascope or Todd-AO. This is obvious in a side by side comparison - the individual scenes are subtly different. Some scenes are shot at slightly different angles, some scenes are shot at different times of the day, some scenes include cast members seen in one version but not the other while all scenes show subtle variations in performances between one version and the next. But the most obvious difference is that only the Todd-AO version includes the Oklahoma Overture as well as the Intermission, En'tracte and Finale (Exit Music) which Richard Rodgers wrote for Oklahoma but never included in the Cinemascope version. The end result is that the Todd-AO version runs for 147mins while the Cinemascope version runs for just 139mins, a fact that Fox fudges by giving the runtime of the movie as 145mins.
The Todd-AO version presented here is virtually unrestored. It is so dark you can barely read the opening credits. It is grimy. Todd-AO is shot on 70mm film (Cinemascope is on 35mm), so it should reveal exquisite detail. Instead the transfer is so soft and blurry, it is like watching a second-generation VHS tape. And although Todd-AO is shot at 30fps, as opposed to 24fps in standard film, for the express purpose of reducing film flicker, there is more flicker on the Todd-AO transfer than on the main Cinemascope version. This is a very sorry presentation of what should have been the definitive edition.
If you are buying this solely for the Cinemascope version, you won't be disappointed. It is indeed a sight to behold. If you are thinking of buying this for the Todd-AO version which few audiences today would have had the chance to see, I'd recommend waiting till Fox reissues a properly restored edition of it. In fact the Todd-AO version looks better on the old laserdisc from more than 10 years ago.
A sidenote to Fox: Please do not harangue your customers with those extremely loud, obnoxiously noisy anti-piracy messages placed at the front of all your DVDs. People who buy these DVDs are not the ones pirating your movies. I inserted this DVD into the player expecting to be greeted by the lovely music of Oklahoma only to be assailed by the abrasively loud banging, thumping and thudding of your aggravatingly annoying anti-piracy message. Do not punish your legitimate customers or you'll find us all going to the side of the pirates.
133 of 138 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I am happy to see a bunch of other folks were as horribly dissapointed as I was to throw this DVD into the player and instead of being treated by what should be a breathtakingly sharp and stunning Todd-AO version on disc two....see a muddy mess...which isn't near the 35mm version on disc one!
Fans of the Todd-AO process (watch Patton some time folks) know what an absolutely unsurpassed format it was....and the DVDs that have come out (like the aforementioned PATTON) that have been taken from it stun with clarity and color...
I don't know how many generations removed from the original disc 2 of this set is ....but its not worth a $50 DVD players time...
Its particularly ironic that 20th Century waste so much other space on the disc on short features extolling the virtues of Todd-AO...only to present such a garbage transfer....
SHAME ON YOU FOX....this should be as gorgeous as the Sound of Music ...and its a big big letdown....and I like many others have been counting the days for this release...
....I am updating this review...with the official excuse from FOX home Entertainment...which follows..
A STATEMENT FROM TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT REGARDING THE
50TH ANNIVERSARY DVD EDITION OF RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN'S "OKLAHOMA!"
In recent days we have heard back from a small number of consumers
regarding the DVD of the Todd-AO version of "Oklahoma!" and specifically
that it appears less detailed than the old Fox DVD release from 2000. We
feel it is very important that we communicate the issues on hand
regarding the Todd-AO version of the film.
As you know well, director Fred Zinnemann filmed "Oklahoma!" using two
separate film techniques. The 35mm CinemaScope version and the then new,
large gauge 65mm film format called Todd-AO.
Firstly, the good news is that the first disc features the CinemaScope
version of the movie for the first time on DVD, and looks superlative.
This is the main feature of the new 2-disc Anniversary edition.
However, when it comes to the bonus disc featuring the Todd-AO version,
we have received reports from concerned fans that the Todd-AO version
looks 'fuzzy' or 'less detailed' than the old DVD release from 2000. How
can that possibly be?
When "Oklahoma!" was first released on DVD in 2000 it was the relative
infancy of DVD, and Twentieth Century Fox utilized a widescreen video
transfer of the Todd-AO version that had been made for VHS and laserdisc
back in 1994. The resulting widescreen transfer (with black bars top and
bottom) was a very pleasing presentation of the Todd-AO version.
Now, in 2005, Fox DVDs are mastered for the highest quality, supporting
widescreen TVs and HDTVs that feature a 16x9 screen format (as opposed
to 4x3 TV format). We could not simply re-use the old 1994-vintage 4x3
video transfer of the Todd-AO version because on an HDTV the old format
would reveal ugly video artifacts, anomalies and edge enhancement that
would detract from the film. This would be immediately apparent on any
widescreen standard definition TV and more so on a high definition TV.
That being decided, it was back to the IP of the Todd-AO version for an
all new high-definition transfer.
This is where time plays a detrimental role in the process. The Todd-AO
print had severely deteriorated since the 1994 video transfer and
presented a nightmare for the authoring of the DVD.
A painstaking restoration of the original elements was undertaken. The
negative was so damaged that a 'wet gate IP' had to be created in order
to preserve the film source. The biggest problem inherent in the Todd-AO
version is the appearance of soft focus and considerable color
breathing. The digital restoration team agonized over using the right
amount of dirt removal ('DRS') in order to remove the glue stains and
tears, while still trying to keep the already soft image from getting
any softer. They addressed the color breathing as well, but too much
adjustment would ultimately further harm the video presentation by
introducing ringing and aliasing caused by artificially sharpening the
picture.
Indeed, if you look at the 'Auctioning Ado Annie' scene (chapter 30) on
the Todd-AO DVD, you can still see very severe color-flashing on the far
left side of the frame. So sever was the flashing that no amount of
digital correction would help.
The process of restoring a poor element is a difficult one, and Fox
stands by its decision to give accurate representations of source
materials. While artificial edge enhancement fixes one problem, it
actually introduces more problems.
Ultimately, the decision was made to allow the DVD to present the
Todd-AO version as accurately as it can be without artificially making
it appear sharper.
In 1954/5, "Oklahoma!" was the first studio feature film to utilize the
new Todd-AO process, and as such, the movie was a shake out for the
system. Todd-AO lens and equipment were retro-fitted to existing camera
technology, which resulted in anomalies that would prove significantly
challenging some 50-plus years later in the digital age. By the time of
"Around the World in 80 Days," released nearly two years later, the
Todd-AO process was significantly more stable.
Sadly, in this day of high definition programming and movies, the
current Todd-AO print of "Oklahoma!" does not stand up to scrutiny of
what we think a large format film should look like. It simply isn't as
sharp or as detailed as we remember it being. And it certainly doesn't
compare to today's high definition programming.
So while the CinemaScope version is stunning, the Todd-AO version of
"Oklahoma!" confounds DVD fans and aficionados 50 years after it was
created. It may indeed suffer by comparison, but is, in its own right,
a good transfer given today's technology.
Fans of the Todd-AO process (watch Patton some time folks) know what an absolutely unsurpassed format it was....and the DVDs that have come out (like the aforementioned PATTON) that have been taken from it stun with clarity and color...
I don't know how many generations removed from the original disc 2 of this set is ....but its not worth a $50 DVD players time...
Its particularly ironic that 20th Century waste so much other space on the disc on short features extolling the virtues of Todd-AO...only to present such a garbage transfer....
SHAME ON YOU FOX....this should be as gorgeous as the Sound of Music ...and its a big big letdown....and I like many others have been counting the days for this release...
....I am updating this review...with the official excuse from FOX home Entertainment...which follows..
A STATEMENT FROM TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT REGARDING THE
50TH ANNIVERSARY DVD EDITION OF RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN'S "OKLAHOMA!"
In recent days we have heard back from a small number of consumers
regarding the DVD of the Todd-AO version of "Oklahoma!" and specifically
that it appears less detailed than the old Fox DVD release from 2000. We
feel it is very important that we communicate the issues on hand
regarding the Todd-AO version of the film.
As you know well, director Fred Zinnemann filmed "Oklahoma!" using two
separate film techniques. The 35mm CinemaScope version and the then new,
large gauge 65mm film format called Todd-AO.
Firstly, the good news is that the first disc features the CinemaScope
version of the movie for the first time on DVD, and looks superlative.
This is the main feature of the new 2-disc Anniversary edition.
However, when it comes to the bonus disc featuring the Todd-AO version,
we have received reports from concerned fans that the Todd-AO version
looks 'fuzzy' or 'less detailed' than the old DVD release from 2000. How
can that possibly be?
When "Oklahoma!" was first released on DVD in 2000 it was the relative
infancy of DVD, and Twentieth Century Fox utilized a widescreen video
transfer of the Todd-AO version that had been made for VHS and laserdisc
back in 1994. The resulting widescreen transfer (with black bars top and
bottom) was a very pleasing presentation of the Todd-AO version.
Now, in 2005, Fox DVDs are mastered for the highest quality, supporting
widescreen TVs and HDTVs that feature a 16x9 screen format (as opposed
to 4x3 TV format). We could not simply re-use the old 1994-vintage 4x3
video transfer of the Todd-AO version because on an HDTV the old format
would reveal ugly video artifacts, anomalies and edge enhancement that
would detract from the film. This would be immediately apparent on any
widescreen standard definition TV and more so on a high definition TV.
That being decided, it was back to the IP of the Todd-AO version for an
all new high-definition transfer.
This is where time plays a detrimental role in the process. The Todd-AO
print had severely deteriorated since the 1994 video transfer and
presented a nightmare for the authoring of the DVD.
A painstaking restoration of the original elements was undertaken. The
negative was so damaged that a 'wet gate IP' had to be created in order
to preserve the film source. The biggest problem inherent in the Todd-AO
version is the appearance of soft focus and considerable color
breathing. The digital restoration team agonized over using the right
amount of dirt removal ('DRS') in order to remove the glue stains and
tears, while still trying to keep the already soft image from getting
any softer. They addressed the color breathing as well, but too much
adjustment would ultimately further harm the video presentation by
introducing ringing and aliasing caused by artificially sharpening the
picture.
Indeed, if you look at the 'Auctioning Ado Annie' scene (chapter 30) on
the Todd-AO DVD, you can still see very severe color-flashing on the far
left side of the frame. So sever was the flashing that no amount of
digital correction would help.
The process of restoring a poor element is a difficult one, and Fox
stands by its decision to give accurate representations of source
materials. While artificial edge enhancement fixes one problem, it
actually introduces more problems.
Ultimately, the decision was made to allow the DVD to present the
Todd-AO version as accurately as it can be without artificially making
it appear sharper.
In 1954/5, "Oklahoma!" was the first studio feature film to utilize the
new Todd-AO process, and as such, the movie was a shake out for the
system. Todd-AO lens and equipment were retro-fitted to existing camera
technology, which resulted in anomalies that would prove significantly
challenging some 50-plus years later in the digital age. By the time of
"Around the World in 80 Days," released nearly two years later, the
Todd-AO process was significantly more stable.
Sadly, in this day of high definition programming and movies, the
current Todd-AO print of "Oklahoma!" does not stand up to scrutiny of
what we think a large format film should look like. It simply isn't as
sharp or as detailed as we remember it being. And it certainly doesn't
compare to today's high definition programming.
So while the CinemaScope version is stunning, the Todd-AO version of
"Oklahoma!" confounds DVD fans and aficionados 50 years after it was
created. It may indeed suffer by comparison, but is, in its own right,
a good transfer given today's technology.
38 of 41 people found the following review helpful
By P. C. Hutley
Format:DVD
Like several others, I agree that the Cinemascope version was well presented, but what a disappointment as far as the Todd-ao digital transfer! The original release I bought in 1999 gives a much clearer and brighter Todd-ao version that gives you a much better idea of what the original may have looked like. I enjoyed seeing "The Miracle of Todd-ao" again, but similarly the realism that was present in the original was lost, either due to poor quality of stock or inabilty to be able to digitally correct and sharpen the image. (I find it hard to imagine that Fox couldn't resore it better).There was an apology printed on our Region 4 version.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great classic!
After seeing our granddaughter played Ado Annie in her High School musical, we wanted to go back and see the original movie. Glad we bought it - really enjoyed it.
Published 5 days ago by PA H2OFowl
4.0 out of 5 stars
Oklahoma, 50th anniversary edition
I have't watched the DVD versioon yet, since I ordered it as a gift to my son. We have watched together the theater show in London, back in 1977. Read more
Published 5 days ago by Ennio Rezende
5.0 out of 5 stars
Long time love
I have loved this movie since I was a little kid. It is still as good as ever. Top shelf video.
Published 8 days ago by Janet
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gordon Macrae another great singer and actor
Saw this when I was very young in a theater that at the time only cost $.25. I have seen many of his movies.
Pat Stetler
Pat Stetler
Published 11 days ago by Patricia A. Stetler
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic
One of the great classics of the nineteen fifties. All the songs are a hit. Great dance numbers for all.
Published 15 days ago by Douglas Sabo
4.0 out of 5 stars
Oklahoma!
Classic! Wanted to get all the wonderful songs on DVD. I would definitely recommend this and I was very pleased with the quality of color too.
Published 29 days ago by Janelle M. Mccormack
3.0 out of 5 stars
3 stars now but hopefully more coming
Along with Carousel and the King and I, surely it's about time that these musicals are given the honor of being available on Blu-ray.
What's the reason for the delay?
What's the reason for the delay?
Published 1 month ago by MelAus
5.0 out of 5 stars
An all time favorite
Gordon Macrae is an iconic Curly. Shirley Jones in her first role was just right as Laurie. Never get tired of it.
.
.
Published 1 month ago by Charles Spargur
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Classic!
I recall seeing this in the 50's in Todd AO in NYC. It was great then and is still a classic. Even better than the stage production. Colow and sound is super! Read more
Published 1 month ago by B. J. Duffe
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic!
We had this recorded off TV but watching it on the HD tv was LAME! This recording is fabulous even i it isnt blu ray!
Published 1 month ago by S. Wickham
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