Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Cimarron Blu-ray Movie Review

"Terrific as All Creation"? Well...

Reviewed by Randy Miller III July 28, 2023

One of the first Best Picture* winners clearly chosen more for technical achievements than enjoyment value, Wesley Ruggles' pre-Code drama Cimarron was later more famously (and better) remade in 1960 by director Anthony Mann. This was actually the first Western to take home that prestigious prize and, despite the public's enduring fascination with the genre, it would take almost 60 years to happen again. But yes, while the original Cimarron is overlong and narratively kind of flat, it's a true nitrate-era spectacle and, thanks to Warner Archive's outstanding new restoration, the next best thing to a time machine if you're in the mood to visit turn-of-the-century Oklahoma.

As for a plot synopsis? I'll keep it short, because Cimarron sure doesn't. The short version is that this 40-year saga begins in 1889 during the Oklahoma land rush where citizens snapped up government-issues acres by the thousands. Among them are Yancey Cravat (Richard Dix) and his young wife Sabra (Irene Dunne), but they're beaten to the punch and wind up in the boomer town of Osage, where Yancey helps to establish a weekly newspaper to unite and legitimize the community. After an act of self-defense leaves a local outlaw dead, the restless patriarch sets out alone to help settle the Cherokee Strip along the Oklahoma territory's northern border. Five years pass, and after Yancey's return -- where Sabra had been dutifully keeping up the newspaper -- the growing territory is finally granted statehood by President Roosevelt and a burgeoning oil boom introduces new benefits, challenges, and tragedy.

Based on Pulitzer winner Edna Ferber's eponymous 1930 novel, Cimarron's technical achievements as a large-screen spectacle can't be ignored. Produced on an enormous $1.5M+ budget (a record for RKO Pictures at that point), it made use of more than 5,000 costumed extras and roughly 30 camera operators to capture the drama. It was initially well-received critically, the first film to earn more than six Oscar nominations and the first to be nominated in all of the "Big Five" categories (Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and screenplay), yet Cimarron has aged like fine milk during the last 90 years where critics and audience have since grown to recognize its paper-flat narrative and almost inert sense of momentum. (I won't even get into the racist stereotypes, if only because of their pervasiveness in American culture during that era.) It can still be celebrated for its ambitious scope and base-level spectacle, but otherwise the phrase "they don't make 'em like they used to" doesn't apply here. The fact that Cimarron won over a film like The Front Page while a masterpiece like City Lights didn't even get nominated? That's downright laughable.

Cimarron shares more than a bit of Blu-ray DNA with another recently-released Archive title, 1929's The Broadway Melody; though almost completely opposite in its subject matter, this early MGM musical is likewise regarded as one of the least deserving Best Picture winners of Hollywood's Golden Age. But that's a review for next week...

For now, Warner Archive's new Blu-ray plays to Cimarron's limited strengths with a sterling new 4K-sourced restoration that ranks among their very best... and given the boutique label's track record, that's certainly saying something. This disc looks markedly better than the wide majority of catalogue home video releases from this era of filmmaking and, if nothing else, deserves a spin just for its breathtaking picture quality. A few minor but enjoyable slices of early 1930s pre-show entertainment round out a solid Blu-ray package that's greater than the sum of its parts.

Cimarron Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released two years before the standard Academy ratio of 1.37:1 was introduced, the slightly-narrower-than-normal 1.2:1 format of Cimarron still manages to look pretty damn epic thanks to the film's excellent production design and cinematography. Not surprisingly, this sprawling drama has no shortage of locations and a veritable army of background extras at its disposal, adding to the inarguable grandeur of establishing shots both urban and extremely rural.

But the real story here is Warner Archive's absolutely stunning new restoration, which ranks as one of their best and makes this near 100 year-old production shine like new. Sourced from a new 4K scan of safety preservation elements (cellulose acetate, a substitute for notoriously flammable nitrate fim), it's a consistently stunning preservation that only occasionally veers soft and "dupey", with fine detail and texture reaching staggering heights on many of the wide shots and even relatively tight close-ups. From sunlit prairies to carefully-lit indoor sets and even under cover of darkness, this is a true five-star effort in every sense of the word; one that looks extremely clean and polished, yet was carefully handled to preserve natural film grain and other native elements of its ancient source material. I sincerely doubt most original showings of Cimarron looked this good, and it obviously exceeds the modest heights set by previous home video editions including Warner Bros.' 2006 DVD. Restoration of the year? Maybe... but it's only July.

Cimarron Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Similarly, Warner Archive's DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix does what it can for aging raw material that, again according to a very reliable source, is the safety print made from a nitrate preservation negative in the 1960s. It's mostly clean and crisp in the areas of dialogue and background noise, yet louder elements are almost unavoidably harsh at the high end -- perhaps the best comparison would be a train almost coming off the rails. But the bulk of Cimarron is reined in nicely with, overall smooth fidelity and balance that is surprisingly light on hiss, pops, and other age-related defects. Overall, a fine effort under the circumstances and, again, clearly better than earlier home video editions.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature only, not the extras.

Cimarron Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a standard keepcase with vintage poster-themed cover artwork and no inserts. Extras are limited to pre-show entertainment, as RKO trailers from this era are basically no longer in existance.

• Lady, Play Your Mandolin (7:14) - This early Merrie Melodies short (the first in the series, if I'm not mistaken) is directed by Rudolf Ising; it's unsurprisingly music-driven and light on narrative, but is an absolute joy to watch if you're a fan of this animation era. It's beautifully drawn and has been restored nicely for Blu-ray.

• Red-Headed Baby (6:40) - Another nicely restored vintage 1831 MM cartoon, this one's still very much a musical production but revolves around the action in a toy store after its owner goes to sleep.

• The Devil's Cabaret (16:24) - This absolutely bonkers 1930 live-action Technicolor short, directed by Nick Grinde and starring Eddie Buzzell, follows a normal day at the offices of "Satan & Co., Inc." where the Devil himself (an uncredited Charles Middleton, six years before his turn as Ming the Merciless in the original Flash Gordon) tasks his assistant Mr. Burns (Buzzell) with finding some more recruits for the afterlife.

Cimarron Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Wesley Ruggles' pre-Code drama Cimarron was an early Best Picture* winner but a modest box office failure; it's more of a technical marvel than a true crowd-pleaser, and was remade in 1960 by director Anthony Mann to superior results. This original version still has merit, though, and Warner Archive adds support for the main feature with a truly stunning 4K-sourced restoration -- one of their best to date -- and a small but entertaining collection of pre-show entertainment. Certainly Recommended to fans of either version, but total newcomers should try before they buy.

* - Or "Outstanding Production", as it was known during that decade.