In Old Oklahoma

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Albert S. Rogell directs. Jack A. Marta behind the camera. Walter Scharf scores. Ernest J. Nims cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

• 183 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
• 2Directed by Albert S. Rogell, shot by Jack A. Marta. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
• 3Original score by Walter Scharf. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
• 4Editor Ernest J. Nims shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
• 5John Wayne and Martha Scott and Albert Dekker carry the top of the cast.
• 6Marketing tagline: "BATTLE-HEAT! Untamed men clash in a well of violence!".
• 7IMDB entry: tt0036038 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
• 8Only 47 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography

Jack A. Marta

Original score

Walter Scharf

Editing

Ernest J. Nims

Runtime

102 min · 1h 42m

Status

Released

Original language

EN

Certification (US)

NR

IMDB

In Old Oklahoma (1943) ↗

Also by

Albert S. Rogell

• 
  Senor Daredevil

  1926 · ★ 10.0
• 
  The Unknown Cavalier

  1926 · ★ 10.0
• 
  The Man from the West

  1926 · ★ 10.0
• 
  The Fighting Three

  1927 · ★ 10.0
• 
  The Circus Cyclone

  1925 · ★ 10.0
• 
  Hawaiian Nights

  1939 · ★ 10.0

Community reviews

What people are saying

• John Chard2017-05-12
  ★ 4/10

  War is a bit strong a word, more like scuffle of the wildcats. John Wayne & Albert Dekker compete for oil rights on Indian territory, and for the attention of Martha Scott in this Republic Pictures film shot out of Utah, USA. An interesting Western of sorts due to its characters and its more modern setting, with Wayne & Dekker playing the old and new factions of the West. It's based on a story by Thomson Burtis who co-writes the script along with Eleanore Griffin and Ethel Hill. Albert Rogell directs in the workmanlike way that befits his career. A pretty mundane story is in truth saved by its final third, where thankfully the action picks up and we are treated to something resembling a pulse. The light hearted approach to the romantic strand doesn't sit quite right, and a glorious fist fight between the two protagonists is ruined by Rogell being unable to disguise the stunt men doing the work. But hey, stunt men deserve their moment of glory always. Solid support comes from George 'Gabby' Hayes and Wayne as usual has much screen charisma, particularly when rattling off his pistol. But in spite of its better than usual Republic budget, it remains a film of interest only to 1940s Wayne enthusiasts. 4/10

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• r96sk2020-10-16
  ★ 8/10

  An entertaining western from 1943. <em>'War of the Wildcats'</em> held my interest from start-to-finish, I really enjoyed seeing the oil-themed premise unfold. There are good performances from John Wayne (Daniel), Martha Scott (Catherine) and Albert Dekker (Jim). The action sequences are nicely done, also. Some elements of the story are, obviously, outdated, especially to do with Scott's Catherine who isn't written incredibly; except for at the beginning, I guess. Although, in those terms, it does feature a mostly pleasant story regarding Native Americans, which is something you don't always see from these old films. By the end, I had an enjoyable 102 minutes watching this. Well paced and well acted.

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• CinemaSerf2022-06-26
  ★ 7/10

  This is certainly one of the more distinctive efforts from John Wayne, as he portrays "Dan Somers", a cowboy at the turn of the 20th century who decides that he can make some money prospecting for oil. His plan is to work with the local Indians in Oklahoma to develop their lands, but he faces stiff competition from local oilman "Jim Gardner" (Albert Dekker) who has designs on the lands himself - only on much less preferential terms to the owners... Thanks to a little bit of luck, and a friend in high places, "Dan" gets the chance - but can he discover the oil and get it to market in time? It's an engaging performance from the Duke, this - he has a bit more character than in many of his earlier roles - the dialogue a little more personable and his undoubted charisma is given more of a chance to shine through. I always think Wayne and Errol Flynn had one thing in common - both thrived when supported by a stalwart cast whom they worked with regularly. Here, the always enthusiastic contribution of "Gabby" Hayes helps keep the film rollicking along nicely, and though Martha Scott's "Cathy" offers little by way of substance, she still manages to add a little extra to this oily version of David and Goliath - especially as both men are keen on her. I'd certainly put this in his top ten...

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Production companies

Who made it

• 

  Republic Pictures

  US

Key crew

• EditorErnest J. Nims
• Art DirectionRussell Kimball
• SoundDick Tyler
• SoundHoward Wilson
• Set DecorationOtto Siegel
• Costume DesignerWalter Plunkett
• Special EffectsHoward Lydecker

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

• oklahoma
• native american
• oil
• cowboy
• turn of the century

Release history · US

When it landed

• Theatrical1943-12-06NR

Also known as

International titles

• War of the WildcatsUS
• In Old OklahomaCA
• En el viejo OklahomaES
• Les conquérants de l'or noir : La ruée sanglanteFR
• War of the WildcatsGB