1955
Starring: Gordon MaCrae (Curley), Shirley Jones (Laurey), Gene Nelson (Will Parker), Gloria Grahame (Ado Annie), Charlotte Greenwood (Aunt Eller), Eddie Albert (The Peddler Man), and Rod Steiger (The Hired Hand, Judd)
This film tells a story of simple courtship between cowboy Curley, and farm girl Laurey, on the prairie of Oklahoma, in the days before statehood.
Throughout the film, Curley and Laurey, (via a great Rodgers and Hammerstein score, “Surrey with the Fringe on Top”, “People Will Say We’re in Love”, “Oklahoma!”), fight, flirt, coax, and court each other through many interactions, beginning with the Box Social and ending with a proposal!
From the opening fight, (or is it a flirtation?) between these two characters we see that the ride through courtship will be a bumpy one indeed.
OKLAHOMA! is one of the best films to illustrate the joys and hardships of courtship, making it a great discussion topic for your older generation clientele, (Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, and Dad), as well as your students.
Familiar songs, a simple plot, and a happy ending, make this film engaging from the start.
Click these links to discover more ways to use this film with all your clientele:
http://moviesandmusic.biz/comments.php?id=93
http://moviesandmusic.biz/comments.php?id=106
References:
Yauch, L (2015) Movies and Music: A Guide to Turning the Classic Movie Musical into An Interactive Event Raleigh, North Carolina: Lulu.com
Yauch, L (1st May 2014). Invitation to Spring in OKLAHOMA! {Blog Post}. Retrieved from www.moviesandmusic.biz
Yauch, L (6th May 2015). Spring Party in OKLAHOMA! {Blog Post}. Retrieved from www.moviesandmusic.biz
