Oklahoma! (1955) Todd-AO 1080p BluRay x265 HEVC EAC3-SARTRE

Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1943 Broadway musical was considered revolutionary for a multitude of reasons, not least of which were the play's intricate integration of song and storyline, and the simplicity and austerity of its production design. The 1955 film version of Oklahoma! retains the songs (except for Lonely Room and It's a Scandal!, which are usually cut from most stage presentations anyway) and the story, but the simplicity is sacrificed to the spectacle of Technicolor, Todd-AO, and Stereophonic Sound.

The story can be boiled down to a single sentence: a girl must decide between the two suitors who want to take her to a social. In her movie debut, 19-year-old Shirley Jones plays Laurie, an Oklahoma farm gal who is courted by boisterous cowboy Curley (Gordon MacRae) and by menacing, obsessive farm hand Jud Frye (Rod Steiger). Fearing that Jud will do something terrible to Curley, Laurie accepts Jud's invitation to the box social. But it's Curley who rescues Laurie from Jud's unwanted advances, and in so doing wins her hand. Counterpointing the serious elements of the story is a comic subplot involving innocently promiscuous Ado Annie (Gloria Grahame), her erstwhile sweetheart Will Parker (Gene Nelson) and lascivious travelling salesman Ali Hakim (Eddie Albert).

Two versions of Oklahoma! currently exist: the Todd-AO version, filmed on 65-millimeter stock, and the simultaneously shot CinemaScope version, shipped out to the theaters not equipped for the wider-screen Todd-AO process.

Extras

• CinemaScope vs. Todd-AO is an interesting look at the two formats and the two versions of Oklahoma!. (SD, 12:06)

• The Miracle of Todd-AO is a vintage short touting the Todd-AO process. (SD, 11:41)

• The March of Todd-AO - Hey, after miracles, what else is there left to do? (SD, 17:00)

• Vintage Stage Excerpts - "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" performed by Gordon MacRae, and "People Will Say We're in Love" performed by Gordon MacRae and Florence Henderson (SD, 5:24)

• Still Galleries including Behind the Scenes Gallery and Lobby Cards and One Sheets

• Theatrical Teaser (SD, 1:07)

• Theatrical Trailer (SD, 3:27)

• Feature Commentary by Shirley Jones and Nick Redman.