My views
- Notable actors:
- Irene Dunne
Plot
The Oklahoma land rush of 1889 prompts thousands to travel to the Oklahoma Territory to grab free government land; Yancey Cravat and his young bride, Sabra, cross the border from Kansas to join the throngs. In the ensuing race, Yancey is outwitted by a young prostitute, Dixie Lee, who takes the prime piece of real estate, the Bear Creek claim, that Yancey had targeted for himself.
His plans for establishing a ranch thwarted, Yancey moves into the town of Osage, a boomtown, where he confronts and kills Lon Yountis, an outlaw who had killed the prior publisher of the local newspaper. Having a background in publishing himself, Yancey establishes the Oklahoma Wigwam, a weekly newspaper, to help turn the frontier camp into a respectable town. After the birth of their daughter, Donna, a gang of outlaws threatens Osage, led by "The Kid", who happens to be an old acquaintance of Yancey's. To save the town, Yancey faces and kills The Kid.
Beset by guilt over his killing of The Kid, Yancey leaves Sabra and his children to chase another land rush settling the Cherokee Strip. After his departure, Sabra takes over the publication of the Wigwam, and raises her children until Yancey returns after serving in the Spanish-American War five years later. Not to her, but just in time to represent Dixie Lee, who had been charged with being a public nuisance, and win her acquittal.
Osage continues to grow, as does the Territory of Oklahoma, which gains statehood in 1907 and benefits from the early oil boom of the 1900s. Also prospering alongside the settlers are the Native American tribes, which Yancey supports through editorials in his newspaper. Once more he disappears from Osage, for several years. At the time, Sabra is vehemently anti–Native American, despite her son's involvement with an Indian woman.
Years later Sabra becomes the first female member of Congress from the state of Oklahoma, taken to lauding the virtues of her by-then Indian daughter-in-law.
Sabra and Yancey are reunited one final time when she rushes to his side after he has rescued numerous oil drillers from a devastating explosion. He dies in her arms.
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