---
title: "Oklahoma!: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/oklahoma/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/oklahoma"
critics_score: 65
critics_reviews: 8
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Oklahoma! (1955): what the critics said

Critics' score 65 from 8 reviews: 4 positive, 3 mixed, 1 negative.

The reviews lean favourable, with praise clustering around the songs and Agnes de Mille’s choreography rather than the performances as a whole. Admirers value the film’s preservation of the stage musical’s appeal, while the opening location photography also draws praise. The songs earn credit for expressing sexual yearning and pride naturally, and for belonging to the drama rather than merely interrupting it.

Reservations range from a soft-centred story and uneven acting to objections to the scale of the presentation, making this a fairly wide spread of opinion. Empire finds most performances underwhelming but singles out Gloria Grahame’s Ado Annie as an exception. The New Yorker is the clearest dissenter, finding the film pompous and objecting to oversized close-ups and deafening sound, though it praises Charlotte Greenwood. Even that negative review finds some charm in the songs and dances, the elements on which the consensus is strongest.

## Variety — Variety Staff

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1954. 

Variety finds the film a lively, successful capture of the stage musical’s magic. It singles out Agnes De Mille’s choreography as the production’s greatest strength.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/1954/film/reviews/oklahoma-1200417859/)

## Radio Times — Tony Sloman

Rating 4/5. 

Sloman praises this rousing adaptation for preserving the musical’s songs and Agnes de Mille’s choreography. He especially singles out the striking location photography in the opening sequence.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-tk86gz/oklahoma/)

## Empire — Patrick Peters

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 28 July 2006. 

The review finds the film flawed but ultimately a classic, praising its outstanding score and nostalgic appeal. It singles out Gloria Grahame’s Ado Annie as the exception to otherwise underwhelming performances.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/oklahoma-review/)

## The AV Club — Noel Murray

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 16 November 2005. 

Murray regards Oklahoma! as a classic with an enduring, primal love triangle, though he calls it a soft-centered trifle. He praises its songs for making sexual yearning and pride feel natural.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/oklahoma-state-fair-1798201232)

## Time Out — Wally Hammond

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 22 August 2006. 

The available text does not reveal the critic's overall verdict. It notes that the songs were already treasured standards and had been integrated into the dramatic narrative.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/oklahoma)

## RogerEbert.com

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 

The page is blocked, so the critic’s verdict cannot be verified. Any praise or complaint is unavailable from the provided text.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/roger-ebert/oh-what-a-beautiful-movie)

## The New York Times — Bosley Crowther

Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 11 October 1955. 

The review gives the film a mildly favorable, qualified verdict. It singles out the musical’s presentation in the new Todd-AO process.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1955/10/11/archives/the-screen-oklahoma-is-okay-musical-shown-in-new-process-at-rivoli.html)

## The New Yorker — John McCarten

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 14 October 1955. 

McCarten finds the film pompous and its presentation excessive, though he sees some noisy charm in its songs and dances. He singles out Charlotte Greenwood’s performance for praise, while criticizing the oversized closeups and deafening sound.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1955/10/22/act-of-todd)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/oklahoma.md