Arguably the best latter-day Stanley Kramer film (i.e. made during his lean 1969-79 period); being a light-hearted romp with a mean streak, it might also be his oddest. It features an eclectic cast, with both George C. Scott (as a drifter) and John Mills (as Faye Dunaway's estranged father) shining in their comical roles; Dunaway herself (in an unflattering black wig) and Jack Palance (as a menacing thug, what else?) are also well-cast. Henry Mancini's flavorful score (and song) adds to the film's eccentricity, given its proliferation of foul language and occasional bouts of violence. In essence, patchy but generally enjoyable - and occasionally uproarious (Scott's priceless reaction to Dunaway's Third Sex speech and the second Scott-Palance confrontation). I had this on a VHS of wretched quality for years (though the quality of Robert Surtees' cinematography is still evident), but only watched it now to commemorate Palance's passing.
Review of Oklahoma Crude
