Apr 12, 20213 min read

Monday Movie Madness: Oscar Winners - Cimarron!

Hello Posse!

I hope you had a wonderful weekend. I spent a good deal of time writing on part 5 Into the West: Last Showdown (I won't lie, there were a few Fortnite breaks in there). I even gave the first chapter to my writing group and got some feedback to make it even better for you when it's ready to be published.

I have been looking forward to April for a good reason, it's Oscar month and it gives me a reason to focus on westerns that won best picture. This year the Oscars will air on Monday, 26 April 2021. If you are not sure what movies are in the running this year, just click on the picture at the top of this blog to go to Variety and their 2021 Oscars Predictions: All Awards Categories.

We have three Mondays blogs between now and the Oscars so I plan to focus on the three westerns that have taken home the coveted Best Picture award: 1931 Cimarron, 1990 Dances With Wolves, and 1992 Unforgiven have all taken home the Oscar for Best Picture.

Today's movie is the first western to take home the Best Picture Oscar, Cimarron. This epic western stars Richard Dix and Irene Dunne, with Estelle Taylor and Roscoe Ates. It was directed by Wesley Ruggles. The movie was based on the 1930 novel of the same name written by Edna Ferber. This movie would be the most expensive made by RKO at that time. The film's Oscar win was one of only two RKO would win.

This movie spans forty years in the live of a young married couple, Yancey Cravat (Dix) and his young bride, Sabra (Dunne). They join the throngs of people in the Oklahoma land rush. The film follows their trials and tribulations as they deal with how their lives change with the progress being made in the world around them.

While Cimarron was well received by critics, it did not do as well at the box office, coming up short of its production costs in its 1931 release. With all these great movies starting out as western novels, you might want to get the jump on your friends and start reading the Into the West Saga Serials. (<--- click to check out the books) Just in case they get made into a movie one day, you could tell your friends you were a fan from the start.

Movie Snack

Today's snack suggestion is a midwest favorite. I know when I was in my twenties, you could almost bet that every party you went to would have a bowl of puppy chow. It was something that was easy to make and people ate it almost as fast as a hungry puppy with fresh kibble.

I found this great recipe on Allrecipes, Puppy Chow (<--- click for recipe). Seeing as how this movie takes place squarely in Puppy Chow territory, it seemed like a good match.

If you have never tried this, I highly suggest you give it a go at least once in your life, but be warned. If you do, you will have to make it again . . . and again . . . and again . . .

Now, you know what time it is, posse. Time to get your snacks and settle in for another great movie!

Enjoy!